Join us at Binding Hook Live on October 27 at Underbelly Boulevard Soho in London
Join us at Binding Hook Live
Binding Edge
What does Trump 2.0 mean for UK tech ambitions?
Trump’s relationship with Elon Musk highlights his strategic but fragile friendship with the US tech sector. However, his unpredictable approach to allies means the UK should invest in developing a stronger, more independent tech industry
Binding Edge
The Forgotten War: Ransomware and Cyber Conflict Studies
Scholars of cyber conflict have largely ignored the rise of ransomware as a national security threat. Counter-ransomware strategies would benefit from further interrogation from this community
Binding Edge
Can Europe and the US under Trump find unity in cybersecurity?
The re-election of Donald Trump has added pressure to the already strained relationship between Europe and the US. Mutual digital interdependence offers a critical opportunity to strengthen ties through shared cybersecurity efforts, fostering resilience and cooperation in an increasingly fragmented world
Binding Edge
Unpacking the vicious cycle of climate change and digital security
Greater understanding of the interdependent relationship between climate change and the connected world is needed if we are to combat this existential threat
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Cyber threats are increasingly complex. What can governments do to defend against them?
Eugenio Benincasa / Livia Fries / Lapo Moriani / Jonas Franken / Fabio Seferi 22 April 2025
Virtual Routes fellows look for ways to shrink the gap between cyber threats and defensive capabilities, from regulatory sandboxes to supranational understandings of critical infrastructure.
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Hooked! #2: A big month for spies in phones
Katharine Khamhaengwong 17 April 2025
The biggest cybersecurity news story of the last month had, ironically, nothing to do (directly) with hackers, espionage, or software backdoors. Instead, Signalgate was a dramatic reminder that the most secure systems are still vulnerable to human error.
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Third time’s the charm for Pall Mall in Paris?
Lena Riecke 15 April 2025
States agree on a code of practice to govern commercial cyber intrusion capabilities, but unresolved issues may inhibit successful implementation
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Towards an accurate description of cyber operations
Kamil Bojarski 10 April 2025
Cyber operations can range from espionage to sabotage, but they are often described in uniform ways, leading to misconceptions and inadequate responses. Using plain language to describe the goals and consequences of the operations is a better approach.
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Is commercial cyber threat intelligence doomed?
Kritika Roy / Michaela Prucková 8 April 2025
Virtual Routes fellows explore the challenges facing commercial CTI, including the expansion of free OSINT and limits on public-private partnerships.
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Neglecting cybersecurity could harm Indonesia’s competitiveness
Gatra Priyandita / Christian Guntur Lebang 1 April 2025
President Prabowo’s turn away from his predecessor’s cyber ambitions is symptomatic of wider strategic failings
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From hacktivism to development coordination, cyber conflict blind spots bring risks
Ric Derbyshire / Isabella Neumann / Veronika Datzer 26 March 2025
Virtual Routes fellows identify three key blind spots in our understanding of cyber conflict: the risks of new forms of hacktivism, insufficient EU defense coordination, and cybersecurity risks in the Global South.
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Announcing Binding Hook Live: Where Digital Tech and Global Affairs Meet
James Shires / Max Smeets 24 March 2025
Binding Hook is pleased to announce Binding Hook Live, a one-of-a-kind event bringing together leading voices in cybersecurity and emerging technologies. This exclusive event takes place at the iconic Underbelly Boulevard Soho in London on October 27, 2025.
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Hooked! #1: Will they, won’t they? US offensive cyber against Russia
Katharine Khamhaengwong 19 March 2025
Reports earlier this month that US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth had ordered the US Cyber Command to halt all Russia-related planning, including offensive cyber operations, sent alarm bells ringing across international relations and cybersecurity spheres. 
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Deception can enable private-sector initiative persistence
Neil Ashdown / Jeremy Henty 18 March 2025
By using cyber operations to deceive adversaries, the private sector can act persistently without conducting ‘attacks’
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What does critical cybersecurity look like?
Noran Fouad 14 November 2024
‘Critical Perspectives on Cybersecurity: Feminist and Postcolonial Interventions,’ edited by Anwar Mhajne and Alexis Henshaw, broadens the scope of cybersecurity research by highlighting marginalised voices and overlooked issues
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Cyber insurance is no silver bullet for cybersecurity
Rodney Adriko / Jason R.C. Nurse 10 February 2025
Regulators and businesses hope cyber insurance will drive stronger security practices. In reality, a narrow focus on mitigating financial loss makes it an unreliable solution
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From ally to outcast, what’s next for Georgia’s cyber future?
Mamuka Kirkitadze 24 December 2024
As the Georgian government moves in an increasingly anti-democratic direction, Western partners are cutting aid and strategic programming, with serious impacts for Georgia’s cybersecurity capacity
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Terms and Conditions for the AI-Cybersecurity Essay Prize Competition

Introduction

The AI-Cybersecurity Essay Prize Competition (the “Competition”) is organized by Virtual Routes (“Virtual Routes”) in partnership with the Munich Security Conference (“MSC”). It is sponsored by Google (the “Sponsor”). By entering the Competition, participants agree to these Terms and Conditions (T&Cs).

Eligibility

The Competition is open to individuals worldwide who are experts in the fields of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (“AI”). Participants must ensure that their participation complies with local laws and regulations.

Submission Guidelines

Essays must address the question: “How will Artificial Intelligence change cybersecurity, and what are the implications for Europe? Discuss potential strategies that policymakers can adopt to navigate these changes.”

Submissions must be original, unpublished works between 800-1200 words, excluding footnotes but including hyperlinks for references.

Essays must be submitted by 2 January 2025, 00:00 am CET., through the official submission portal provided by Virtual Routes.

Only single-authored essays are accepted. Co-authored submissions will not be considered.

Participants are responsible for ensuring their submissions do not infringe upon the intellectual property rights of third parties.

Judging and Awards

Essays will be judged based on insightfulness, relevance, originality, clarity, and evidence by a review board comprising distinguished figures from academia, industry, and government.

The decision of the review board is final and binding in all matters related to the Competition.

Prizes are as follows: 1st Place: €10,000; Runner-Up: €5,000; 3rd Place: €2,500; 4th-5th Places: €1,000 each. The winner will also be invited to attend The Munich Security Conference

Intellectual Property Rights

The author retains ownership of the submitted essay.

By submitting the essay, the author grants Virtual Routes exclusive, royalty-free rights to use, reproduce, publish, distribute, and display the essay for purposes related to the Competition, including but not limited to educational, promotional, and research-related activities.

The author represents, warrants, and agrees that no essay submitted as part of the essay prize competition violates or infringes upon the rights of any third party, including copyright, trademark, privacy, publicity, or other personal or proprietary rights, breaches, or conflicts with any obligation, such as a confidentiality obligation, or contains libellous, defamatory, or otherwise unlawful material.

The author agrees that the organizers can use your name (or your pseudonym) and an image of you in association with your essay for purposes of publicity, promotion and any other activity related to the exercise of its rights under these Terms.

The organizers may remove any essay-related content from its platforms at any time and without explanation.

The organizers may block contributions from particular email or IP addresses without notice or explanation.

The organizers may enable advertising on its platforms and associated social media accounts, including in connection with the display of your essay. The organizers may also use your Material to promote its products and services.

The organizers may, at its sole discretion, categorise Material, whether by means of ranking according to popularity or by any other criteria.

Data Protection

Personal information collected in connection with the Competition will be processed in accordance with Virtual Routes’ Privacy Policy. Participants agree to the collection, processing, and storage of their personal data for the purposes of the Competition.

Liability and Indemnity

Virtual Routes, MSC, and the Sponsor will not be liable for any damages arising from participation in the Competition, except where prohibited by law.

Participants agree to indemnify Virtual Routes, MSC, and the Sponsor against any claims, damages, or losses resulting from a breach of these T&Cs.

General Conditions

Virtual Routes reserves the right to cancel, suspend, or modify the Competition or these T&Cs if fraud, technical failures, or any other factor beyond Virtual Routes’ reasonable control impairs the integrity or proper functioning of the Competition, as determined by Virtual Routes in its sole discretion.

Any attempt by any person to deliberately undermine the legitimate operation of the Competition may be a violation of criminal and civil law, and, should such an attempt be made, Virtual Routes reserves the right to seek damages from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law.

Governing Law

These Terms and Conditions are governed by the laws of the United Kingdom, without regard to its conflict of law principles. Any dispute arising out of or in connection with these Terms and Conditions, including any question regarding its existence, validity, or termination, shall be referred to and finally resolved by the courts of the United Kingdom. The participants agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located in the United Kingdom for the resolution of all disputes arising from or related to these Terms and Conditions or the Competition.