In our latest series of guest blogs, thank you to CyberNorth’s Lead for Cyber & Fintech, Jon Holden, as he describes his recent trip to London in his own inimitable style. 👇
When your week kicks off with a broken-down train and ends with quantum physics and cybercrime, you know it’s been a classic 48 hours in London.
For anyone in cybersecurity or fintech heading to the capital for conferences, client meetings, or a bit of both—here’s my survival guide, with a few lessons learned along the way.
Getting There: The Romance of Train Travel… Until It Isn’t I started the week optimistic. Trains are supposed to be the civilised way to travel—laptop out, emails flowing, coffee in hand. Except when they aren’t.
Thanks to signal failures somewhere between Doncaster and nowhere, my journey south turned into a game of “Guess the Platform,” followed by an impromptu train swap in Peterborough. Still, there’s something about watching the city skyline rise as you pull into King’s Cross that makes up for it. Almost.
Pro tip: If you’re travelling for a major event like Infosecurity Europe, book the early train and pack patience. And snacks. Lots of snacks.
Day 1: Canada House & Global Cyber Connections After a brisk check-in at The Z Hotel Soho (small rooms, huge location win), it was straight to Canada House in Trafalgar Square. I’d been invited to a cyber delegation hosted by the Canadian High Commission—a chance to meet some impressive cybersecurity innovators from across the pond. The conversations ranged from digital identity to quantum-safe encryption, all against the elegant backdrop of diplomatic wood panelling and strong Canadian coffee. It was a reminder of just how global this industry has become, and how much the UK can learn from collaboration with trusted allies.
Highlight: Meeting passionate cyber founders who see the UK as their next move—and discovering that Canada doesn’t just export maple syrup, but some serious infosec talent too.
Where to Eat (Like a Cyber Pro) Between sessions, here are a few great spots for a quick refuel:
- Dishoom (Covent Garden): Iconic Bombay comfort food. The bacon naan roll is practically a rite of passage.
- Hoppers (Soho): Sri Lankan street food with punchy flavours. The bone marrow varuval is a must.
- Flat Iron (Multiple Locations):Â Affordable, quality steak. No bookings. Worth the queue.
- Soho Grind:Â Great espresso and Wi-Fi if you need to catch up between meetings.
Day 2: Into the Belly of the Beast – Infosecurity Europe 2025 After a quick breakfast (and three espressos), I made my way east to ExCeL London for Infosecurity Europe, the annual gathering of the great, the good, and the occasionally gimmicky of the cybersecurity world. The scale is hard to overstate. Over 400 exhibitors. Thousands of attendees. A blizzard of buzzwords—AI, XDR, zero trust, post-quantum, threat intelligence, cyber resilience, and the ever-popular “platform of platforms.” It’s part expo, part performance art.
Themes That Stood Out – AI Everywhere, But How Real Is It? The show floor was flooded with AI-branded tools—AI-driven detection, AI-led response, AI-for-compliance (and probably AI-powered sandwiches somewhere). But digging into the detail, you quickly realise there’s a spectrum. Some vendors have genuinely impressive ML models; others are, let’s say… aspirational. As always: trust, but verify.
Quantum Preparedness Gaining Momentum More vendors were talking openly about post-quantum cryptography, not just as a theoretical risk, but as something requiring investment today. There were demos of hybrid encryption models and quantum-resistant key exchange, which made Brian Cox’s later keynote feel even more urgent.
Identity and Access Management (IAM) Still Dominates It’s not sexy, but it’s essential. Conversations around passkeys, behavioural biometrics, and passwordless architecture showed that IAM remains one of the most practical areas where cyber meets user experience—and risk meets reward.
Supply Chain Risk is the New Perimeter With SolarWinds still casting a long shadow, every second conversation seemed to touch on third-party risk, vendor assurance, or SBOMs (software bill of materials). Transparency is in—obscurity is out.
Brian Cox and the Quantum Frontier At 3 pm, the crowds converged on the keynote theatre to hear Professor Brian Cox—physicist, broadcaster, and (for the day) honorary cyber oracle. His talk wasn’t a technical breakdown of RSA or Grover’s algorithm. Instead, it was a beautifully clear and surprisingly philosophical take on how quantum computing will fundamentally reshape how we think about data, risk, and trust. He drew parallels between early misunderstandings of the cosmos and our current underestimation of quantum’s timeline. His warning was subtle but sharp: “Don’t assume the world will look the same in five years—because it won’t.” It was a rare moment at a tech conference: awe, not just analysis.
Quote of the day: “Quantum computers won’t break the internet tomorrow—but they’re a reason to start preparing today.” – Brian Cox
People, Partners & Post-Its Beyond the sessions and show floor, Infosecurity is really about the conversations—the serendipitous catch-ups, the “I didn’t know you were working on that” moments, the hallway strategy chats. I caught up with cyber startups from Canada, partners from across the UK, and even bumped into a few faces from Durham and Newcastle—proving that the North East has a strong and growing presence at national events.
A few highlights:
- A stealth startup demoing quantum-safe messaging behind a discreet curtain.
- An open-source security group talking about community-driven incident response tooling.
- A CISO panel admitting (on stage!) that most of us are still figuring out what “cyber maturity” really means in 2025.
InfoSec Tips for Cyber Pros
- Wear comfortable shoes. You’ll walk miles. Literally.
- Don’t chase swag. Chase insight—the good stuff happens in quiet corners and follow-up coffees.
- Plan your talks. But be flexible—some of the best conversations are unplanned.
- Bring your questions. Everyone’s selling, but most people genuinely want to talk.
Where to Stay (and Recharge Your Devices and Brain)
- Z Hotels (Soho or Victoria): Affordable and central—compact rooms but stylish.
- CitizenM Tower of London:Â Sleek, smart rooms with amazing views and genuinely good lobby workspaces.
- Hub by Premier Inn (Westminster or Covent Garden):Â Good value, tech-friendly rooms, and surprisingly comfy beds.
Free Time (Yes, Really) If you do get a spare hour or two (or need a break from badge scanning), try:
- The Science Museum (Kensington):Â Cyber exhibits and an underrated AI gallery.
- The Barbican Conservatory:Â A digital detox inside a hidden botanical garden in a brutalist building.
- Coffee + code at The Ministry, Borough:Â A cyber-friendly co-working space with good vibes.
- Walk the South Bank:Â Recharge with a riverside wander from Waterloo to London Bridge.
Final Thoughts London can be intense, but for anyone in cyber or fintech, it’s also an epicentre of innovation, networking, and the occasional existential AI debate. From dodging train delays to debating the future of encryption, this 48-hour sprint reminded me just how fast our industry moves—and how important it is to make space for real conversation along the way. Next time, I’ll book the 06:30 train… and bring more coffee.