Ken McCallum, director general of Britain’s domestic intelligence service MI5, warned that a new strategic threat could be taking shape in a place not monitored by intelligence agencies, urging security institutions to prepare for risks that may differ radically from previous attacks.
McCallum warns of a different strategic shock
In an opinion article published on Friday to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, McCallum said the next strategic shock would not resemble the previous one and that security agencies should avoid limiting their preparations to countering the methods and targets used by their adversaries in the past. He added that al-Qaeda, despite its waning strength, still poses a threat, noting that the group and other armed groups continue to seek to carry out attacks causing large numbers of casualties.
He cited the thwarting of a plot that he said aimed to kill hundreds of people through gun attacks on members of the Jewish community in Manchester, northern England. The agency chief said current risks are not limited to armed groups, as Britain is also facing a rise in state-backed hostile activity.
Private sector is a partner in addressing vulnerabilities
He said these activities range from sabotage carried out by criminal proxies to cyberattacks targeting power stations. McCallum said that, compared with 2001, many systems and services are now managed by the private sector, making the fight against security vulnerabilities and the response to crises a shared responsibility.
He called for cooperation among governments, companies, universities and research institutions, with responsibilities and powers to act defined before any crisis occurs. McCallum’s warnings came 25 years after the September 11, 2001 attacks, when 19 al-Qaeda members hijacked four civilian aircraft in the United States.
