Cyber Security Roundtable: Bridging the Gap Between IT and Security

Cyber Essentials is seen as the go-to accreditation for most charities, but is it enough? The CE Standard has evolved over the years and is a good baseline for the minimum security controls you should have, but what comes next?
In this session we invite charity leaders involved in IT in any way, shape or form, to come together in a safe space, to share their experiences and lessons learned.
As with all our Roundtables, this is a chance to hear what other charities are doing in this area, learn from one another and network.
Please note – this is not a sales event.
The discussion will be open, but topics we may cover include:
The discussion will be open, but topics we may cover include:
- Have you looked at, or are you being asked to look at SOC (Security Operations Centre) 24x7x365?
- Are you getting the most out of all the security controls included within Microsoft 365?
- What other security controls, tools and systems are in use and do they overlap or duplicate?
- How do your peers at other charities enhance their cyber security posture?
- What other methods and controls are being used?
- What is an appropriate level of spend and investment in cyber security?
Who this is for:
- COOs, CIOs, CFOs, IT Directors, Operations Directors or equivalent C Suite or Exec roles
- Nonprofit organisations with any level of internal IT capability
Event Details
Date: Wednesday 18th November 2026
Time: 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Location: Microsoft Paddington, London
The event is hosted by Smartdesc and Microsoft Elevate – Microsoft’s dedicated charity team, at their offices in London Paddington and is free to attend. Lunch and refreshments will be provided.
To maintain a high‑quality conversation, spaces are limited to a maximum of 15 participants, ensuring plenty of open discussion in a safe and confidential environment.
- Charity IT Leaders Connect: Cloud, infrastructure and ITSM
- Charity IT Leaders Annual Conference – 7th-8th October 2026
- Data Protection Roundtable: Managing Risk in a Data-Driven World
- Charity IT Leaders Connect: Building Cyber-Resilience
- Cyber Security Roundtable: Bridging the Gap Between IT and Security