Pete Cooper

Pete Cooper (MSc, CISSP) is an independent cyber security advisor based in London, UK, and a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's Cyber Statecraft Initiative. He completed a successful twenty-four year career in the UK Royal Air Force (RAF), with the first part of his career as a fast jet pilot and instructor on the Tornado GR4. He then became an early member of the UK Ministry of Defense (MoD) Joint Cyber Unit with a key role in developing and integrating cyber operations into UK and MoD processes. His final position was in MoD Joint Forces Cyber Group where he was the Strategic Cyber Operations advisor, playing a key role in developing policies, concepts, and doctrine both nationally and internationally. He has an MSc in cyberspace operations from Cranfield University. His dissertation on adding a cognitive dimension to Active Cyber Defence was published by the Journal of Law and Cyber Warfare and highlighted how exploiting psychology could be used to augment legal Active Cyber Defence methods. Since leaving the RAF in 2016 he has been independently advising organizations nationally and internationally on cyber security strategy, challenges and opportunities. He is also a passionate supporter for the Cyber 9/12 policy and strategy competition, which has seen him present and judge at competitions in both the US and Europe. As director of Cyber 9/12 UK, he is also leading the rollout of the competition in the UK.

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