Foreign Office Director for Cyber Policy and National Security Capabilities, Sarah Taylor, has been named a Marie Claire Future Shapers award winner. Ms Taylor has been instrumental internationally in leading work to expose recent Russian cyber aggression and championing the application of international law in cyberspace.

Each year Marie Claire celebrates trailblazing women who are changing the world of work and redefining what it means to be successful in society today. The annual awards honour influential names from the worlds of civil society, fashion, technology, the arts and politics.

Taylor (42) is responsible for the international efforts to protect the UK against the most serious cyber-attacks and overseeing the training of the next generation of cyber diplomats.

She has led Britain’s international response to incidents such as the exposing of the Russian military intelligence service’s reckless cyber attacks on political institutions, businesses, media and sport and the North Korean actors behind the ransomware attack on NHS trusts.

Director for Cyber Policy and National Security Capabilities, Sarah Taylor said:

The challenges and complexities we face in cyberspace are clear as evidenced by Britain’s exposé of the Russian military intelligence service’s orchestrated attacks on our way of life.

The stakes don’t get much higher, but it’s is a privilege to be leading a team that is helping to keep the internet free, open, peaceful and secure.

I’m delighted to have been recognised as a Future Shaper by Marie Claire, and I would really encourage more women to consider careers in security, and cyber in particular.

Not only is it incredibly rewarding but it underpins almost everything we do in the internet age.

Marie Claire Editor-in-chief, Trish Halpin said:

Sarah’s work in cyber security is not only vital to the success of this country, but she is also paving the way for girls and young women to pursue careers in this field through her mentoring work in inner city schools.

Marie Claire is delighted to honour her as a Future Shaper of 2018.

Sarah is the first civil servant to win the award, this year’s winners include Killing Eve star Jodie Comer and authors of Slay In Your Lane: Black Girl Bible, Elizabeth Uviebinené and Yomi Adegoke.

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With financial technology as the designated theme of the gathering, the Chancellor will herald Britain’s approach to using technology to save customers money, and open up the market to popular new banking apps.

Britain will use its world-leading expertise and influence in finance to shape global views towards new financial technology, Philip Hammond will say at the IMF Annual Meetings in Bali.

He will add that he wants Britain to lead global efforts to design a regulatory approach to cryptoassets and distributed ledger technology.

This will mean people are able to manage their money and be confident it is safe, while allowing the life-changing potential of any new financial technology to flourish.

He will also confirm that the UK’s crypto taskforce will this year publish its report on the UK’s approach to cryptoassets.

Speaking before departing for the Annual Meetings, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, said:

International cooperation has made our financial system safer, simpler and fairer since 2008.

At home, our banking reforms have protected people and given them more confidence that their money is safe.

The UK’s world-leading expertise means that we are in a unique position to shape the future approach to emerging technology like blockchain so that they benefit businesses, people and the economy.

This week I’ll be making sure British interests are represented at the very top of international finance.

Britain is embracing technology such as Open Banking to give customers more choice managing their money, he will explain at the Annual Meeting.

Open Banking gives consumers a more detailed understanding of their accounts, helping them find new ways of making the most of their money.

While at the IMF, the Chancellor will hold talks with fellow Finance Ministers including US Secretary to the Treasury, Steve Mnuchin, where he will reaffirm UK backing for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and its benefit to businesses and shared security.

He will also hold talks with Japanese Finance Minister, Tarō Asō, and the Governor of the People’s Bank of China, Yi Gang.

The Chancellor will urge his colleagues to work together to guard against new and emerging risks to the global financial system, and also to take advantage of the opportunities presented by closer international cooperation, including for financial technology and innovation and boosting global trade.

The government has announced a package of fresh support to assist child victims of modern slavery and fund innovative ways to improve our response to this abhorrent crime.

During a speech to the McCain Institute in London, where she was presented with an award in recognition of her work fighting modern slavery, Prime Minister Theresa May announced a £5 million fund to test new approaches to tackling this crime.

The fund is now open for applications, and is the second round of an £11 million Modern Slavery Innovation Fund designed to build the evidence base around new approaches to tackle modern slavery around the world. So far it has supported projects such as GoodWeave and AllianceHR to tackle modern slavery in supply chains linked to UK companies in India and South Africa, and The Salvation Army and Retrak which are supporting victims in Nigeria, the Philippines and Ethiopia.

Speaking at the event last night Prime Minister Theresa May said:

More than 40 million men, women and children are suffering in modern slavery across the world, with between 10,000 and 13,000 in the UK alone.

That is why – first as Home Secretary and now as Prime Minister – I made tackling modern slavery a personal mission.

The announcement comes as Minister for Crime, Safeguarding and Vulnerability Victoria Atkins announced to Parliament that the latest Independent Child Trafficking Advocates scheme, run in partnership with Barnardo’s, would officially open next week in the West Midlands. So far, the early adopter sites have helped over 200 children who are potential victims of modern slavery access support and help as they rebuild their lives.

Speaking in a Westminster Hall debate yesterday, Minister for Crime, Safeguarding and Vulnerability Victoria Atkins said:

It is horrendous that victims of modern slavery have their freedom denied and that is why this government is absolutely determined to do all we can to tackle this crime.

Today, I am delighted to announce that the Independent Child Trafficking Advocates service will be extended to children in the West Midlands next week. These advocates provide invaluable specialist support to child victims of modern slavery.

The minister also announced that the service will be rolled out to help children in the East Midlands from January 2019, and in Croydon from April 2019. Last year, across the three new sites over 480 children were referred into the National Referral Mechanism.

Barnardo’s Chief Executive Javed Khan said:

We are really pleased the Home Office has announced the expansion of our Independent Child Trafficking Advocates Service to vulnerable children in the West Midlands, East Midlands and Croydon.

It’s crucial all trafficked children get the help they need to recover from the exploitation and trauma they have suffered. And children at risk of this horrific crime must be protected from harm.

By developing this much-needed service we will be able to support more children who are trafficked into the UK or from one part of the UK to another. We will also be able to upskill more professionals working with children to understand their vulnerabilities, including the risk of being trafficked internally.