CYBERSEC Brussels 2019 will gather top European leaders to advance a collective quest for cyber trust

Fostering trust-based cooperation of likeminded cybersecurity stakeholders to create new strategies, policies and standards is one of the key aims of CYBERSEC Brussels Leaders’ Foresight, a conference taking place on Wednesday, 20 February, in Brussels. As a signatory of the Paris Call for Trust and Security in Cyberspace and the organiser of the event, the Kosciuszko Institute and CYBERSEC will present the declaration that calls for developing common principles for secure cyberspace. For the second year in a row, the conference will bring together top-notch leaders and experts from the EU and NATO, international organisations, and the global IT industry to discuss current cybersecurity issues. This year, CYBERSEC Brussels Leaders’ Foresight will have three overarching themes: close transatlantic relations, strong Europe’s cyber autonomy and regional cooperation. The speakers, including EU decision-makers and NATO high-level representatives, will also debate the most urgent aspects of a cybersecurity policy, such as the resilience of the electoral campaigns, multilateral frameworks of cyber cooperation and capacity building, the cyber insurance market, as well as new threats emerging from new dual-use technologies such as AI and 5G.


“The year 2019 will certainly be marked by new, challenging and decisive political activities, profoundly affecting the cybersecurity realm. Today, unsustainable technology advancement poses a threat that transcends borders; if not handled properly, it may threaten the security of ICT networks and systems, democracy and even the entire humankind. This is cybersecurity in the era of technological complexity per se,” says the President of CYBERSEC Forum, Izabela Albrycht. “European and transatlantic allies should be ready to respond to this threat with collective measures and through cooperation of likeminded governments, institutions and agencies as well as through partnerships with private and non-governmental entities.”


The imperative of regional digital integration will also be discussed in the context the Digital 3 Seas Initiative that calls for a strong digital pillar of cooperation and enhanced cybersecurity within the Three Seas region extending over 12 CEE countries highly exposed to hybrid threats. “It is truly a project for the 21st century,” said dr Joanna Świątkowska, CYBERSEC Programme Director, during CYBERSEC 2018. “In light of the principles of the Digital 3 Seas Initiative, all activities need to be taken with respect to the highest cybersecurity standards in order to establish cyber resilient infrastructure, a so-called ‘3 Seas Digital Highway’, to connect Europe from North to South, increasing the Union’s security and integrity.
This compact, one-day conference will host a diverse range of speakers and panellists from both the public and private sectors. Among them, Andrus Ansip – Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of the Digital Single Market; Toomas Hendrik Ilves – Former President of Estonia (2006-2016); Member of the Transatlantic Commission on Election Integrity; Sir Julian King – European Commissioner for Security Union; Antonio Missiroli – Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges, NATO; Despina Spanou – Director, Digital Society, Trust & Cybersecurity Directorate, DG CONNECT, European Commission; Maria-Manuela Catrina – State Secretary, Ministry of Communication and Informational Society, the Romanian Government; Karol Okoński – Secretary of State, Government Plenipotentiary for Cybersecurity, Polish Ministry of Digital Affairs; Kyu Sung Lee – Vice President & Head of European Corporate Affairs, Samsung Electronics; John Frank – Vice President, EU Government Affairs, Microsoft; Ludmila Georgieva – Public Policy and Government Relations Manager, Google.


20 February in Brussels will also be a day of important premieres and announcements. The Kosciuszko Institute, along with Microsoft and PwC, will present their newest report Cybersecurity Call: Defining Threats, Applying Solutions. The publication features eight case studies of companies from the CEE region, for example Poland, with tremendous potential to shape the global cybersecurity market in the coming years. CYBERSEC organisers will also announce a new 2019 Conference Programme Committee. By enhancing out-of-the-box thinking to help secure the world’s digital DNA, the group of the world’s top-class experts will guarantee the highest quality of the next 5th anniversary edition of the European Cybersecurity Forum – CYBERSEC 2019. CYBERSEC 2019 will be held in Poland on 29-30 October.

CYBERSEC Brussels Leaders Foresight 2019 strategic partners: Samsung, PZU, Microsoft, Google. Institutional patrons: NATO, ECSO, Ferma, Antall József Knowledge Centre, IRMO, the Lisbon Council.
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The CYBERSEC Forum is organised by the Kosciuszko Institute, a leading non-governmental and non-profit organisation, established in 2000. This think tank’s mission is to support social and economic development as well as security of Poland as an active EU and NATO member. The Institute specialises in creating strategic recommendations and directions of development of key public policies, providing substantial support for Polish and European political decision-makers. More information: www.ik.org.pl
More about the CYBERSEC family of events: www.cybersecforum.eu