Cybertech Europe, the world's leading networking platform for the cyber security industry, returns

Cybertech Europe, Europe's largest event dedicated to cyber security, will be held in Rome from 10 to 11 May 2022. Organised in collaboration with Leonardo, the conference returns as a face-to-face event at the La Nuvola conference centre and brings together the most authoritative voices in the sector.

Now in its fifth edition, Cybertech aims to deepen the debate on the evolution of the threat from cyberspace, the fifth dimension of security along with land, air, sea and space – because a threat present in this domain represents a true multiplier of instability.

Security threats

"In an increasingly interconnected world, the protection of data and digital infrastructure plays a key role in our security. A ‘digital shield’ is needed to guarantee essential services in everyday life and to safeguard critical sectors such as energy, transport and communications," commented Alessandro Profumo, CEO of Leonardo.

The use of hybrid strategies, increasingly complex cyber-attacks and massive disinformation campaigns by state and non-state actors are of deep concern to heads of state and governments worldwide. This alarm is also shared by companies in every sector and of every size, which see cyber-crime as a potential crisis point because it can lead to huge economic repercussions.

According to Cybersecurity Ventures, the global cost of cyber-crime in 2021 is estimated at $6 trillion. Damage is being caused by an increasing number of attacks: 2,049 serious attacks worldwide – almost 10% more than the previous year, according to CLUSIT (the Italian Association for Information Security). These attacks are growing in absolute terms, but also in terms of their impact.

The possible effects of a cyber-attack include exfiltration of sensitive data, cyber extortion, reputational damage, and sabotage through to compromising strategic infrastructure and the defence capabilities of governments and institutions.

The dangers and criticality have increased as digital transformation, migration to the Cloud and the volume of Internet of Things (IoT) devices have extended the breadth of targets for cyber criminals.

During the two-day event in Rome, global leaders from industry and institutions will discuss the challenges and innovations that are affecting the world of defence, space, energy and mobility through dedicated focus sessions.

In Italy, according to the latest Annual Report for the Presidency of the Council on Security Information Policy, in 2021 hostile cyber activities targeted the infrastructure of public authorities in 69% of cases. Within private entities, the energy sector was most affected – experiencing 24% of actions, transport 18%, and telecommunications 12%.

"We need to cooperate to strengthen our defence capabilities and anticipate risks, while improving threat awareness. Europe and its institutions are also moving in this direction, incorporating actions to counter cyber threats into their defence strategies," Profumo added.

The European Union is determined to defend its security. The protection of data and digital infrastructure is at the top of the EU agenda. As part of the Digital Europe Program for the period 2021-2027, the EU has committed to invest €1.6 billion in cyber security capabilities for public authorities, businesses and individuals.

Security is also a pillar of the Strategic Compass, and in two Directives – NIS2, which classifies potential entities subject to attacks in essential and important sectors, and CER, dedicated to the resilience of critical entities against physical threats. In addition, there is the Cyber Resilience Act, with which the Commission intends to give greater prominence and uniformity to the issue of cyber protection within the Union.

Leonardo at Cybertech

An approach connected to the physical and cyber protection of critical infrastructure is at the heart of the contributions that Leonardo experts will make in the various sessions of the conference. It is also central to the offer that the company will also present on its stand, where live demos of some of Leonardo's most innovative security technologies will be presented:

Cyber Information Superiority (CIS), the new solution designed by Leonardo to increase analysis and intelligence capabilities and allow companies, institutions and critical infrastructure organisations to have available the necessary information to prevent threats and implement rapid defence and containment actions. It is a technological suite dedicated to intelligence that complements Leonardo's technologies and solutions for monitoring and cyber protection of IT and OT infrastructure.

X-2030, the platform that integrates data and information from diverse sources (sensors, cameras, drones, satellites, databases, open sources) and mission critical communication systems to improve the situational awareness of security operators, providing them with support for decision-making and operational coordination. This means having the right information at the right time, to act, communicate and coordinate interventions in the field.

Proprietary cyber training platforms such as Cyber Range and Cyber Trainer, designed to train operators through virtualisation and simulation of extremely realistic (even very complex) attack and defence scenarios.

"In building common defence capabilities, in addition to having the necessary technologies, we need to spread a more robust security culture and create the necessary skills to face the challenges of the present and the future,” Leonardo’s CEO concluded.

The defence of digital ecosystems cannot ignore the availability of the skills needed to tackle both physical and cyber threats. This is why Leonardo has recently unveiled its Cyber & Security Academy, a European centre of excellence which, in close collaboration with institutions, academia and research centres, aims to help create a more robust digital presence for Italy. Training and education are among the themes of this edition of Cybertech Europe, a showcase for technological innovations and new perspectives on information security. Because knowledge is essential to protection.
 

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