Cybertech Europe, Leonardo announces a new contract with Eu-Lisa and launches Cyber Information Superiority (CIS). Tommaso Profeta: "Protection of critical sectors is essential"

09 May 2022

In an interview with Il Sole 24 Ore, head of the Cyber & Security Solutions division Tommaso Profeta presents the new solution created with the support of the davinci-1 supercomputer and announces Leonardo's leading role in the consortium that will manage cyber security for the European agency which oversees IT systems for asylum policies, migration and border management

Cybertech Europe takes place from 10 to 11 May – the the largest event in the Cyber Security sector – during which Leonardo will present Cyber Information Superiority, the new high-tech platform that combines artificial intelligence and supercomputing, to prevent or contain the extent of cyber attacks by initiating rapid defensive actions.

In an interview with Il Sole 24 Ore, Tommaso Profeta, Managing Director of the Cyber & Security Solutions division, explained Leonardo's objectives in the sector: "Over the next five years Leonardo will lead a European industrial consortium, in partnership with Cri Group (part of the Spanish company Vass), to monitor and manage cyber security for the infrastructure and corporate information systems of the Eu-Lisa agency.

“This is a critically important piece of European infrastructure because it manages the information systems that serve to safeguard asylum policies, border management and migration within the Schengen area.”

The agreement, explained Profeta, provides for integrated cyber security services, delivered by Leonardo specialists to protect all Eu-Lisa sites, namely the headquarters in Tallinn (Estonia), the operations centre in Strasbourg and the business continuity site in Austria. "The contract is important for us because it confirms Leonardo's strategic positioning as a partner of the European institutions in the security of critical infrastructure," added Profeta. "It is a path that began with the agreement in 2012 for the construction of NATO's cyber protection system.”

The exhibition in Rome will also be an opportunity to discuss the new products that Leonardo has implemented to protect information infrastructure. These include the Cyber Information Superiority intelligence platform – a new solution designed to increase analysis and intelligence capabilities and allow companies and institutions to access the information they need to prevent threats and take rapid action to defend against and contain attacks.

Profeta commented that at a time when cyber security is at the centre of global attention, “we have seen how the war in Ukraine was preceded by cyber attacks. We believe that special attention should be paid to the protection of all infrastructure that provides essential services to citizens, such as defence, public authorities, energy, space and mobility”. To best deal with these threats, “first and foremost, we need close cooperation between industry, institutions, academia and research institutes. In the event of attacks, the timely availability of information to prevent and mitigate them, with the real-time exchange of so-called indicators of compromise, is crucial. Another critical success factor is the development of advanced intelligence platforms”.