CYBERSEC – one of the most important conferences on cyber security in Europe – this year in a new version and in a new place!

CYBERSEC is the first annual public policy conference in Poland and one of the few in Europe devoted to the strategic aspects of cyberspace and the global technological revolution. Since 2015, it has been gathering a community focused on cybersecurity. CYBERSEC uses a proven formula based on combining the knowledge of experts and professionals from various fields to develop recommendations. As the conference keeps developing dynamically, this year, celebrating the fifth anniversary of CYBERSEC, the Kosciuszko Institute has decided to take the next step towards creating space for cybersecurity discussion in Poland, the region and the world.

CYBERSEC CEE 2019 is still CYBERSEC FORUM – a conference with increasing recognition and a major brand. However, we are extending its format and supplementing it with the CYBERSEC EXPO trade fair and a number of events addressed to various groups, including CYBERSEC: Women, Young Leaders, Hackathon, Regions&Cities, CYBERSEC for Youth&Seniors.

SECURING THE WORLD’S DIGITAL DNA is the slogan of this year’s edition of CYBERSEC. Ubiquitous digital transformation requires building cybersecurity into the DNA of the digital world – for this it is necessary to involve regions and cities, because they are the basic tissues of an increasingly complex reality. The report “The role of the regions in strengthening the European Union’s cyber security” published by the European Cyber Security Organisation (ECSO), to which the Kosciuszko Institute belongs, shows that building cybersecurity in the EU depends to a large extent on the involvement of its regions. They have at their disposal key tools and systems: key sectors and services, competitive and innovative SMEs, state-of-the-art research and development laboratories and training centres. ECSO lists more than 30 regions that have created or are in the process of creating Digital Innovation Hubs. One of the places on the map of digital innovation centres for cybersecurity is Kraków, where the Kosciuszko Institute established CYBERSEC HUB in 2016. The Institute with its expert knowledge now wants to support the Silesian Voivodeship, which – due to the structure of its economy – has the potential to become one of the largest digital innovation hubs in Poland in the field of IT (information technologies) and OT (operational technologies) security services and products.

The Silesian Voivodeship is a place of dynamic economic development and ongoing transformation from a heavy industry-based economy towards a multidimensional modern economy of high technologies, services and innovative industrial production. The voivodeship authorities recognise the importance of cyber security in a developed society. It is in Katowice that the first Polish School of Digital Competence – a forge of professional IT staff – will be established. The project to create the School of Digital Competence is being carried out in cooperation with Polish universities, as is the Digital Poland Project CentreNASK –  Research and Academic Computer Network and the EMAG Institute of Innovative Technologies, which operates dynamically in Katowice. Established in Katowice, the Museum of Computer History and Computer Science perfectly illustrates the dynamic changes taking place in the digital reality. Katowice is also a centre that advances the idea of a smart city – a city managed, planned and organised by means of information technology. Discussion panels devoted to smart city are conducted, among others, during the European Economic Congress in Katowice and “EEC Green conference. Katowice. Smart city and sustainability”. The Startup Challenge, an event combining the smart city idea with the potential of startups, was also very popular in Katowice. The aim of the project is to develop solutions and technologies that will contribute to the development of the city and positively impact the lives of its residents. Likewise, the Science and Technology Park Euro-Centrum Katowice targets its offer to acquire IT industry-oriented entrepreneurs. Silesia has great advantages and development opportunities and will not only transform traditional industries, but also use its potential to become the most technologically developed region, where solutions for urban and regional cybersecurity can be found.

CYBERSEC CEE, the biggest cybersecurity event in Central and Eastern Europe will take place in Katowice on 29–30 October. Welcome to Katowice!