Session 1: Regulatory developments towards achieving the cybersecurity strategy

The Cybersecurity Strategy has formulated various goals and announced several initiatives such as the reform of the Network and Information Security Directive, new horizontal rules for an Internet of Secure Things, and measures to effectively tackle cybercrime. This session seeks to evaluate to what extent the strategy has succeeded in reaching these goals and developing these initiatives. In particular, this session is looking at the regulatory side of the strategy. Has the European Union succeeded in adopting the announced legal instruments? To what extent do these instruments (in their announced or adopted form) actually contribute to the various goals? What measures have been implemented and have they been successful? How do we assess the effectiveness of cybersecurity initiatives? What have been the main challenges in achieving success?

Confirmed speakers session 1

• Prof. Dr. Lee Bygrave (University of Oslo)
• Renate Verheijen (European Union Agency for Cybersecurity) 
• Dr. Rocco Bellanova (Vrije Universiteit Brussel)
• Claudia Aanonsen (Norwegian Institute of International Affair)

Session 2: Cybersecurity in times of crises

Since 2020, society in general and cybersecurity in particular have had to deal with new developments and challenges. Cybersecurity has been challenged by the shift to remote-working due to COVID-19, the proliferation of ransomware, attacks on managed service providers, ongoing cyberwarfare in Ukraine, and the use of targeted surveillance tools for political aims. Humanitarian actors operating in conflict zones and crisis situations have also been the target of major cyber attacks. On the flip side, cybersecurity also faces the risk of being neglected due to other societal crises like the climate emergency and energy crisis. This session is aimed at evaluating the Cybersecurity Strategy and current legal instruments in the light of these new challenges and emergent crises. To what extent can the strategy and the legal instruments accommodate them? Do they provide suitable solutions? In what ways are they lacking and should they be improved?

Confirmed speakers session 2

• Christian D’Cunha (European Commission)
• Dr. Cristina Del-Real (Leiden University)
• Mauro Vignati (International Committee of the Red Cross)

Session 3: Beyond the digital decade: what does the future of cybersecurity hold? 

To protect people’s fundamental rights, everyone providing digital services – including government, industry, and non-profit organisations – must help aspire towards a secure and trustworthy future. While Session I and II have dealt with the developments, successes and limitations of the current strategy, this final Session looks at the future of cybersecurity to identify the main technological, legal, societal, political challenges and opportunities. What future risks put pressure on the current strategy and legal regime? How should the strategy and regime be changed to deal with these risks? Are the goals of cybersecurity (still) viable in a changing society? What opportunities exist to further shape and improve the Cybersecurity Strategy over the rest of the decade?

Confirmed speakers session 3

• Prof. Dr. Bart Jacobs (Radboud University)

• Florian Pennings (Microsoft)

• Joke Bodewits (Hogan Lovells)

• Massimo Attoresi (Deputy Head of the 

  Technology  & Privacy Unit of the 

  European Data Protection Supervisor)

Programme