About

Cybersecurity and digital resilience in Europe are dependent on the participation of its regions and cities, as well as on a true public-private collaboration. This is where the transition, based on security and values, should begin. That is why CYBERSEC CEE Regions & Cities was established, and this is why Krynica goes digital….

 As one of the most influential public policy conferences in Europe, its mission is to enhance and highlight the potential of interregional cooperation and regional capabilities of the CEE. We are doing so by providing a leading forum to carve, 

discuss and establish critical technology management, partnerships and cybersecurity policies. Previous editions of CYBERSEC in Krakow, Katowice, Warsaw, Brussels, Washington DC, and online, gathered leading European decisionmakers, transatlantic envoys, security professionals and technology experts.

CYBERSEC Regions&Cities 2021 will follow the leitmotif: Towards Values-Based Digital World, under which we aim to deliver on our commitment to foster responsible and human-centric digital ecosystem.

CEE

Finally, regional and interregional cooperation is essential to ensure that cities, regions and countries can enhance their cybersecurity, technological development and greater economic competitiveness, and as a result – fully realise their potential. In the last decade, initiatives such as the Three Seas and the Visegrad Group started to focus on regional digital resilience and capability building. Geographic and digital spaces intertwine and overlap, creating an ecosystem in which new technologies become integral to the functioning of regions and building their future, with both opportunities and threats. This digital connectivity binds together states and economy, which are vulnerable to the new threats in the cyberspace. The only way to deal with them is to develop macro- and micro-scale public-private partnerships across Central and Eastern Europe, its regions and cities, and to foster international cooperation.

Regions

The European Cyber Security Organisation (ESCO) emphasizes the importance of regions in the European Union’s cybersecurity efforts,
as well as their governments’ roles as crucial stakeholders in the digital ecosystem. The most strategic tools and systems are available to regions. They have access to a variety of resources, including the core product and service sector, local SMEs, state-of-the-art laboratories, and training centers. ESCO points to more than 30 regions that are in the process of preparing, or have already established, Digital Innovation Hubs specializing in cybersecurity. Among them is also CYBERSECHUB EDIH  based in the capital of Malopolska, Krakow. Therefore, the regional perspective is one of the leading areas of interest for the Forum.

Cities

Cities are the frontline of the digital revolution. Smart Cities, hyperconnected with billions of devices, have now become the precursors of the “Internet of Everything” era which has come with unprecedented levels of risk derived from adversarial actions happening in cyberspace on a daily basis. Cities of all sizes and at different stages of digitisation all around the world are being targets of cyberattacks, such as ransomware that undermine their business and delivery of essential public services, and pose an existential threat to their citizens. This year, CYBERSEC creates a platform for a European-wide debate concerning the most important digital challenges and opportunities faced by cities and regions. From the European Digital Spaces stream to the Three Seas Initiative stream.

Agenda

This edition’s topics include:

  • Smart connectivity projects under
  • Cybersecurity capacity building
  • Smart cities
  • European Data Spaces
  • Changes in the cybersecurity threat landscape such as proliferation of malware
  • Secure development of 5G and many more

CYBERSEC CEE Regions & Cities 2021 in glance

Programme Committee ’21-22

CYBERSEC Conferences are prepared in close cooperation with the Programme Committee, which this year consists of 28 of the greatest cybersecurity experts from around the globe.

Cybersec Central Theme ’21-22

Cybersecurity and digital resilience of Europe depends on the digital resilience of its regions. A drive towards a more humancentric and value-driven digital transformation has to start there.

Themathic streams

DIGITAL SPACE

One of the priorities of the European Union today is to support the competitiveness of regional economies and the potential of smart cities. A key project in this regard is the Digital Innovation Hubs  network, which aims to ensure that European companies benefit from transformation by increasing their competitiveness, enabling the free flow of data across sectors, and facilitating digital transformation.

DIGITAL THREE SEAS

The Three Seas region has great opportunities for socio-economic development by enhancing its yet undiscovered digital capabilities. The Bulgarian presidency of the Three Seas Initiative aims at further consolidation of the region in the spirit of cooperation, coherence and convergence with the EU, while strengthening its position in the transatlantic community, which should result in establishing Central and Eastern Europe as a digital leader and initiator of change in the area of new technologies.

CYBER SECURITY OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

(held exclusively in Polish)

Local government units are increasingly vulnerable to cyber attacks that hinder and sometimes even paralyze their operations. Ensuring the cyber resilience of local institutions is a prerequisite for state security and an important task of local administration. Raising awareness and disseminating good practices are one of the keys to improving the cyber security of regions.

KRYNICA GOES DIGITAL

(held exclusively in Polish)

Digital challenges affect every single aspect of states and societies, which is why it is so crucial to identify them and adequately prepare. There is an ongoing revolution in the energy sector aiming to build a zero-emission economy. New technologies will play a significant role in this process. Our goal is to take a closer look at how to use them in the most efficient and effective ways, and how to guarantee their safety. Space is also becoming a new arena of rivalry between the superpowers, and its significance for the economy and national security keeps growing. In Poland, there is still a lack of any high-level discussion on this issue.

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