Bucharest Cybersecurity Conference

About the conference

The National Cyber Security Directorate (DNSC) organizes for the second time the event "Bucharest Cybersecurity Conference", in physical format, on October 12 - 13 at ROMEXPO.

The event is a continuation of the #CERTCON series of conferences, which, in our opinion, had an important impact on the field of cyber security in Romania.

The #CERTCON conference series brought together cybersecurity experts, government officials and policy makers, as well as representatives of private companies from various fields and industries, NGOs and academia.

We are delighted to extend our warmest invitation to you for the upcoming Bucharest Cybersecurity Conference 2023, dedicated to exploring the crucial aspects of cyber security policy, regulations, and industry-specific challenges within the rapidly evolving cybersecurity landscape.

The Bucharest Cybersecurity Conference is an exceptional gathering of industry experts, thought leaders, policymakers, and professionals, providing a platform to discuss and address the most pressing concerns facing the cyber security ecosystem today.

Main Topics of Discussion:

Policy and Regulations in the Cyber Security Domain
NIS Directive Compliance and Implications
European Regulations and their Impact on Cyber Security Practices
Cyber Security in Healthcare: Protecting Sensitive Medical Data
Ensuring Cyber Resilience in the Automotive Sector
Cyber Security Challenges in Retail, Energy, Banking, and Financial Institutions
Education and Competence in Cyber Security: Fostering a Skilled Workforce
Securing AI Applications in a Connected World
Strengthening Cyber Security in Supply Chain Networks
Cloud security

The conference will feature engaging keynote presentations, interactive panel discussions, informative workshops, and networking opportunities that foster meaningful connections and knowledge exchange among the participants.

speakers from diverse backgrounds, including government authorities, industry pioneers, and cybersecurity experts, will share their insights and experiences to shed light on the latest trends, best practices, and strategies to combat cyber threats effectively.

Why Attend: By attending Bucharest Cybersecurity Conference, you will:

Gain in-depth knowledge about the current cyber security landscape and future challenges
Learn about regulatory compliance, including the NIS Directive and European regulations
Understand specific cyber security concerns within the Healthcare, Automotive, Retail, Energy, Education, Banking, Financial, AI, and Supply Chain industries
Network with leading professionals and decision-makers in the cybersecurity field
Access to cutting-edge technologies and solutions from top vendors and service providers in the cybersecurity industry.

The works of the conference will be held in English.

History

The CERTCON conference has been held each year since the foundation of CERT-RO in 2011.

Starting out as a small focus group dedicated to cybersec professionals in Romania, it has progressively grown to become one of the largest gathering for public representatives and private decision makers on cybersecurity in the country, and a regional point of interest.

Moreover, the focus gradually shifted to a global perspective, as both speakers and participants are now coming from various corners of the world to attend the two-day conference.

2022

Bucharest Cybersecurity Conference 2022, a premier event in the field, brought together experts, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and cybersecurity enthusiasts for a multifaceted exploration of the cybersecurity landscape. The conference, held on 27-28 October 2022, aimed to facilitate knowledge exchange, policy discussions, and networking opportunities crucial to addressing today's cyber challenges.
The conference featured comprehensive panels on policy and regulations, offering insights into the evolving cybersecurity legal landscape. Experts and policymakers shared strategies for navigating complex compliance requirements and adapting to changing regulations.
Resilience was a central theme, emphasizing the importance of preparing for cyber threats. Discussions covered incident response strategies, business continuity planning, and case studies of organizations that successfully mitigated cyberattacks.
Panels and workshops highlighted the significance of cybersecurity education and awareness. Attendees gained insights into effective training programs and strategies for creating a culture of cybersecurity within organizations. A dedicated track focused on cybersecurity startups showcased innovative solutions and emerging technologies. Startups had the chance to pitch their ideas to potential investors and partners, fostering collaboration within the cybersecurity ecosystem.
Bucharest Cybersecurity Conference 2022 provided ample networking moments, including social events, interactive sessions, and exhibitor showcases. Attendees connected with peers, mentors, and potential collaborators, fostering valuable relationships.
The conference successfully united cybersecurity stakeholders, fostering collaboration, knowledge sharing, and innovation within the industry. It served as a platform for addressing critical cybersecurity issues and advancing the collective mission of a more secure digital landscape.

2021

Still COVID 19 restrictions, but fortunately we succeeded to do it in hybrid format. A first important step to normality

Vivid discussions, tackling important topics such as cybersecurity in pandemic time, European Cybersecurity Competence Centre (very important in shaping the future security digital space in Europe), attacks and attackers in the world today, developments related to the cloud security and cloud future, Offensive and Defensive Cyber Roles, as well as the resilience in the digital age. Great speakers delivered important speeches, among them being Shane Dixon, Acting Deputy Chief of Mission, The Embassy of the United States of America in Romania, Anton Rog, Head of the National Cyberint Center (CNC), Luigi Rebuffi, Secretary General and founder of ECSO (European Cyber Security Organisation), Miguel González-Sancho, Head of the Unit "Cybersecurity Technology and Capacity Building" at the European Commission, Miguel De Bruycker, Managing Director, Centre for Cyber Security Belgium, Professor Roberto Baldoni Ph.D, Director, National Cybersecurity Agency of Italy, Robert Kosla, Lt.Col. (Ret.), Director of the Department of Cybersecurity - The Chancellery of the Prime Minister, Alina Bârgăoanu, Dean of the faculty of communication and public relations of the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration in Bucharest, Răzvan Bologa, Professor, The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Oana Popescu-Zamfir, Director and founder of GlobalFocus Center, Ioan Cosmin Mihai, European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training (CEPOL) and many others. Sorry for not having the possibility to nominate all of them.

2020

Due to COVID-19 related restrictions, the 2020 edition of the CERTCON conference had to take place solely online. Regardless, the overall quality of discussions, debates and presentations made up for the lack of physical networking opportunities between participants.

Among the discussed topics featured: the European Union’s 5G Toolbox; certification and standardization schemes; cybercrime and social engineering; developments in e-Governance; women in cyber; the NIS Directive and European and national cybersecurity strategies; emerging technologies (IoT, Blockchain, Machine learning, etc.); Information Sharing and Analysis Centers. The event gained notoriety through the participation of representatives from Romania, EU institutions and Member States, as well as experts from private sectors and the academia.

2019

The 2019 edition of the CERTCON addressed some of the most critical subjects of cybersecurity, ranging from policy and law enforcement to technical aspects. We have discussed the challenges of 5G Networks from cybersecurity perspectives, the action and the counteraction against cyber crime, education and awareness needed to maintain the population alert, lessons learned and the challenges of the NIS implementation, the vision and the challenges of artificial intelligence, but also the research and development in cybersecurity.

The event gained notoriety with the participation of representatives from Romania, EU Member States and EU institutions, as well as experts from private sectors and academia. CERTCON9 was supported by the Romanian Ministry of Communications and Information Society and the US Embassy in Bucharest.

2018

In 2018, CERT-RO provided a mix of debates, presentations and workshops addressing technical and public policy issues relevant to cyber security in Romania, Europe and beyond. Antedees had a chance to discuss diplomatic and legal challenges in the attribution of cyber incidents, while providing insights into capabilities and combating global threats. Parallel sessions were dedicated to technical discussions on the latest cyber security technologies and solutions in Critical Infrastructure Protection, Machine Learning, Smart Investigations and IoT.

The New Global Challenges in Cyber Security’ International Conference reached its 8th edition. Every year, it has brought together cyber experts, government officials and policy-makers, as well as representatives of private companies from across all sectors and industries, NGOs and Academia.

2017

The 2017 edition offered presentations and debates centered around the NIS Directive transposition project and the EU General Data Protection Regulation, bringing together 300 attendees over two days. Moreover, the event accommodated guests from 18 countries and enjoyed the presence of the EU Commissioner for the Digital Single Market, the Romanian Minister for Communication and Information Society and the Romanian Minister for European Affairs, who addressed the most pressing challenges from a regulatory and strategic perspective at both European and national level. Other key institutions, such as NATO, UN’s International Telecommunications Union, US Embassy and EU’s Cyber Security Agency, ENISA, have also been represented at the highest level and joined the discussion with their own perspective.

2016

The sixth edition of the conference gathered over 300 participants from Romania and abroad, as well as decision-makers from national security and public administration organizations, CERT delegations from Europe and Asia and business and academia representatives.

The event reunited world-class specialist such as Eugene Kaspersky, Ramses Gallego, Robert Kosla or Peter Traven, launching debates on the current and future threats, intelligence strategies, botnet network monitoring and cybersecurity legislation. Moreover, CERT Representatives from Korea, Germany and other European states shared their experience in incident handling and vulnerability management.

2015

The 5th edition of the conference was held during 5th and 6th of October 2015, with the support of the US Embassy at Bucharest. CERT delegations from Europe and Asia attended the discussions during the 2 days, as well as representatives of private and state companies, civil society and academia.

The sessions covered topics regarding global state of cyber security, funneling down on the case of Romania, workshops concerning incident handling and response, closing down with national CERT presentations, sharing best practices from Europe and beyond. Last but not least, private companies presented a technical perspective on security, showcasing state of the art solutions.

2014

The 4th edition of the conference was held with the support of Romanian Association for Information Security and US Embassy at Bucharest. The one-day event reunited information security experts, academia and government officials, as well as Kaori Umemura from JPCERT and Enuju Pak from KrCERT, who shared their experience regarding incident handling and vulnerability management. Moreover, technical subjects such as Xen emulator flaws or APT attacks were tackled by subject matter experts from private companies. Last but not least, the annual report regarding cyber security incidents was presented by CERT-RO representatives.