Escalating cyberattacks by state actors and persistent criminal activity necessitate urgent action. Robust cyber regulations, clear standards, and effective best practices are required to fortify defenses. So what are the latest regulations and how can we raise standards and standardise best practices in cyber defense?

Complementary View on the NIS2 Directive and the Network Code on Cybersecurity: Technology-enabled Best Practices Dr Grigore Stamatescu Professor and ICT Consultant
University POLITEHNICA of Bucharest and TUV Austria Romania

Dr Victor Vevera General Director
ICI Bucharest, Romania

Luanda Domi Gender Mainstreaming and Cyber Skills Development Manager
The Global Forum on Cyber Expertise (GFCE), Netherlands

The threats to critical infrastructure are like a chameleon. Cyberattacks evolve, threat of terrorism activities are on the increase, natural disasters worsen due to climate change, and new threats like drone attacks and AI manipulation emerge. This constant shift demands continuous updates to security measures. How can we identify, monitor and manage their levels of […]

David Brezna Vice President of CS Operations and Scale Up
ESET

David Nieto Director of Airports and Aviation Security
Spanish Aviation Safety and Security Agency

CER Directive and the European Reference Network of Critical Entities Resilience (ENCER) / Consideration of Hybrid and Emerging Threats for the Resilience of Critical Entities Frederic Petit Project Officer
European Commission Joint Research Centre, Italy

Evolving Threat Landscape: Organised Crime and CI Lina Kolesnikova Fellow/Director of European & International Affairs
ICPEM (UK)

Across Europe, communication networks are the lifeblood of communities and critical infrastructure. Disruptions cripple businesses and leave emergency response in chaos. With the internet central to all sectors, safeguarding communication assets and building resilience is essential for European businesses, governments, and all critical infrastructure.

Alexandru Georgescu Scientific Researcher
National Institute for Research and Development in Informatics, ICI Bucharest

GOVSATCOMM Update Florent Kone IRIS² SatCom Market and Innovation Officer
EUSPA European Union Agency for the Space Programme, France

Revolutionizing Telecom Security with Quantum and AI to Protect Critical Infrastructure Rodrigo Brito Global Head of Cybersecurity Portfolio
Nokia, Portugal

AI for Cybersecurity in Critical Communications: the Challenges Tomas Simal Subject Matter Expert - NetDevOps, Automation and Security
Spirent Communications, UK

Across Europe’s critical industries, security practices increasingly integrate due to converging physical and cyber threats. Four main categories guide these practices: physical security, cyber resilience, personnel training, and robust supply chains. Integrating secure manufacturing (or other key processes) with resilient logistics, including IT/OT and SCADA systems, is essential for reliable deliveries and a thriving European […]

Safeguard-PLC: Cybersecurity in Industrial Automation Dr Tommaso Aliberti Cybersecurity Line Manager
NIER Ingegneria SpA Società Benefit, Italy

Secure by Design: Addressing Supply Chain Vulnerabilities in OT Integrators Dusan Kastan Senior Sales Engineer
ESET

Threat-Intelligence based Defense-In-Depth implementation in OT environments Matan Dobrushin Field CTO
Otorio

Redefining cyber resilience in ICS/OT Sharon Caro Business Strategy Executive
Salvador Technologies, Israel

The movement of goods and people is vital to a local and national thriving economy. Without a safe, secure and resilient transport network, an economy will crumble. The transport network, from rail, road, air and sea, is at threat from cyber attacks, terrorist threats and natural hazards and its protection and resilience is key for […]

John Laene Managing Director
RAILPOL

Pauline Mieze Director
AQUAPOL, France

Peter Nilsson Police Commissioner
Head of Airpol, Europe

Securing a site that is both CNI and a Crowded Place Sarah Prew Senior Aviation Security Consultant
Arup UK

Safeguarding Europe’s digital backbone is paramount. Information technology underpins our workforce, businesses, and access to crucial data. Robust Critical Information Infrastructure Protection (CIIP) through cybersecurity and network security is vital. Recent ransomware attacks and evolving threats like malware (Stuxnet remains a stark example) necessitate heightened vigilance to shield Europe’s information assets.

Luca Tagliaretti Executive Director
European Cybersecurity Competence Center (ECCC)

Ollie Gagnon III, CISSP, CPP, PSP Chief Homeland Security Advisor
Idaho National Laboratory, USA

Robustness of the Markov-Chain Model for Cyber-Attack Detection Salman Al Mohisen Information Security Group Leader
Saudi Aramco

Europe’s energy sector, reliant on oil, gas, and renewables, is paramount. Without it, other critical infrastructure fails. Recent and regular cyberattacks and changing weather patterns highlight the need to safeguard our energy assets, including IT/OT and SCADA systems. How can we minimize outage or attack impacts and fortify Europe’s grids?

Annika Waegenbauer International Stakeholder Relations Officer
Institute for Security and Safety, Germany

Aurelio Blanquet Secretary General
EE-ISAC

Felipe Castro Barrigon Cybersecurity Policy Officer
European Commission, Belgium

Javier Simon Head of Network Management Center
Iberdrola, Spain

Simon Guiot Security Researcher
Forescout, Netherlands

Thomas Krauhausen Board Member of the EE-ISAC
EE-ISAC

Regular exercises combined with clear communication protocols between operators and agencies/emergency responders ensure everyone’s on the same page. Open information sharing creates a shared understanding of threats provide a more effective response. How do we better coordinate and co-operate to enhance protection and resilience?

Unveiling the Power of AI: Transforming Resilience Ben White Principal Consultant
4C Strategies, UK

Dr Francisco Perez Bes Partner at Digital Law
Ecix Tech, Spain

Harald Drager President
The International Emergency Management Society (TIEMS)

Maria Luisa Moreo Director General
Señor Lobo & Friends, Spain

What are some of the latest and future technologies, from ground, land or underwater technologies, access controls, and space based or cyber technology, to predict or detect the wide range of potential physical and cyber threats to CNI. How is AI being utilised in technology to enhance performance.

Electromagnetic Protection of Critical Infrastructure John Hughes Engineering Director
MPE, UK

Phillip Schickenberg Deputy Sales Director
Steinbach & Vollmann GmbH, Germany

Who’s guarding access to your access control system in critical infrastructure Richard Moser Business Development Manager
LEGIC Identsystems AG, Switzerland

Underwater Security - The Unseen Threat Simon Goldsworthy Global Business Development Manager – Intruder Detection Systems
Wavefront Systems, UK

Proactive threat preparation significantly reduces disruptions to infrastructure and the broader community, bolstering resilience, safety and security. How can we effectively address these evolving physical and cyber threats to minimize outages and financial losses?

OSCE Project PROTECT and efforts to Protect Critical Infrastructure and Public Spaces from Terrorism Daniel Golston Associate Programme Officer
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Austria

Climate adaptation in critical infrastructure: A layered approach Daniel Peregrina Gonzalez PhD Researcher
Deltares, Vrije University Amsterdam, Netherlands

Enhancing Cross-Border Risk Assessment for Critical Entity Dr Monica Cardarilli Project Officer
European Commission Joint Research Centre, Italy

Critical Entities Resilience Assessment to small-scale disasters Martin Hromada Vice-Dean for International Relations/Researcher
Tomas Bata University in Zlín, Faculty of Applied Informatics, Czech Republic

Ollie Gagnon III, CISSP, CPP, PSP Chief Homeland Security Advisor
Idaho National Laboratory, USA

Effective risk, resilience, and emergency plans rely on open information sharing across Europe. Knowledge empowers informed decisions for CI protection. How can we dismantle barriers to information exchange and foster trust between governments, operators, and communities? Stronger PPPs hinge on this collaboration.

Best practices in Public-Private Partnerships Catherine Piana Director General
CoESS Confederation of European Security Services, Belgium

J Javier Larraneta General Secretary
Spanish Technology Platform on Industrial Safety

Enhancing Critical Infrastructure’s Preparedness: A Comprehensive Risk Map for Strengthening Public-Private Cooperation Jarna Hartikainen M.Sc. Head of Preparedness Planning
National Emergency Supply Agency, Finland

Maite Boyero Egido Spanish Delegate and NCP in Cluster 3 Programme
CDTI Innovation, Spain

Moderated by Alessandro Lazari Join us for an engaging and interactive session on the final day of CIPRE. Titled “What If,” this session is designed to foster deep involvement from participants through dynamic, interactive tabletop exercises and thought-provoking scenarios. Participants will dive into a series of hypothetical “what if” situations that challenge our preparedness and […]

Alessandro Lazari Fellow in Critical Infrastructure Protection and Resilience
University of Salento, Italy & International Association of CIP Professionals

Enhancing Cross-Border Risk Assessment for Critical Entity Dr Monica Cardarilli Project Officer
European Commission Joint Research Centre, Italy

CER Directive and the European Reference Network of Critical Entities Resilience (ENCER) / Consideration of Hybrid and Emerging Threats for the Resilience of Critical Entities Frederic Petit Project Officer
European Commission Joint Research Centre, Italy

Final Thoughts and Conference Closing Remarks

John Donlon Chairman
International Association of CIP Professionals