InfoGuard Security Lounge 2021 – Cyber Security Livestream

Over 550 guests listened to the presentations on the subjects of cyber threats, cyber defence and  cyber security via a livestream at our 11th InfoGuard Security Lounge. This took place in the Kultursilo in Hünenberg and was broadcast live. This year's slogan was: “Cyber attacks are some of the biggest risks for Swiss companies”. Alongside the InfoGuard experts and their associates, there were renowned speakers like Pascal Lamia, Deputy Delegate of the Swiss Confederation for Cyber Security, NCSC and Dr Hannes P. Lubich, Member of the Board of Directors of InfoGuard AG, who motivated the audience. Another highlight was the CxO panel discussion where leading Swiss companies discussed the challenges in the battle against cyber attacks. The virtual event was hosted by the knowledgeable and personable Miriam Rickli. Did you miss out on the Security Lounge? We'll take a short trip back there with you to present you with the highlights.

Cyber Threats – cyber risks are genuine

Pascal Lamia opened for us. In his keynote address, he analysed the current threat situation and explained what the NCSC is doing to protect critical infrastructures and the Swiss market. Lamia stressed that it is the joint responsibility of the economy, society and the state to protect against cyber risks, and that all stakeholders need to take responsibility for protecting themselves. This way, we can work together for cyber security in Switzerland.

Overview of the InfoGuard Red Team, CSIRT and the Cyber Defence Center

Afterwards, the presentations from our InfoGuard experts also met with an enthusiastic reception. Our cyber security experts presented the challenges that companies are facing. Luca Cappiello, Head of Penetration Testing & Research, kicked off the session. He gave insights into the InfoGuard Red Team's attack cockpit, and showed why both genuine and simulated cyber attacks call for agile, specialised attack infrastructures, and the way in which these can be used to automate the orchestration of attacks.

Mathias Fuchs, Head of Investigations & Intelligence at InfoGuard CSIRT, used real security incidents in Swiss companies to present effective tactics and the unexpected mistakes that hackers make.

Ernesto Hartmann, InfoGuard's Chief Cyber Defence Officer, used his presentation on Prevent, Detect, Respond & Recover to demonstrate how a real cyber attack takes place. He underlined why it is essential for a company to have the ability to act, to pursue a 360° approach to cyber security and not just concentrate on defence.

Cyber Defence – because cyber attacks are a reality

Our security partners also provided exciting solutions for optimising your cyber security. Fabian Gentinetta from Vectra AI described how cyber-attacks will be detected in the future in the hybrid cloud. Nir Zuk, the founder and CTO of Palo Alto Networks, explained how digital transformation affects cyber security.

Cyber Security – new Horizons

After the fascinating presentations, Stefan Thomann, Chief Sales Officer of InfoGuard, answered questions from Miriam Rickli. He explained how InfoGuard has evolved since the last Security Lounge 24 months ago and the new services customers can expect from InfoGuard in the future.

Dr Hannes P. Lubich introduced the culminating conclusion of the livestream with his keynote. He highlighted the challenges of cyber security as a result of growing digitalisation, and showed how ‘blind’ trust can be dangerous.

CxO Panel Discussion – talking about cyber security

The CXO panel discussion at the end of the successful afternoon was definitely a highlight. Chaired by Miriam Rickli, leading Swiss companies discussed what the challenges in the fight against cyberattacks are specifically.

Dr Stephan Wartmann, CEO of the Brugg Group, gave an impressive account of what happened to them when they were hit by a cyber attack last year and how they were assisted by InfoGuard's CSIRT. It was also exciting to learn how the first 24 hours following a cyber attack are crucial, the actions of a crisis team in a situation like this, and how a cyber-attack can also unite a company at employee level.

In an exciting discussion, the visitors learned how Remo Schmidli, the Head of IT, Operations & Real Estate and Member of the Executive Board of the Zürcher Kantonalbank, Marc Etienne Cortesi, CISO of the Baloise Group, and Urs Iten, CIO of Geistlich Pharma, dealt with cyber risks, and how they position their companies in terms of cyber security, and the challenges that Swiss companies have to overcome both now and in the future. There were fascinating insights into emergency planning and how to train in-house for an emergency, and the sensitive subject of ransom demands was also discussed. Ernesto Hartmann and Dr. Hannes P. Lubich made contributions to the stimulating discussion.

To conclude, we have summarised the most important takeaways from the panel discussion for you:

• • Start by carrying out a cyber security assessment of your company.

  • Accept that there is a constant risk of a cyber attack – it can happen to anyone.

  • Get to grips with the basics of cyber security

  • Risk management is a corporate issue

  • Get ready, and get help from specialists

Did you miss out on the Security Lounge? No worries, just take a look at our recordings.

The Security Lounge 2021 was a complete success

The event ended with the opportunity to network in the virtual Lounge. The InfoGuard Security Lounge on 16 June 2021 greatly surpassed our expectations.

Thomas Meier, CEO of InfoGuard, reflects positively on the event: “We have been overwhelmed by the great success of the Security Lounge and are very happy to  have had 550 participants from the security industry. The virtual setting has not      deterred those interested in cyber security from also taking part in the 11th Security Lounge. We are already looking forward to the next event on 29 June 2022, which we hope will be held as a hybrid event.”

The participants were just as enthusiastic, as demonstrated by the large amount of positive feedback. So we are already looking forward to the 12th InfoGuard Security Lounge, which will take place on 29 June 2022 – how about you? Contact us now  and save the date in your diary!

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