Raising the Bar at the 13th InfoGuard Security Lounge – Impressions, Insights and Highlights

The InfoGuard Security Lounge, which is well established in the cyber security industry, exceeded all expectations again this year. Over 650 guests from Switzerland, Germany and Austria attended in person at the Theater Casino Zug and virtually via livestream. This review highlights the most engaging programme points along with impressions and recordings of the event.

The 13th edition of the established InfoGuard Security Lounge took place on Wednesday 28 June 2023, again at the Theater Casino Zug and virtually via livestream. We welcomed a total of over 650 guests from Switzerland, Germany and Austria, of whom around 300 attended in person. Miriam Rickli chaired the event, guiding the guests through the programme skilfully and congenially. As usual, the programme was varied and exciting – from technical presentations by InfoGuard experts and partners, through an exciting CxO panel discussion with security managers from Läderach, Constellium Switzerland and Otto Dunkel, right up to the two keynotes with Dr Hannes P. Lubich and Dr Thomas Zurbuchen, former Director of Science at NASA.

Dr Hannes P. Lubich on the relevance of decisions in critical situations

Dr Hannes P. Lubich, renowned security expert and member of the InfoGuard Board of Directors, kicked off the event with his keynote speech “I know that I know nothing”, in which he spoke about the importance of making decisions in uncertain and hectic situations. In his opinion, for example, it is necessary to define and practice a degree of leeway for unforeseen incidents and reasonable process deviations that are tolerable in given situations. You can find more thrilling insights from his keynote in the recording.

Cyber threats – cyber risks are real!

This was followed by two presentations from InfoGuard. First, the Penetration Testing & Red Team showed its analysis results on the topic of “Blackout – Photovoltaics: Light is converted into electricity and allows hackers access”. Here they highlighted the identified vulnerabilities in photovoltaic systems and the associated risks to society, especially with regard to critical infrastructure. Afterwards, the Computer Security Incident Team (CSIRT) shared their experience from hundreds of incident response cases and the dos and don’ts of successful cooperation. They also highlighted the numerous stakeholders involved, both internally, such as the legal department, and externally, such as the police or the press. This creates a broad spectrum of expectations and requirements, which can often lead to potential conflict. We have provided you with details in the recording.

Cyber security – because hacker attacks are a reality

The second part of the programme started with a presentation by Patrick Inderkum, Head of Cyber Defence at InfoGuard. He showed which strategies for coping with cyber attacks are successful and which components are important from a cyber defence perspective. The availability of the necessary skills, practised processes and proven and effective tools is crucial for effective cyber defence.

This was followed by presentations from InfoGuard partners Palo Alto Networks on the “XDR Factor for Resilient Cyber Security” and CATO Networks on “SASE – Radical Simplicity for Optimal Security Posture and User Experience”.

CxO panel discussion – cyber security under discussion

The CxO panel discussion with Remo Gisler, Global Head Digital/IT at Läderach, Niklaus Schild, CISO at Constellium Switzerland, Michael Ottenthaler, global IT Security Manager at Otto Dunkel, and Ernesto Hartmann, Chief Cyber Defence Officer at InfoGuard, met with particular interest. Chaired by Miriam Rickli, they had a lively discussion about cyber security challenges, experience with cyber attacks and lessons learned. This includes for example sensitising the entire organisation to cyber risks, taking a serious look at cyber security, not neglecting crisis communication and becoming aware of one’s own weaknesses as well as risks – because no company is too small or uninteresting for hackers. All panellists agreed that an external partner like InfoGuard is indispensable for SOC services and in crisis situations. You can watch the whole discussion at your leisure here:

Houston, we have a problem! Dr Thomas Zurbuchen on the success of missions

The long-awaited highlight of the day was the keynote address by Dr Thomas Zurbuchen, former NASA Science Director. Under the title of “Houston, we have a problem! – Challenges must be successfully overcome for a mission to succeed”, he explained the importance of research and innovation and the impact of space exploration on society and emphasised the key role of cyber security at NASA. He also gave valuable leadership tips for security officers on how to react appropriately to critical situations. A powerful statement that he explained using a concrete situation, for example, was: “Control what you can, don't waste time on the rest”. Please see the recording for more valuable advice, personal experiences and insights on risk-taking, as well as the subsequent discussion with Dr Hannes P. Lubich. An extremely successful and memorable finale in the main hall of this year’s Security Lounge.

The successful event ended with a flying dinner and networking. We would like to thank all guests, partners, speakers as well as the InfoGuard staff who invest a lot of time and effort every year to make the event unforgettable.

InfoGuard Security Lounge 2024 – secure your place now!

True to the motto “after the event is before the event”, the date for the 14th InfoGuard Security Lounge has already been set: Tuesday 25 June 2024! Did you miss this year’s Security Lounge or would you like to secure your place for next year already? Then register now!