On 25 June 2024, the stage was set for the 14th InfoGuard Security Lounge at the Casino Theater Zug. With over 750 guests from Switzerland, Germany and Austria, the hybrid event exceeded last year’s attendance record and surpassed all expectations. Guests were captivated by inspiring presentations, a talk on the topic of “No breach thanks to SOC and CSIRT” based on an actual cyberattack and the engaging keynotes by Mark T. Hofmann, crime and intelligence analyst, and Dr Hannes P. Lubich, member of the InfoGuard Board of Directors. Don’t worry if you missed the InfoGuard Security Lounge – this article provides key insights from the keynotes and presentations, along with the opportunity to download the recordings and register for the 15th edition.
This year’s InfoGuard Security Lounge, which focused on cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, was a real highlight for the more than 750 guests, of whom around 350 attended in person. Alongside presentations from the Computer Security Incident Response team (CSIRT), the Cyber Defence Center (CDC) and the Penetration Testing team (pentesting), Patrick Inderkum, Head of Cyber Defence, had some great news to present: the new Cyber Defence Platform 2.0.
Presenting partners HPE Aruba Networking, Vectra AI and Microsoft showcased their latest developments and solutions. Some of the absolute highlights were without a doubt the keynote speeches by Dr. Hannes P. Lubich, member of the InfoGuard Board of Directors, and Mark T. Hofmann, crime and intelligence analyst and organisational psychologist. As always, TV and event presenter Miriam Rickli hosted the event in a cordial and professional manner.
Supply chain risk management – how supply chains put your security situation to the test
Dr. Hannes P. Lubich, renowned security expert and member of the InfoGuard Board of Directors, kicked off the presentations with his keynote speech “Supply chain risk management – how supply chains put your cyber security to the test”.
Lubich emphasised the importance of a secure supply chain, warning with some urgency that this is currently at risk due to global networking and complex dependencies in a way that has not yet been fully explored. His recommendation: organisations should establish documented processes and frameworks to ensure transparency along the increasingly complex supply chains.
You can find more detailed insights from his keynote speech in the recording.
Cyber threats – cyber risks are real!
The experts from the CSIRT team and InfoGuard’s Cyber Defence Center provided fascinating insights into recent security incidents. All three presentations conveyed a clear message: innovation, research and AI play a central role in ensuring cyber security.
Stefan Rothenburger, Principal Incident Responder at InfoGuard, reported on the use of both malicious and legitimate applications by cyber criminals.
Patrick Inderkum, Head of Cyber Defence, presented the newly developed Cyber Defence Platform 2.0 – an impressive solution for security managers whose key functionality includes rapid response times, 24/7 monitoring and compliance with all regulatory requirements.
Luca Cappiello, Head of Penetration Testing & Research, gave the audience a thrilling insight behind the scenes and into the remit of the pentesting team. He described how his team successfully defends against the “unexpected by exploring the unknown”. Further details are available in the recording.
No breach – thanks to SOC and CSIRT: successful strategies for defence against cyber attacks
After a break for refreshments, which saw a lot of networking take place, the second part kicked off with the “no breach” conversation:
Ferdinand Schwank, IT Director and Head of Group IT at Georg Utz GmbH, and Ernesto Hartmann, Chief Cyber Defence Officer at InfoGuard, discussed the insights gained during a specific security incident.
They emphasised the importance of quickly recognising and reacting to threats in order to successfully overcome them. Both agreed that an SOC with an integrated CSIRT is indispensable in a digital world shaped by AI. They also emphasised the need for established processes and the availability of tried-and-tested, state-of-the-art tools.
The discussion between the two security experts provided the audience with valuable recommendations for their own defence strategy. These are available in the recording.
The InfoGuard update – and the latest developments at our partners
The conversation was followed by the InfoGuard update by Stefan Thomann, Chief Sales Officer, and Thomas Meier, CEO of InfoGuard, under the motto “Our promise to you”.
Beat Sommerhalder, Country Manager of HPE Aruba Networking, and Thomas Latzer, Regional Sales Manager SASE Switzerland and Austria, discussed solutions for protecting “Edge to cloud connectivity”.
Martin Baker, Senior Security Consultant at Vectra AI , presented “Tales from the trenches”, which describe the individual steps of a cyber attack and Vectra AI’s responses.
Daniel von Büren, Swiss Security Officer from Microsoft, gave the audience valuable insights into the vision of a “Security of the future”. You can also find these presentations in the recordings.
The dark side of AI – how hackers use AI and deepfakes
Mark T. Hofmann, crime and intelligence analyst and organisational psychologist (M.A.), rounded off the event with his scintillating keynote speech.
The international profiling expert and keynote speaker inspired the audience with his insights and lessons learned about the dark side of artificial intelligence – the AI models favoured by cyber criminals.
Hofmann has met numerous hackers and interviewed them from an academic perspective. Using specific real-life cases, he showed the audience how hackers use AI models and deepfakes and described the psychological factors that cyber criminals take advantage of.
You can find the details of his thrilling presentation in the recording.
Conclusion and looking ahead to the anniversary edition
CEO Thomas Meier drew an extremely positive conclusion at the official close of the event:
“Even after fourteen editions, I’m still impressed every year by the enormous interest and enthusiasm that our Security Lounge generates. The countless positive responses and the exciting presentations give us the motivation to organise another great event next year – our anniversary edition. A big thank you to all guests, partners, speakers and employees!”
The successful event came to a relaxed conclusion with a flying dinner and networking.
InfoGuard Security Lounge 2025 – secure your place now!
Make a note and don’t miss out: the 15th InfoGuard Security Lounge will be held on Tuesday, 25 June 2025. Register now and secure your place early for next year.
