3D Cyber Park Ireland ready for its close-up at Cyber Expo & Conference

At its most basic level, the metaverse is an extension of our lives enhanced by technology and, as some say, the next phase of the consumer internet. You might know it as a series of distinct virtual worlds (gaming) and experiences – think Fortnite’s concert series, Vans World in Roblox, or Horizon Workrooms by Meta.

However, it is rapidly expanding to become this interconnected and limitless world where our digital and physical lives are converging. The metaverse is not just futuristic – it is happening now.

In response to this, and after seeing the escalation to digital and virtual reality throughout the Covid-19 crisis, Renaissance is proud to launch the first fully immersive 3D virtual reality Cyber Park in Ireland (Cyber Park Ireland), at its upcoming Cyber Expo & Conference Ireland on Thursday April 28 at The Leopardstown Pavilion in Dublin.

Renaissance has invested heavily in building a Cyber Ecosystem across Ireland over the past 5 years. Vendors, value added resellers, cyber experts, business leaders and technology specialists all need continual and consistent advice.

Michael Conway, director, Renaissance feels that “With the Industry changing at such a phenomenal rate, it is almost impossible to keep up on your own. The ability for us to offer global vendors a fully immersive virtual reality 3D platform to connect, meet and educate their potential and current customers is the way forward.

“People realise that not all discussions require travel and that the freedom to pop into a virtual world with like-minded professionals is not only attractive, it is economical, practical and environmentally sound”.

Cyber Park Ireland will initially host Vendors distributed by Renaissance across Ireland plus a select number of value-added resellers. They will be welcoming business professionals to join the network on the day so there will be a demo running in the Mezzanine Area to better understand the benefits of being involved.

In previous weeks, this column has been covering off details of all the elements on offer at the Expo/Conference, but with only a few days left to the event, please see below for the complete round-up.

The Expo is set to host circa 30-plus IT and OT Security Software Vendors and 20-plus IT/OT Service providers.

Keynote at 9am: featuring Paul C Dwyer discussing the topic of EU Cyber Strategy: Ireland's Opportunity.

Conference 10-3pm: consisting of eight business-led streams providing a mix of cases studies and live panel discussions; are reflective of the threats organisations face today and will provide advice and guidance as to how to best protect your business and minimise risk of cyber-attack.

Always-on computing: as computing becomes more sophisticated, always-on systems have started to replace older on-demand systems. These new systems are continuously available, plugged in, or connected to power sources and networks. This stream will provide an insight into the impact of always-on technology

Application security: eferring to security measures taken within an application to stop its data or code being taken or hijacked, the application security stream will consider the hardware, software or processes that determine and diminish security weaknesses

Business Email Compromise (BEC): as most business communication is still conducted over email, implementing email security protection for an email domain is an important and necessary part of a modern cyber-security strategy

Securing beyond the Microsoft security stack: this stream will show participants how they can improve their cyber-security stance by making some simple changes to system configuration and business practices.

Compliance and third-party risk management: this stream will provide insight into planning a cyber-security strategy and highlight the importance of the hygiene of an organisation in relation to its cyber-safety

Cyber-security in healthcare: in the wake of the attack on the HSE, this stream will include a discussion on the state of cyber-security in healthcare both in Ireland and internationally. It will also highlight why healthcare is specifically vulnerable and targeted, and how to mitigate threats in affordable ways

Identity & rights management: one of the most challenging areas of security, this stream will focus on information security policies, target operating models, assessing risk for access management, implementing IT controls and business education & awareness

Operational technology (OT) cyber-security: in recent years, securing OT technology has become more important due to the considerable advancements and convergences with technology. This stream will explore this theme in greater detail

Additionally, Renaissance has teamed up with ICT Skillnet this year to host training events designed to develop attendees’ knowledge and awareness of cyber-security.

In a 90-minute digital transformation masterclass, Professor Niall McKeown will talk his audience through the five change blocks for successful digital transformation and host a Q&A session. Designed for a non-technical audience, the session will give companies the opportunity to score their businesses’ performance in the digital economy.

ICT Skillnet will also host a game of Capture the Flag, where participants can engage with technical or non-technical cyber-security challenges in a collaborative and engaging way. The game will train participants to recognise and mitigate exposure to potential threats, while evaluating their knowledge and competency, both individually, and as a team.

The debate we have all been waiting for will wrap up the day from 3.30pm to 5pm: National Cyber Security Discussion – Is Ireland Ready?. An interactive forum will debate Ireland’s cyber status and explore if there are concrete initiatives that could be taken to help bolster Ireland’s cyber resilience.

Led by Paul C Dwyer, the session will initially take a critical look at the relationship between Cyber Criminal OCG’s (Organised Crime Groups) and rogue nation state cyber threat actors such as Russia before fully revealing the links between Vladimir Putin and the cyber-attack on the HSE.

Senator Gerard Craughwell will then share his insights, concerns and ideas in relation to cyber security in Ireland, followed by the national panel debate involving Pat Larkin, chief executive, Ward Solutions; Desiree Lee, chief technology officer (Data), Armis; Kevin O’Loughlin, chief executive of Irish Headquartered MSP Nostra; and Michael Conway, director at Renaissance.

The Cyber Expo & Conference Ireland will be held at the Leopardstown Pavilion in Dublin on Thursday, April 28, from 8am to 5pm. To register, visit cyberexpoireland.ie