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Renaissance Cyber Expo & Conference 2023 – Now that’s a wrap!

Amidst the backdrop of recent geopolitical instability, the importance of post-cyber-attack response has become increasingly prominent

Customer Interaction at the Roadshows – good engagements and insights shared; Renaissance leading the way and helping evolve the Irish Cyber Ecosystem

Leopardstown Pavilion, Dublin played host to the 6th Irish Cyber Expo & Conference Ireland on Tuesday 16th May last, where circa 25+ IT & OT Global Security Software Vendors and 15+ IT/OT Service providers were in attendance to support 400+ business and technical leaders from across Ireland. The day did not disappoint and continues the Cyber Expo & Conference Ireland’s legacy of helping demystifying cybersecurity and keeping organisations up to date on trends and developments in the global marketplace.

Amidst the backdrop of recent geopolitical instability, the importance of post-cyber-attack response has become increasingly prominent. After experiencing a cyber-attack, organisations are confronted with the critical responsibility of recovery and damage assessment, which involves the concerted efforts of various stakeholders, including media, digital forensics, and technology professionals. These collective efforts set the scene for Cyber Expo and Conference 2023, where industry leaders convened to discuss strategies, share insights and address the evolving challenges in the realm of cybersecurity.

Michael Conway, Director, Renaissance comments “Recent Geopolitical instability has underscored the criticality of post-cyber attack response. In the aftermath of a cyber-attack, organisations face the daunting task of recovery and damage assessment, necessitating the collaborative efforts of a range of different individuals within the organisation but also outside it”. The Cyber Expo and Conference 2023, provided a platform for industry leaders to come together and explore effective strategies, share valuable insights, and collectively tackle the ever-evolving challenges in the cybersecurity landscape.”

This year’s Cyber Expo & Conference Ireland was specifically focused on providing deep expert advice and guidance for Irish businesses post cyber-attack, there were also a few complimentary additions to the normal business and technology conference elements:

Keynote speech

An excellent keynote from Paul C Dwyer, President of the International Cyber Threat Task force (ICTTF) “Batten Down the Cyber Hatches” where he focused on predicating the cyber threat landscape of 2030.

Paul built on his 2022 keynote which focused on the EU cyber strategy and insights from The European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA). The increasing frequency and sophistication of cyberattacks, including phishing, ransomware and DDoS attacks, were highlights and an assessment was made of the global cyber threat landscape, considering factors such as economical and geopolitical instability.

This was followed, by Tim Willoughby, Head of Digital Services and Innovation at An Garda Síochána, as he discussed the importance of delivering modern policing. Drawing on his background as a civil engineer, he emphasised the transformative impact of modern policing in enhancing service speeds, interactivity and oversight efficiency.

The An Gardá Síochána “mobility project”, utilised smartphones as a catalyst for change. Willoughby’s team worked extensively with diverse innovation groups, involving frontline gardaí, to define problem statements and incorporate their perspectives. Willoughby also highlighted a shift from proofs of concept to a minimal viable project approach enabling progress and trajectory. Mobile connectivity and mobility were key components of the ICT strategy, empowering Gardaí to accomplish tasks efficiently and eliminating unnecessary paperwork.

Post Cyber Attack Response

And to wrap up an insightful day, the panel discussion: “Post Cyber Attack Response – Exiting the Crisis” hosted by Paul C Dwyer, focused on cybersecurity recovery, exploring technologies and solutions for protection and detection after a cyber-attack, featuring real-world experiences and insights from a broad range of industry experts, including, Charlie Taylor, Technology and Innovation Editor at Business Post, Dr. Vivienne Mee Digital forensics expert and founder of VM Group and Paul Hearns Owner at PJH Consulting,

The session kicked off with, with Paul C Dwyer discussing the infamous Loyalty Build Hack in his opening address. He provided an in-depth overview of the attack 10 years on, stolen data, media coverage, sever repercussions, and the long-term impact of the attack.

Following this, panellists delved into their specialised fields and shared their valuable experiences and insights. From the vantage points of public relations, forensics and technology, they provided a comprehensive understanding of the aftermath, impact and recovery stages of similar cyber-attacks.

This multidimensional approach allowed for a deeper exploration of the challenges and considerations that arise in each area, offering the audience a diverse range of perspectives to enhance their understanding of effective strategies and approaches for mitigating and recovering from Cyber Incidences.

Michael Conway, reflects on the event “We are absolutely thrilled with the outstanding response to this year’s event. Without a doubt, it has been our most successful one to date. It was clear that people were eager to connect and engage with others in the industry and we hope this event provided attendees with the insight they sought or at least, sparked valuable reflections and discussions and hopefully left with food for thought.”

The Cyber Expo & Conference Ireland Team would like to take this opportunity to extend their sincere thanks to event partners Paul C Dwyer and the ICTTF, The Business Post as media partner and ICT Skillnet for their support in preparation for this event.

In addition, Cyber Conference Ireland incorporated world-class thought leadership from experts across 9 dedicated Streams – all supported from the security community so a big thank you to:

Redmond O’Leary, Executive Business Advisor – The Cyber Risk and Challenge in a Modern Healthcare Environment.

David Lello, CISO, Burning Tree – Simplifying Zero Trust in a Cloud Environment.

Paul Hearns, Business Owner at PJH Consulting – The Prevalence of Operational Technology and Managing the Cyber Risk & VAR to MSP - The Evolution of Cyber within the Modern Environment

Sean Reynolds, Founder & CEO, Rits Information Security – Security in a Microsoft World (The Enhancements you should make to your Microsoft Environment.

Dr. Vivienne Mee, Founder VM Group – The Managed Security Services Challenge (customer viewpoint)

Carmel Somers, Human Capital Strategist, ICT Skillnet – Protecting and Enabling Education & Compliance, Insider Risk & Third-Party Risk Management.

Alex Burnham, Director, IT Audit and Security, Mazars -Why Email is still the No.1 Threat Vector.