The upsurge in cyber-attacks in recent years on companies, public administrations, banking institutions, hospitals and airlines has highlighted the need to implement advanced tools and solutions to increase the level of protection of their computer systems in an increasingly interconnected environment. To this end, the fifth edition of the Barcelona Cybersecurity Congress (BCC), which will take place from 21 to 23 May, will present all kinds of solutions with the aim of increasing the digital protection of the industry.
The event, organised by Fira de Barcelona, with the collaboration of the Agència de Ciberseguretat de Catalunya (ACC), is preparing a new edition with the participation of companies and experts who have developed tools to build a safer digital world, at a time when the increase in the number of connected IoT devices and the adoption of 5G technology have also led to an increase in risks and threats.
The ACC detected more than 4,424 million cyber-attacks in Catalonia in 2022, of which 2,175 million became an effective security incident. Cybercrime has shown its ability to adapt to a reality in which, according to IoT Analytics, in 2023 there are already more than 16,700 million devices connected to IoT worldwide, which represents an increase of 16% compared to the 14,300 million in 2022.
Therefore, according to the director of the Barcelona Cybersecurity Congress, Marc Tarragó, “this event is more necessary than ever, as we provide the industrial sector with a wide range of solutions and practical knowledge to minimise or make it more difficult for hackers who, with their attacks, put their activity at risk, as most IoT devices do not have the necessary built-in security to counteract threats, making them highly vulnerable”.
Secure today, safeguard tomorrow
With the motto ‘Secure today, safeguard tomorrow’, the BCC will have a wide range of content grouped under the thematic axes of: Employee Training and Awareness, Robust Security Measures, Threat Intelligence and Monitoring, Compliance Management Solutions, Data Governance and Privacy, and Regulatory Technology.
The Barcelona Cybersecurity Congress will include a commercial exhibition area where companies such as Cloudflare, ManageEngine or SoSafe have already confirmed their presence; a congress which, under the technical direction of the International Society of Automation (ISA), will feature more than 60 speakers such as Tom Liston, author of the first open source tarpit system and security consultor through his own company Bad Wolf Security; Steve Mustard, former ISA president and independent automation consultant; or Peter Jackson, experienced control systems engineer and head of ECL Cyber’s team of industrial cyber security specialists in New Zealand; and a Hacking Village, where experts in ethical hacking will put their skills into practice and share their knowledge in this field in an event sponsored by CaixaBank.
There will also be ECSO Cyber Investor Days, organised by the European Cybersecurity Organisation (ECSO), where specialised start-ups will be able to present their projects to European investors, as well as a session by the Women4Cyber Spain association, the first group of women experts in cybersecurity in Spain.
The Barcelona Cybersecurity Congress will be held in conjunction with the IOT Solutions World Congress, and is expected to attract 12,000 visitors from over 100 countries.