Bucharest, the capital of cyber security experts

Bucharest will become the capital of cyber security specialists for a few days. More than 2,000 international experts are meeting in Bucharest, on November 28 and 29, at the DefCamp regional conference, to analyze the new challenges and solutions against online threats, the organizers announced on Thursday. According to the organizers: "To support the training of future cyber security experts, the organizers of DefCamp, the most important annual hacking and cyber security conference in Central and Eastern Europe, emphasize this year both education and the practical application of knowledge in the field". Thus, DefCamp aims to help improve the technical skills of industry professionals and build a strong and well-informed cybersecurity community. Andrei Avădănei, founder of DefCamp said: "DefCamp has always been about supporting and growing the cybersecurity community, and this year's edition is no exception. Industry leaders will attend to share valuable knowledge, insights and research, with the goal of supporting professionals, current and future, and the consolidation of a global community, able to respond quickly and efficiently to the increasingly complex challenges of the current cyber security landscape. As the future of cyber security depends to a large extent on the training of the new generation of professionals, at DefCamp 2024 we will a special focus on education and practical involvement. This year's edition will be much more complex, with extensive activities on the educational side, through a series of workshops and trainings organized before the actual conference, and through new opportunities for young people to had contact with a global cyber security community. All these activities complement the presentation sessions held by local and international speakers, as well as the competitions within the event on November 28 and 29."

During the week of the event, on November 25, 26 and 27, there will be a series of workshops on various cyber security topics, offering participants additional opportunities to access technical information and specialize in the desired field. The topics addressed are addressed to both beginners and professionals in the field, and cover both offensive and defensive aspects of security, such as: secure coding, penetration testing, OSINT (Open-Source Intelligence, i.e. the collection of information from public sources), practices of security in software development, how to become a SOC analyst, how to build a business in the cyber security industry, and much more.

• 800 teams participated in the qualifiers

During the conference days of November 28 and 29, top speakers are expected, such as Chris Kubecka, an expert in cyber security with over 20 years of experience. Specializing in cyber incidents, warfare and cyber espionage, Chris Kubecka returns to the DefCamp stage to deliver the presentation "The Matrix Reloaded: Quantum Computing and the Redefinition of Cyberwarfare", in which she will analyze the impact of quantum computing on cyber security. Chris will also use examples from the recent conflicts in Armenia/Azerbaijan and Ukraine to demonstrate how cyber operations have changed the battlefield and how quantum technologies threaten current cryptographic systems. Other renowned speakers who will take the DefCamp stage include Robert Sell, who will talk about the rise of insider threats in companies, from accidental mistakes to espionage, explaining how they can be detected and what steps organizations can take to better protect themselves. Also, Konrad Jedrzejczyk and Marek Zmyslowski will explore how artificial intelligence can be used in complex cyberattacks and deceptive strategies, discussing the ethical implications and how the lines between defense and attack blur in its use. And Ignat Korchagin will bring hardware security to the fore, emphasizing cryptography and hardware protection. Almost 800 teams participated in the qualifiers for DefCamp Capture the Flag (D-CTF), one of the largest cybersecurity and hacking competitions in Central and Eastern Europe. The best up to 15 teams will participate in the final round, which will take place in Bucharest, within the DefCamp conference.

The DefCamp 2024 event is organized by the Romanian Computer Security Research Center Association (CCSIR). From 2011 to the present, DefCamp managed to attract almost 13,000 participants from around 60 countries to Bucharest.