AGENDA 2025
Main Stage/Track 1
Track 2
8.30am
Registration & Exhibition
9.30am
Welcome & Updates
Gordon Smith
MC - Journalist and content consultant
Brian Honan
CEO, BH Consulting
Dr Eoin Byrne
Cluster Manager, Cyber Ireland
Richard Browne
Director, NCSC10.00am
Session 1 – Global Threat Landscape & Geopolitics
As geopolitical tensions rise and technology evolves, the global cybersecurity threat landscape is becoming increasingly complex. This session brings together leading international and national threat intelligence experts to explore emerging threats, threat actors and the disruptive role of AI in cyber operations. It will delve into the threat landscape facing Ireland today, including CNI and target sectors. How have cyber threats evolved — covering changes in attacker techniques, motives, and tactics.
You will take away practical strategies to prevent, protect and remediate, with an emphasis on how to operationalize threat intelligence and increase resilience against both opportunistic and targeted attacks.
Moderator:
Jacky Fox
Accenture Security Global Strategy Practice Lead | Senior Managing Director - AccentureKeynote speaker:
Robert McArdle
Director FTR - Cybercrime Research, Trend MicroSpeaker:
Dave Ahn
Chief Architect & VP Intelligence, CentripetalPanel Discussion:
Richard Browne
Director, NCSCRobert McArdle
Director FTR - Cybercrime Research, Trend MicroDave Ahn
Chief Architect & VP Intelligence, Centripetal
Agnė Ignatavičienė
Deputy Director of the National Cyber Security Centre of Lithuania11.00am
Coffee Break
11.30am
12.30pm
Turning Compliance into Opportunity
The EU’s expanding cybersecurity regulations—NIS2, the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), and the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA)—are reshaping the digital landscape. This session brings together experts from the National Cyber Security Centre, legal advisors, and a leading CISO to explore how compliance can drive innovation and market growth. Learn how cybersecurity companies can leverage these regulations to enhance resilience, meet new standards, and tap into emerging demand across sectors. Discover practical steps to prepare and position your business for success in a regulated digital economy.
Moderator:
David McNamara
Founder - CommSec Communications & Security - Cyber SecuritySpeakers:
Joe Stephens
Director of Resilience, NCSCPanel discussion:
Roland Atoui
Managing Director and Founder of Red Alert LabsJoe Stephens
Director of Resilience, NCSC
Julie Austin
Partner, Mason Hayes CurranThreat Readiness: Are We Keeping Pace with the Risks?
The cyber threats and risks facing organisations are constantly expanding, so how do we stay ahead of the curve? Our panel will explore the current cybersecurity threat landscape, including the growing impact of AI, managing third-party risk, and navigating the increasing complexity of compliance. The session will give cybersecurity professionals the actionable takeaways to respond to these challenges and build cyber resilience across teams and infrastructure. Hear from the founders of Enterprise Ireland client companies Cytidel and PrivacyEngine alongside the Chief Security Officer of UniCredit Bank Austria AG and the owner of a Stockholm-based cyber intelligence agency.
Moderator:
Gordon Smith
MC - Journalist and content consultantSpeakers:
Hanna Linderstål
Cyber Intelligence Specialist & CEO, Earhart Business Protection Agency
Daniele Sangion
Chief Security Officer (CSO & CISO), UniCredit Bank Austria AG
Matt Conlon
Co-Founder & CEO. Cytidel
Michael Morrissey
Co-Founder & CISO, PrivacyEngineCyber Resilience: From Preparation to Response
In an era of accelerating cyber threats, resilience is more than readiness—it’s strategic advantage. This technology and cyber resilience session explore three topics. 1) How to realise AI integrate growth into your cyber operation. 2) Understand the emerging AI threats such as prompt injection and data poisoning and how to prepare. 3) How to build resilience across your supply chain by mitigating third-party risk. Join industry leaders as they share actionable insights to strengthen your organisation’s ability to prepare, respond, and innovate in the face of evolving cyber challenges.
Moderator:
Dr. Valerie Lyons
Board Director and Chief Operations Officer - BH ConsultingSpeakers:
Dennis Chow
Director, Detection Engineering, UKG
Kammil Mahajan
CEO, Advice Bytes
Brian Martin
Director of Product Management, Integrity3601:00pm
Lunch
2.00pm
3.00pm
3.15pm
Quantum Readiness: Is Ireland’s Cyber Sector Prepared?
Quantum computing is no longer a future technology —it’s a fast-approaching reality with serious implications for cybersecurity. This session explores the impact of quantum computing on cybersecurity and the need to transition to quantum-safe solutions. Experts will unpack the roles of Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) and Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), and examine the European Union’s and Ireland’s roadmaps for adoption. We’ll also spotlight the IrelandQCI project, which is building a national quantum communication infrastructure in Ireland. What does this mean for Irish cybersecurity companies? How can they future-proof their services and support clients through the quantum transition? Join us to find out.
Moderator:
Hazel Murray
Chair of Cybersecurity - Munster Technological University (MTU)
Deirdre Kilbane
Director of Research in Walton Institute
Patrick Palmer
Solutions Architect, AWS
Orla Dempsey
Assistant Principal, NCSCIreland’s Cybersecurity Industry Web Health Report
Speaker:
Sebastian Castro
Principal Data Scientist for .IEKeynote: Long Term Trends for Cyber Security Leaders, Ciaran Martin, SANS Institute
Ciaran will talk through his experiences of a changing cybersecurity landscape over the years, separating the signals from the noise, as they sift the trends that matter, away from the hype, in infosec. We are at the dawn of a new age of hype over AI security concerns, and there’s no doubt adversaries are using AI in everything from social engineering to malicious code. But we’re still faced with major breaches that originate from password guessing, out-of-date infrastructure and inadequate firewalls. What should today’s cyber leader be focusing on for their own development and where should they focus their organisations efforts?
Bio: Ciaran Martin founded the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and headed it for the first four years of its existence. Currently he holds the position of Professor of Practice in the Management of Public Organisations at Oxford University’s Blavatnik School of Government. He also advises several private sector organisations on cybersecurity strategies and is one of the leading global authorities in the field of cyber security policy. Ciaran is also a twenty-three-year veteran of the UK Government, working directly with five Prime Ministers and a variety of senior Ministers from three political parties.
Ciaran Martin
Director of SANS CISO Network And Summits EMEAThe Cyber Workforce of the Future
As the global cybersecurity talent shortage deepens, the countries and organisations that lead in workforce innovation will shape the future. This session explores how we can build and sustain a next-generation cyber workforce in Ireland. Discover what skills will be essential in an AI-augmented world, how unconventional pathways and alternative recruitment strategies can unlock new talent, and how to craft awareness campaigns that truly engage. With a focus on practical strategies and inclusive growth, this session offers a roadmap for organisations and educators to attract, develop, and retain top cyber talent in Ireland and beyond.
Moderator:
Paul Walsh
Site Lead - Motorola SolutionsSpeakers:
Carmel Somers
Human Capital Strategist, Technology Ireland ICT Skillnet
Denise Cassidy
EMEA Cyber Security HR Lead, Accenture
Kevin Quigley
Associate Faculty - Irish Management Institute (IMI)3.45pm
Closing Remarks
