EuRepoC Conference 2024
Promises and Pitfalls for the EU’s Cyber Foreign and Security Policy
The EuRepoC Conference 2024 offers a platform for European policymakers, senior officials, industry and research experts to discuss the effectiveness and accountability of European Cyber Foreign and Security Policy. Hosted by the European Repository of Cyber Incidents (EuRepoC), in partnership with the TECH.RISK project, the conference will address key themes such as the attribution capacities of EU and private actors, emerging hybrid threats, the EU’s role in capacity building, and the link between critical infrastructure protection and conflict resolution in Europe.
Programme
| Time (CEST) | Description |
|---|---|
| 08:30 – 09:00 AM | Registration and coffee |
| 09:00 - 09:20 AM |
Welcome and opening remarks Keynote by Dr. Regine Grienberger, Cyber Ambassador, Federal Foreign Office, Berlin |
| 09:20 - 09:45 AM |
FIRESIDE CHAT EuRepoC: a European repository for data-driven research on cyber (un)peace - milestones and challenges ahead Brief Introduction to EuRepoC providing evidence-based scientific analysis of cyber incidents for a better understanding of the current cyber threat environment. |
| 09:45 - 11:00 AM |
PANEL 1 Europe's cyber insecurity: increasing relevance of cybersecurity for the EU’s foreign and security policy In recent years, Europe has witnessed a significant rise in cyber threats, ranging from state-sponsored attacks to those orchestrated by non-state actors. As cyber conflict becomes increasingly intertwined with traditional security paradigms, there is a pressing need to evaluate cyber attribution capacities among European member states and its implications for the EU’s foreign and security policy. With leading European panelists from policy, academia, and industry, we seek to delve into the complexities surrounding Europe's cyber insecurity and identify potential avenues for enhancing Europe's cyber resilience and effectiveness in responding to cyber threats. |
| 11:00 - 11:30 AM | Coffee break |
| 11:30 - 12:45 AM |
PANEL 2 Cyber (un-)peace: Europe's critical infrastructure insecurity and its linkages to the conflict and war in Europe In an increasingly interconnected world, the security of critical infrastructure is paramount to maintaining peace and stability for the EU. We seek to explore the vulnerabilities of Europe's critical infrastructure to cyber threats and its implications for conflict and war on the continent. By facilitating a comprehensive discussion among academic experts, policymakers, and executive representatives on the intricate linkages between critical infrastructure insecurity and the broader security landscape in Europe, we aim to identify policy strategies for enhancing the resilience of critical infrastructure and mitigating the risk of cyber-induced conflict. |
| 12:45 - 1:15 PM | Lunch break |
| 1:15 - 1:45 PM |
Transatlantic keynote James A. Lewis, Senior Vice President, Pritzker Chair, and Director, Strategies Technologies Program, CSIS |
| 1:45 - 3:00 PM | PANEL 3 European capacity building as a cyber union? In response to the evolving cyber threat landscape, the European Union has taken significant steps to enhance its cyber capacity building efforts in its direct neighbourhood and beyond. Our panel seeks to examine and compare recent collaborations. With our guests from across the Union and partnering countries, we strive to provide critical insights into the effectiveness and accountability of European Cyber Foreign and Security Policy in promoting cyber resilience globally. |
| 3:00 - 3:30 PM | Coffee break |
| 3:30 - 4:30 PM | Parallel working groups (hybrid format) WORKING GROUP 1 Public-private partnerships in European cybersecurity Cybersecurity involves a number of diverse public and private actors. What is the potential of enhanced public/private relationships in providing cybersecurity at different levels and scales; and what are the risks of the complex architectures in which cybersecurity is enacted? How do issues of efficiency but also of responsibility, accountability and legitimacy play out in these complex architectures as threats to critical digital technologies or mediated through them become ever more tangible and dispersed – making the notion of “critical infrastructure” increasingly intractable – and with what consequences for democratic governance? What practical proposals can be put forward to address these issues, including against the backdrop of NIS2 implementation? WORKING GROUP 2 Cybersecurity & geoeconomics Cybersecurity is increasingly seen not only as a technological question but embedded in global geopolitics, great-power rivalry and a global political economy shaped by international tech giants. The working group will discuss the current and future challenges the EU and its member states are facing. We want to critically discuss how future relations to the US, China and Russia will look like and how the (perceived) pressure to innovate shapes and will shape EU policies and how this relates to overarching security concerns. |
| 4:45 - 6:00 PM | PANEL 4 Exporting digital authoritarianism to Europe? Despite increased awareness in recent years about the risks associated with digital surveillance technologies, there are still fundamental gaps. Government and public institutions use a large number of technologies that are interconnected to varying degrees and process sensitive data. Their use may require the installation of specific software, which collects a large amount of data not only from the device but also from other devices in a way that is difficult to trace. The use of technologies provided by suppliers from authoritarian countries poses important questions related to security but also ethical dilemmas |
| 6:00 - 6:30 PM | Closing remarks |