ETSI’s well-known Security Conference came to a close with nearly 250 onsite attendees from 29 countries. This year’s event focused on security research and global security standards in action, considering broader aspects such as attracting the next generation of cybersecurity standardization professionals and supporting SMEs.

An intensive 4-day programme from 16 to 19 October gathered speakers from government agencies, other standards bodies, academia and various industry sectors. They enjoyed networking opportunities during coffee, tea and lunch breaks and networking cocktails at the end of each day.

The first day addressed global security at large and regulatory matters. Speakers highlighted the strong security standards developed by the community but noted the lack of consumers awareness. Another session emphasized the need to avoid global fragmentation and maintain industry agility. The question of how to get closer to researchers was raised, and some speakers remarked that regulations across IoT and telecoms were increasing but industry revenue was not.

The second day began with zero trust, a key factor in enabling social trust. The IoT and Certification session established that voluntary certification schemes are on the rise worldwide, and the ETSI EN 303 645 standard is globally recognized as the universal basis for ensuring baseline Consumer IoT Security in the ecosystem. A fascinating track on quantum computing sparked a debate over the need for a simple approach to address future quantum computers. ETSI quantum safe cryptography and quantum key distribution groups continue to help the industry prepare for post-quantum cryptography.

The last two days addressed the challenging but essential topic of attracting the next generation of cybersecurity professionals into standardization. Students and young professonals should be aware that standardization can lead to innovation, and discussions about standards should start early. Sessions also included IoT and certification, 5G-related security, and a forward-looking track on 6G perspectives. The event concluded with presentations addressing the challenge of securing AI.

The conference was complemented by a series of demonstrations and posters on post-quantum and 5G digital twin use cases, certification assessments, test platforms, and much more.

Once again, we had the chance to host our media partner, CyberSecurity magazine, who took the opportunity to interview several speakers who delved deep into this exciting, diverse, and challenging ecosystem. The series of podcasts will be available and disseminated through the outlet and ETSI channels, so stay tuned!

In the meantime, you can download the presentations HERE