With the development of new uses and new technologies, security lies at the heart of a hyper-connected society

August 30, 2016 –  PRESS RELEASE

Public and private actors will gather in Lille on 24 and 25 January 2017 for the International Cybersecurity Forum (FIC 2017), to exchange ideas around the challenges of an increasingly connected world and to work at establishing a secure digital environment.

Organized jointly by the Gendarmerie National, CEIS and EuraTechnologies, and co-funded by the Hauts-de-France regional Council, the 9th edition of the International Cybersecurity Forum will be dedicated to new uses and future security.

As General Marc Watin-Augouard, a founding member of the FIC explains: « uses designed for the best are sometimes put at the service of the worse. Predators understood this well. The digital space offers the best (legal) risk/reward ratio. Cybercrime is the typical 21st century crime, as we already said when we founded the FIC in 2007. Mobilizing all public and private actors is now crucial, as what is at stake is the very nature of the « new society » that will be ours in a dozen years. »

In the context of the national Law for a Digital Republic and as a Digital Europe is more than ever underway, a variety of actors including civil society, service and solution providers, end users, public authorities and Academia, will gather in Lille for the reference event for security and digital trust in continental Europe.

Strategic questions at the European level
The NIS Directive sets up a coordination group and a network comprising of all national CERT. Yet the European Commission wishes to go further. Early 2017, the EC is expected to propose a master plan for a coordination mechanism in case of a large scale cyber attack, with the participation of ENISA, the CERTs and Europol’s EC3.

At the heart of ongoing debates, FIC 2017 will be the occasion to put forward avenues for reflection on the issue of cyber crises management at the European level. Following the adoption of the Privacy Shield, the event will also provide opportunities to exchange ideas around Europe’s ambitions in the digital sector.

Sharing experience: opportunities for improvement in the cybersecurity sector.
Followed the Military Planning Law, 3 decrees on health products, water management and food were published recently. The FIC will provide an occasion to gather feedback from other European Critical National Infrastructure bodies.

People are the key to success for cybersecurity strategies
Training, raising awareness, mobilizing business units around cybersecurity challenges, redesigning the landscape of IT functions…all these issues that give a central role to people in cybersecurity debates will be addressed in the next edition of the International Cybersecurity Forum. Which are the new tools available for raising awareness? How can business units be involved in the implementation of security measures? What role should security play within a company? These are some of the key questions that cybersecurity experts and business units directors, in both the public and the private sector, will be debating during FIC2017.

The issues that will be addressed during FIC2017 fall into 7 thematic streams: International issues, the cybersecurity industry, corporate security, the fight against cybercrime, new technologies, social issues, security technologies. These will be discussed in plenary sessions, conferences or workshops, to cover technology, legal, industry and strategic angles.

The key topics that will be addressed during the 9th edition of the International Cybersecurity Forum include:

• Bug Bounty: read the manual!
• Shadow IT: risk or opportunity?
• Ransomware: which solutions for such multifaceted new threats?
• Law and Cybercrime: which evolutions can make existing legislations more efficient?
• Autonomous vehicles: how can driving be secured safely?
• Blockchain: what concrete applications for a promising technology?
• Smart City: a big mother in the making?
• Can health be connected safely?
• Controlling individual digital spheres, a new challenge for connected users.
• Virtual world, real world, dangerous interactions?
• Cyberdefence: is automatisation smart?

Registrations open for the Innovative SME Award.
In January last year, 40 SMEs applied to the Innovative SME Award, a competition that aims at fostering research and innovation in cybersecurity and to give visibility to participating SMEs. During FIC2016, the Award went to Cyber Test Systems and the Special Jury Prize to TrustinSoft. Like last year, Airbus Defence and Space sponsors the Innovative SME Award 2017. Registrations are open.

About the International Cybersecurity Forum (FIC)
The FIC is designed as a platform for sharing ideas and exchanging views, and is aimed at promoting a European vision of cybersecurity. In keeping with the Common Digital Market and the personal data protection regulation projects, the FIC Is the reference event for security and digital trust in continental Europe. The FIC comprises of a Trade Show for exhibitors and visitors to exchange ideas, gain visibility, recruit and network; and a Forum to debate with experts, improve knowledge and skills, and share experience. Throughout the year, the FIC Observatory stands provides a forum to carry on these debates and discussion, and to maintain networks and relationships.

The 2017 edition of the FIC (https://www.forum-fic.com) is organized jointly by the Gendarmerie National, CEIS and EuraTechnologies, and co-funded by the Hauts-de-France regional Council. You can follow the FIC on Twitter at @FIC_fr, visit the Facebook Page, or join the LinkedIn Observatoire FIC group.