Cyberattacks are becoming common, everyday incidents that countries have to deal with. In the last months we have perceived an intensified effect from such attacks on states, on their public and social institutions, as well as on private companies. The destruction caused by these actions is immense. In addition to these direct threats, we also face “soft attacks”, attacks against the reputation, trustworthiness, and common value of our countries and societies. The wider phenomenon of fake news production is part of this soft intrusion, making the democratically elected governments of European countries even more vulnerable.

The conference will outline the state of play of the different states by analysing their prevention and reaction capacities concerning both direct and indirect attacks. We will thereby offer a look at the different national cyber strategies of the EU and its Member States, the United States, and Israel. Moreover, this event will provide an opportunity to understand how the international community tries to protect itself from cyberattacks by using specific instruments of international law and norms (codes of conduct).

Discussion of this topic is becoming increasingly important, as the European Union is preparing for elections that need to be secured not only in a given time and place, but also in the cyber realm. As the conference is planned to take place right before the elections, it will analyse the security situation, as well as the preparedness and resilience of the Member States and the European institutions.

DRAFT PROGRAMME
Registration and Light Breakfast

9am Welcoming Remarks
- Ildikó VOLLER SZENCI, Head of Brussels Office, Antall József Knowledge Centre
- Tomi HUHTANEN, Executive Director, Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies

– Impulse Statement
- Patryk PAWLAK, Project Coordinator – EU CYBER DIRECT, Executive Officer, European Union Institute for Security Studies

– Keynote Speech
- Wojciech WIEWIÓROWSKI Assistant Supervisor, European Data Protection Supervisor

– 11am Panel Discussion I: Resilience of Member States: Finland, Estonia, Slovakia, and Slovenia Facing the European elections

- Jarno LIMNÉLL, Professor of Practice, Cyber Security, Department of Communications and Networking, Finland
- Žiga TURK, Academic Council Member, Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies, Professor, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Piret PERNIK, Researcher, Cyber Security, Internal Security Institute, Estonian Academy of Security Sciences, Estonia
- Anushka KAUSHIK, Research Fellow, Cybersecurity Resilience Program, GLOBSEC, Slovakia

- Moderator: Michele PIERRI, Editor-in-Chief, CYBER AFFAIRS

11am – Coffee Break

– Impulse Statement on USA experience
- Erik BRATTBERG, Director, European Program Fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

– 1pm Panel Discussion II: How to save the European elections?

- Adam LELONEK, President, Co-Founder, Centre for Propaganda and Disinformation Analysis, Poland
- Anneli AHONEN, Expert, Strategic Communication, European External Action Service
- Goran GOTEV, Senior Manager, EU Government Affairs, Symantec Belgium
- Thomas Myrup KRISTENSEN, Managing Director EU Affairs, Head of Office Brussels, Facebook
- Quang-Minh LEPESCHEUX, Director, EU Government Affairs,
Microsoft
- Moderator: Dimitar LILKOV, Research Officer, Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies

1pm Closing Remarks and Lunch


This event receives financial support from the European Parliament. Sole liability rests with the organisers, the European Parliament is not responsible for the activity.
The Antall József Knowledge Centre and the Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies reserve the right to change the programme.