Opening Ceremony featuring Special Address by Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova outlining the nation's commitment to advancing digital security amid geopolitical challenges

Moldova has been actively working to strengthen its digital defenses as cyber threats—whether politically motivated attacks or rising cybercrime—continue to be a global challenge. Establishing the Agency for Cybersecurity (ACS) in December 2023 marked a significant step in protecting critical infrastructure and public institutions. Born out of Moldova's EU-backed cybersecurity law, the ACS has focused on aligning the country's cybersecurity framework with European norms, particularly the NIS 2 Directive. This includes defining critical infrastructure as well as setting security requirements for important and essential digital services to keep up with evolving cyber risks. In this session, Mihai Lupașcu will offer an inside look at Moldova's cybersecurity journey, reflecting on the agency's first year—its progress, challenges, and lessons learned. He will discuss the complexities of adapting the NIS 2 Directive and the vital role of international cooperation in strengthening Moldova's digital resilience.

As cyber threats loom alongside geopolitical tensions, one thing is clear: no country can protect its digital infrastructure alone. This panel brings together experts from Moldova, the region, and beyond to discuss the evolving cyber threat landscape, share real-world experiences, and explore practical ways to strengthen defenses in a world where conventional deterrence no longer works. From state-backed cyber campaigns to attacks on critical infrastructure, digital threats are becoming more sophisticated and harder to predict. Panelists will discuss:

• Changes in the threat landscape and adversarial strategies: How attackers are evolving and where they are gaining ground?

• Successful defensive tools, techniques, and protocols: What strategies have proven most effective in mitigating cyber threats?

• Essential next steps for Moldova's national cybersecurity: What should be the priorities for building resilience in an uncertain environment?

• The role of international cooperation for EU's Eastern Partners: How regional and global partnerships can enhance security and stability?

This keynote will explore how to unveil hidden threats and safeguard your brand by providing actionable intelligence to secure the expanding digital landscape.

Critical infrastructure is not only the backbone of the economy and national security but also a prime target for cyber attacks. The EU's NIS and NIS2 directives set information security requirements for essential and important service providers, but their implementation varies across Europe. This panel brings together experts who have been directly involved in shaping and enforcing these regulations. They will share their experiences in developing policies, ensuring compliance, and collaborating with service providers to strengthen digital resilience. By focusing on the expectations placed on essential and important service providers and the support they require to meet these requirements, this discussion will highlight approaches that might strengthen Moldova's cybersecurity.

The discussion will look at what good enough looks like:

• Defining responsibilities: How are essential and important entities categorized, and what specific security obligations do they bear? Is information security just a normal part of doing business?

• Government support: What do service providers need from governments to meet these obligations? Is capacity building, training, tools, additional resources including funding, and further regulatory clarity needed?

• Balancing enforcement and incentives: How can compliance be enforced while encouraging effective security investments? Is a security standard (such as ISO27001 or IT-Grundschutz) the way to go or should we rather take baby steps (like CIS Controls)? What best practices have emerged in aligning regulatory requirements with operational realities?

When Russia's invasion of Ukraine sent shockwaves across Europe in 2022, cyberattacks quickly followed, targeting governments, institutions, and critical service providers. Estonia was no exception. As head of CERT-EE at the time, Tõnu Tammer found himself on the front lines, responding to a surge in cyber threats—from phishing campaigns to large-scale DDoS attacks. While not always technically advanced, these attacks had the potential to disrupt essential services for extended periods. In this keynote, Mr. Tammer will take us behind the scenes of CERT-EE's response, sharing firsthand insights into the strategies, tools, and tactics used to strengthen Estonia's cyber defenses. He will discuss how the country provided centralized protection for government and critical sectors, reinforced monitoring and security measures, and worked closely with IT teams to stay ahead of evolving threats.

All aspects of modern life depend on the resilience of critical infrastructure, including sectors such as energy, healthcare, telecommunications, and banking. To strengthen cybersecurity in these vital areas, the national cybersecurity law of Moldova, No. 48 introduces requirements that align with European norms. This panel will focus on practical, actionable solutions in hardening critical infrastructure tailored to Moldova's needs, drawing from best practices explored throughout the day:

• Sector specific challenges: What are the most pressing cybersecurity threats facing in the sector you're representing? How do you deal with them? What are the potential solutions you can share? Lessons learned?

• Support for critical sectors: What training, capacity building, and other resources that help essential service providers meet their information security requirements?

• Strength in collaboration: Do models such as Information Sharing and Analysis Centers (ISACs), fusion centers and Security Operations Centers (SOCs) truly improve security?

• Solutions beyond borders: How can Moldova work with its neighbors to strengthen regional cybersecurity?

To combat cyber threats like phishing, fraudulent banking sites, and malware distribution, Latvia developed a national DNS Firewall that blocks access to known malicious domains, redirecting users to safe landing pages and providing real-time protection across the country. In 2024, the National Cybersecurity Law mandated its implementation across all Internet Service Providers (ISPs). Today, the firewall processes around 1.5 million DNS requests each month, successfully blocking over 300,000 malicious connections in the second quarter of 2024 alone. This keynote will explore how Latvia built and deployed its DNS Firewall, the challenges faced, and the lessons learned along the way.

The demand for cybersecurity professionals is still outpacing supply, creating a critical talent gap at a time when cyber threats are more sophisticated than ever while the skills required in the field evolve faster than formal education can adapt. By examining practical strategies for developing and retaining top cybersecurity talent, this discussion will highlight how to future-proof the workforce and ensure that the next generation is equipped to meet tomorrow's challenges. This panel will explore approaches to bridging the skills gap, including:

• Industry-academia collaboration: How can industry and academic institutions share knowledge to ensure that curricula reflect real-world challenges?

• Lifelong learning and upskilling: What are the most effective models for continuous education, from certifications and microcredentials to bootcamps and hands-on training programs?

• On-the-job training and career mobility: How can organizations create cultures of ongoing learning, ensuring that their cybersecurity workforce remains skilled and adaptable?

• Reskilling and empowering non-traditional careers: What initiatives or programs can successfully reskill mid-career professionals into cybersecurity roles?

• Diversity of talent: How can industry and education systems promote diversity and inclusivity in cybersecurity to not overlook parts of the talent pool?