Speakers

Alar Karis is the President of the Republic of Estonia. Until taking office on 11th October 2021, he was the director of the Estonian National Museum (from 2018). President Karis served as the Auditor-General of the Republic of Estonia from 2013-2018, and before that as the rector of the Estonian University of Life Sciences from 2003-2007 and of the University of Tartu from 2007-2012. Most of President Karis’ scientific career has focused on research and teaching in molecular genetics and developmental biology. He has worked at universities in Germany, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, and joined the University of Tartu as a professor in 1999.

Mart Noorma has been the Director of NATO CCDCOE since August 2022. Prior to joining CCDCOE, Mart Noorma had led innovation and digital transformation at several organizations. He has served as the Science and Development Director of Milrem Robotics and the Vice Rector of Academic Affairs, the Head of Space Technology Department, and the Professor of Space and Defence Technology at the University of Tartu. Mart Noorma has also worked at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Helsinki University of Technology, where he obtained the degree of the Doctor of Science in Technology in 2005.

Mart Noorma has been actively engaged in NATO, EU and international cooperation on innovation and novel technology development. He has been a member of the NATO Advisory Group on Emerging and Disruptive Technologies, the NATO STO Applied Vehicle Technology Panel, the EEAS Space Advisory Board, and the IEEE Autonomous Weapon Systems Expert Advisory Committee.

Mart Noorma is a voluntary member of the Estonian Defence League.

Major General Kimura is the Commanding General of Japan Self-Defense Forces Cyber Defense Command(JCDC). He was promoted to Major General in March 2022 and took command of JCDC as the first Commanding General. JCDC’s main missions are to maintain the core defense network, conduct defensive cyber operations, and interfere or neutralize the use of cyber domain by an opponent. Based on the three strategic documents published in December 2022, the last mission was added and JCDC is currently expanding its capabilities. Major General Kimura holds a Master’s degree in Engineering from National Defense Academy in Japan, Strategic Studies from U.S. Army War College and Science Government Information Leadership from U.S. National Defense University.

Lieutenant Commander (Eng.), Dr Bernt Åkesson holds a Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering and a Doctoral degree in Process Control. He has served in the Finnish Defence Forces since 2007 and has worked in research projects in Operational Analysis and Cyber Defence. Currently he serves as a Researcher at the Technology Branch of NATO CCDCOE.

Neil Ashdown is a PhD candidate at Royal Holloway University of London, where he is a member of the Centre for Doctoral Training in Cybersecurity. He has a degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from Balliol College, Oxford. He is on the steering committee of the UK Offensive Cyber Working Group, an academic initiative to encourage engagement between government, industry, and academia. Neil previously worked as an analyst for Jane’s, the open-source defence intelligence specialists, including as the deputy editor of Jane’s Intelligence Review from 2014 to 2019.

Professor Greg Austin is co-founder of the Social Cyber Institute and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Technology Sydney. He served as Senior Fellow and head of the Program on Cyber Power and Future Conflict with the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) for over three years; and as Professor of Cyber Security, Strategy and Diplomacy with the University of New South Wales Canberra for six years. His academic career, including a Senior Visiting Fellowship in the Department of War Studies at Kings College London, has included ten books on international security, as author or editor. His service as a research leader for prominent global NGOs, such as the International Crisis Group and the EastWest Institute, has seen him work from Brussels and London for about one third of his career. He has consulted for the UK Cabinet Office, the UK Ministry of Defence, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the European Commission, and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He has held roles in the Australian civil service, including posts in Canberra and Hong Kong in defence intelligence, parliamentary committees, and ministerial staff. Austin has a Ph D in international relations and a Master of International Law, both from the Australian National University.

Eduard Barbu is a researcher specializing in Natural Language Processing (NLP) at the University of Tartu. He has extensive experience in various NLP domains, having worked across academia and industry in Romania, Italy, Spain, and Estonia. His primary research interests include computational methods for meaning formalization and information extraction.

Dr Gundars Bergmanis-Korats is a Principal Scientist at the NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence (StratCom COE). He holds a PhD in Signal and Image Processing from the University of Lorraine in France. In his role, Gundars concentrates on projects that explore the diverse applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in strategic communications, analyzing the risks and opportunities presented by this technology from multiple perspectives, including those of defenders and malicious actors. He also oversees the content delivery of training courses, such as Online and Social Media Analytics and AI for Communicators.

Mr. Raymond Bierens is a strategic advisor to the Federal CISO of the Dutch Government where is identifying new and novel ways for  assessing the cyber resilience of governmental organizations in The Netherlands. The project allows him to apply his insights from his ongoing current PhD Research at the Amsterdam Business Research Institute at the Vrije Universiteit, and his position as chairman of the CTI-sharing Connect2Trust Foundation. The central theme in all of these activities is to support decision makers in making the right decisions created by the increasing digital transformation. His former role as global vice-president for Defense & Security and Cybersecurity with Atos provides him with the 25 years of experience to position the MoD as a leader within government amidst rising geopolitical tensions.

Anna Blechová is a PhD student at the Institute of Law and Technology, Masaryk University. Her research focuses on the legal aspects of cybersecurity in outer space, with a specific focus on the area of New Space. Anna holds a law degree from Masaryk University and has previously interned at the Law Branch of NATO CCDCOE and the National Cyber and Information Security Agency (NÚKIB). In addition to her PhD studies, she currently works as a cybersecurity manager at the Prosecutor General’s Office in Czechia.

Dr Bernhards Blumbergs is a lead cyber-security expert at the Information Technology Security Incident Response Institution of the Republic of Latvia (CERT.LV) and the former Technology Researcher at the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (NATO CCD COE) also the Ambassador of the Centre since 2018. Currently, he is doing his postdoctoral research project at the Nara Institute of Science of Technology, in Japan, within the JSPS fellowship. His primary focus is on operational technology, technical red teaming operation execution, and leading threat hunting operations against national critical infrastructure. He is the creator of a unique full-spectrum offensive cyber operation exercise Crossed Swords. He is a certified exploit researcher and advanced penetration tester (GXPN), industrial cyber security professional (GICSP), and response and industrial defense expert (GRID). He has a solid military background, targeted at developing, administering, and securing wide-area information systems. Dr. Blumbergs received his Computer Science Ph.D. degree in Cyber Security from Tallinn Technical University in 2019, with his dissertation on specialized cyber red team responsive computer network operations.

Peadar Callaghan is a cybersecurity game Designer and researcher in serious games from Tallinn University. He has designed and run several games to explore complex concepts in cyber security. He has contributed to exercise design for both national and international organisations.

Alessio Campana served as Officer Pilot in the Italian Air Force. While in service, he started his studies in Engineering, obtaining the Master Degree in Telecommunication Engineering at Roma Tor Vergata University in 2002. As Engineer in Telecommunication, he covered multiple technical and managerial roles. In 2010 he joined ELTGROUP as Senior Engineer, covering the position of Research and Development System Project Manager for Electronic Warfare Solutions. Currently, he is in the Corporate Chief Scientist Office responsible for CONOPS and Operational Scenarios, for EMSO and Cyber application.

Julia Carver is a DPhil (PhD) Candidate in International Relations at the University of Oxford and Nuffield College, and a European Cybersecurity Fellow at ECCRI. She also holds a Politics Lectureship at Magdalen College (Oxford). Her work explores the relationship between the development of cybersecurity policies and geopolitical thinking in the ‘digital age’, including how policymakers conceive of digital infrastructure and cyber capacity building as tools for strategic advantage. Her research is jointly funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and Nuffield College. She has contributed research to policy processes at the UK Ministry of Defence and other European policy communities. In 2021, she founded the Oxford Changing Character of War Centre’s Cyber Strategy and Technology Statecraft Working Group, which remains hosted by Nuffield College.

Ludovic Chaker is deputy to the French junior minister of armament, in charge of strategic foresight and emerging threats. He advised the French President of the Republic from 2017 to 2022 on defense and security matters.

Luke Champion is the Head of the UK Integrated Security Fund’s Ukraine Cyber Programme at the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office. He has led the programme’s delivery of vitally needed support to Ukraine’s cyber defenders since the start of Russia’s illegal invasion. He represents the UK at cyber capacity building coordination groups like the Tallinn Mechanism and has worked on cyber programmes around the world.

Philippe Charland is a Defence Scientist at Defence Research and Development Canada – Valcartier Research Centre, located in Quebec City. He works in the Mission Critical Cyber Security Section, where he leads the Systems Vulnerabilities and Lethality Group. His research focuses on software reverse engineering, more specifically on the development of binary analysis tools to accelerate the reverse engineering process involved in malware and embedded software analysis. Mr. Charland holds a bachelor and a master’s degree in Computer Science, both from Concordia University, Montreal, Canada.

Kateryna Chernohorenko has practised law for over 15 years. Since the inception of the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, she has been an integral part of the reform team, spearheading the launch of next-generation electronic services such as eBaby for the parents of newborn children, electronic hospital services, and the COVID certificate within the Diia platform. She also initiated and led the “Army of Drones” project, which has played a crucial role in advancing the UAV field in Ukraine. In autumn 2023, she assumed the position of Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine for Digital Transformations, Digital Development, and Digitalization. Kateryna’s key directions at the Ministry include services for military personnel and conscripts, combat and non-combat digital systems, and innovations.

He is currently the Director of Threat Specialist Management at Microsoft, where he leads a team of security technical specialists serving US state and local government customers.  Prior to this role, he was an engagement team lead at Microsoft’s Detection and Response Team (DaRT), where he led over 40 global incident response engagements in different industry sectors and organizational sizes. He has served the US Department of Defense and the US Central Command as a consultant and a branch lead.  He has a M.S. in Digital Forensics from the University of Central Florida.

Dr Jamie Collier is the Lead Mandiant Threat Intelligence Advisor in Europe at Google Cloud. He works with organisations to help them understand their threat landscape and build threat intelligence capabilities. He is also active within academia as an Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). Before joining Mandiant, he was the Cyber Threat Intelligence Team Lead at Digital Shadows and completed a PhD in Cyber Security at the University of Oxford. Jamie was previously based at MIT as a Cyber Security Fulbright Scholar and has experience working with the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence, Oxford Analytica, and PwC India.

Dr Talita Dias is the Senior Research Fellow in the International Law Programme at Chatham House. She is also a founding member of the Oxford Process on International Law Protections in Cyberspace, at the Oxford Institute for Ethics, Law and Armed Conflict (ELAC). She was previously a Research Fellow at the University of Oxford. Her research focuses on the application of international law to new technologies. Talita has taught a range of subjects, including international law and public policy, and international criminal law. She holds a DPhil and a master’s degree in law from Oxford and is a qualified lawyer in Brazil.

Iryna Donets is an expert in defense cooperation and digital transformation. Currently serves as an Advisor to the Deputy Minister of Defence of Ukraine, she specializes in coordinating IT and Cyber support within the Ministry of Defence and additionally leads the MOD’s Capability Coalitions Support Office designed to facilitate cross-coordination of international military aid to Ukraine. Previously she led projects for NATO, focusing on enhancing Ukraine’s defence C4 capabilities and interoperability. With a background in strategic studies and international relations, including an MA from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Iryna is dedicated to advancing Ukraine’s security and defense through her practical expertise and commitment.

Major General Duncan was appointed as the inaugural Head of Cyber Warfare in January 2023. Following changes to the Australian Defence Force and the establishment of Cyber Command, she was appointed as the inaugural Commander of Cyber Command in March 2024.
Major General Duncan joined the Army in 1996. As a Signals officer she soldiered in the 1st, 3rd and 17th Brigades, the 1st Division, and on various regional and Middle East operations. She commanded the 1st Signal Regiment, which included command of Force Communication Unit X in the Middle East.
She has held senior staff appointments in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Office of the Chief of Army, Strategic Policy Division, Headquarters 1st Division/Deployable Joint Force Headquarters, Career Management – Army, and Director Future Plans and Strategy (CJ5) for the military coalition to defeat the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). In this role, she was also the Senior National Representative for Australian troops in Iraq. Most recently, she was the Commandant of the Royal Military College – Australia.
A graduate of the Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies, Australian Institute of Company Directors, Australian Command and Staff College, and Royal Military College – Duntroon, Major General Duncan also holds a Bachelor of Arts, a Master of Arts in Strategy and Management, and a Master of Science in Telecommunications.
Major General Duncan is married to Gavin and they have a daughter, Madison, and a son, Darcy. She is an avid cook, gardener, reader and runner.

Dr. Chris Fall is the Vice President for Applied Sciences at the MITRE Corporation, where his team spans emerging technologies; life, physical, and health sciences; transportation; energy, climate, and the environment; economics; acquisition; and enterprise strategy. Fall most recently served as the Director of the Department of Energy Office of Science, where he was responsible for 10 of the 17 DOE national laboratories, and as Acting Director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). Previously, Fall served at the Office of Naval Research and in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

Nathaniel C. Fick was sworn in on September 21, 2022 as the inaugural U.S. Ambassador at Large for Cyberspace and Digital Policy. Prior to joining the State Department, Ambassador Fick was a technology executive and entrepreneur. He was CEO of the cybersecurity software company Endgame from 2012 through its acquisition by Elastic in 2019. Thereafter, he led Elastic’s information security business globally. Ambassador Fick spent nearly a decade as an operating partner at Bessemer Venture Partners, working with management teams to build technology businesses. In 2018, he was named by Fast Company magazine as one of the “100 Most Creative People in Business,” and Endgame was selected by Forbes as one of the “100 Best Cloud Companies in the World.” From 2009 to 2012, Ambassador Fick was CEO of the Center for a New American Security, a national security research organization in Washington. Earlier in his career, he served as a Marine Corps infantry and reconnaissance officer, including combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. His book about that experience, One Bullet Away, was a New York Times bestseller, a Washington Post “Best Book of the Year,” and one of the Military Times‘s “Best Military Books of the Decade.” Ambassador Fick graduated with high honors in Classics from Dartmouth College and holds an MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School and an MBA from the Harvard Business School.

Dr. Fischerkeller is a research staff member in the Information Technology and Systems Division at the Institute for Defense Analyses, a Federally Funded Research and Development Center supporting the U.S. Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Combatant Commands.

Focusing on Cybersecurity for Operational Technology networks, Jeff Foley specializes in safeguarding Industrial Control Systems (ICS) networks, bridging the gap between Informational Technology security and best practices, into the Operational Technology environment for Critical Infrastructure, amongst other industrial networks. With extensive experience spanning Utilities, Oil & Gas, Transportation, Rail, and other industrial networks, Jeff has been instrumental in developing and implementing cybersecurity solutions globally utilizing industrial standards (such as NERC CIP, NIST, ISO 27001, IEC 62443, and IEC 61850 and the NIS 2 Directive). Jeff’s visionary approach and commitment to excellence have significantly elevated cybersecurity standards within critical infrastructure sectors, ensuring robust protection and resilience against emerging threats.

Dr Goldman serves as a strategist at U.S. Cyber Command and a thought leader on cyber policy. From 2014 to 2018 she directed the U.S. Cyber Command / National Security Agency Combined Action Group, leading a team that wrote the 2018 U.S. Cyber Command vision, Achieve and Maintain Cyberspace Superiority.

Andy Grayland is the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Silobreaker, and has over 12 years of information security experience. A dedicated digital transformation strategist and security consultant, Andy specialises in developing and implementing effective information security programmes with a focus on aligning them to business objectives. Prior to Silobreaker, Andy was CISO at the Scottish Local Government’s Digital Office. He holds a PhD in Computer Science from the University of St. Andrews, and a PGC in Cyber Defence and Information Assurance from Cranfield University.

Dr Regine Grienberger is the Director for Cyber Foreign and Security Policy at the Federal Foreign Office. Her previous professional experience was chiefly in the field of EU foreign policy as well as EU financial and economic policy. Dr Grienberger was Deputy Head of the Minister’s Office (Gabriel, Maas), Deputy Head of Division for European economic and financial policy and desk officer for EU Agricultural
Policy, with responsibility for crisis management in pandemics, among other areas. Her tasks also included EU public relations and the EU’s external relations with countries of the Western Balkans. She was Head of the Political Section at the German Embassy in Rome and culture, press and protocol attaché at the German Embassy in Ljubljana. Dr Grienberger studied agriculture in Bonn, Munich, Vienna and Michigan State University. She obtained her doctorate in Bonn.

Taylor Grossman is Deputy Director of Digital Security at the Institute for Security and Technology, where she works on the Ransomware Task Force and other ongoing projects. Previously, she was a senior researcher in the Cyberdefence Project at the Center for Security Studies at ETH Zurich. She also serves as a senior editor at Binding Hook, a media organization that publishes articles on technology and security. She holds an MPhil in International Relations from the University of Oxford and a B.A. in Political Science from Stanford University.

Tatjana Grote is a PhD Candidate at the University of Essex (School of Law). Her research focuses on the international legal regulation of the military collection, retention and use of civilian personal data during armed conflict. She holds a Master of Laws with a specialism in Public International Law from London School of Economics and Political Science.

Dr Marie Haugli-Sandvik holds a PhD in maritime cybersecurity and human factors. Her research primarily focuses on human behavior and cognitive psychology in cyberspace. Currently, she is working as an Associate Professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). Additionally, she is a member of the Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience Group (CISaR) and the Center for Cyber and Information Security (CCIS). Marie has a background as a deck officer in the offshore industry, and she is working towards enhancing cybersecurity training for seafarers and other maritime personnel.

Dr Harknett is Professor of Political Science and Director of the School of Public and International Affairs, Co-Director of the Ohio Cyber Range Institute, and Chair of the Center for Cyber Strategy and Policy at the University of Cincinnati. He holds an afffilate faculty position with the School of Information Technology at UC and a professorial lectureship at the Diplomatic Academy Vienna, Austria, where he served as Fulbright Professor in 2001. In 2017, he served as inaugural Fulbright Professor in cyber studies at Oxford University, UK and in 2016 as the first Scholar-in-Residence at United States Cyber Command and NSA. His publications and research interests focus on international relations theory and international security studies with particular focus on cyber strategy. He also regularly advises at the US government and state of Ohio levels. He is the co-author of Cyber Persistence Theory: Redefining national security in cyberspace (UK: Oxford University Press, 2022).

Trey Herr is assistant professor of Global Security and Policy at American University’s School of International Service and Senior Director of the Atlantic Council’s Cyber Statecraft Initiative. The Cyber Statecraft team works at the intersection of cybersecurity and geopolitics across conflict, cloud computing, supply chain policy, and more. At American, Trey’s work focuses on competitive interactions between states and non-state groups, especially technology firms. Previously, he worked for Microsoft, the Belfer Cybersecurity Project at Harvard Kennedy School and the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. He holds a PhD in Political Science and BS in Musical Theatre and Political Science.

Amy Hogan-Burney is the General Manager and Associate General Counsel for Cybersecurity Policy & Protection (CPP). CPP includes Microsoft’s Digital Security Unit, Cybersecurity Policy and Digital Diplomacy teams, and the Digital Crimes Unit and is a global team of attorneys, security strategists, investigators, engineers, and analysts. CPP is responsible for managing compliance with cybersecurity regulations while shaping evolving requirements, advocating for digital peace and rules of nation state conduct in cyberspace, developing productive partnerships with the public and private sector to address cybersecurity and crime, and seeking to disrupt nation state actors and cybercriminals through legal and technical methods.

Prior to leading CPP, Ms. Hogan-Burney led the Digital Crimes Unit and the Privacy Compliance team during the implementation of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation. She started her career at Microsoft managing the Law Enforcement and National Security team ensuring Microsoft’s compliance with law enforcement and national security legal obligations.

Before entering the private sector Ms. Hogan-Burney was an attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation. She received her Bachelor of Biomedical Engineering from the Catholic University School of Engineering and her Juris Doctor from the Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University.

Silke holds PhD in Mathematics and a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and works as a Telecommunication Security Expert in Finland. She has been securing mobile communications since 2000. Her security expertise covers 5G, Open RAN, Multi-Access Edge Computing (MEC), roaming, private networks, threat intelligence for mobile networks, embedded UICC, cloud hosting for telecommunication and legacy networks. She represented major mobile equipment network vendors many years in 3GPP and GSMA. Her security research was published at conferences like DefCon and Blackhat. She is member of the EU European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) Advisory Group and her goal is to make mobile networks secure and resilient.

Deborah Housen-Couriel is currently the Chief Legal Officer and VP Regulation for Konfidas Digital Ltd., a cyber and data protection consulting firm located in Tel Aviv. Her expertise is in cyber and data protection law, with a focus on cyber preparedness and incident response in the areas of public health, transport, finance and telecom. Deborah’s experience includes work as a Core Expert on the Manual on International Law Applicable to Military Uses of Outer Space (MILAMOS), on the Editorial Board of the McGill Encyclopedia of International Space Law, and as a Working Group Chair of the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise. She was a member of the International Group of Experts that drafted the 2017 Tallinn Manual 2.0 on state activity in cyberspace. She currently serves on the Advisory Board for the Hebrew University Law School’s Cyber Security Research Center; and as a research fellow with the IDC Herzliya’s Institute for Counter-Terrorism. Deborah teaches cyber law and policy at both of these universities. In 2011, she co-chaired the Regulation and Policy Committee of Israel’s National Cyber Initiative; and in 2013-4 served on the National Cyber Bureau’s Public Committee on the Cyber Professions. She is a graduate of Harvard Kennedy School (MPA-MC), the Law School of Hebrew University (LL.B., LL.M.) and Wellesley College (scl).

Miriam is Head of International Consulting for BAE Systems Digital Intelligence, leading cyber programmes for UK and international governments, particularly relating to national cyber defence capabilities.  She also leads BAE’s Cyber Portfolio focussed on National Cyber Strategy and national scale cybersecurity capabilities, supporting the development of sovereign cyber capability, across strategy, people, processes and technology, and ensuring alignment with national cyber strategy.  Miriam has over two decades experience as a cybersecurity professional, having spent the majority of her career helping Government, Defence, and Law Enforcement organisations to protect themselves against cyber-attack.  Following a Masters in International Security and Global Governance in 2016, she pivoted to an international focus and now focusses on cyber capacity building in different parts of the world, and actively engages on international cyber policy issues in particular private research and public speaking on topics relating to national cybersecurity and cyber power.

Pia Huesch is a Research Analyst in cyber, technology and national security. Her research focusses on the impact, societal risks and lawfulness of cyber operations and the geopolitical and national security implications of disruptive technologies, such as AI Prior to joining RUSI, Pia conducted her doctoral research on the lawfulness of low-intensity offensive cyber operations in international law, particularly under the principles of sovereignty and non-intervention. Previously, Pia has been a visiting researcher at McGill University and worked at the Glasgow Centre for International Law and Security as well as the Brussels office of the German Marshall Fund of the United States.

Louise Marie Hurel is a Research Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute’s (RUSI). She is the lead of the Cyber Team’s work on Responsible Cyber Behaviour. Her research focus on international cyber security policy, private actors, expertise, cyber diplomacy, cyber operations and incident response. Throughout the past decade, Louise has advised governments in different high-level debates as well as in previous work as a consultant on cyber/data security for the United Nations. Louise is also a PhD researcher in Data, Networks and Society at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), founder of the Latin American Cybersecurity Research Network (LA/CS Net) and serves as co-chair of the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise’s Advisory Board.

Embarking on his career in 2004 as an officer in the Italian Army, after rigorous training at the Military Academy of Modena and the School of Application and Advanced Military Studies in Turin, he rapidly advanced, overseeing crucial communication systems. His rise continued in 2014 as the Vice-Head of the ARMY Computer Emergency Response Team, crafting strategies against cyber threats. His expertise led to roles in significant missions such as UNIFIL, NATO KFOR, and Operation Inherent Resolve, underlining his adeptness in operational communication security. In 2019, after various assignments in the strategic and operational direction of the Armed Forces’ cyber capability, he founded the Army’s Cybersecurity Unit, enhancing defense strategies within the Operational Theater. His trajectory took a corporate turn in 2021 as the Director of Engineering at Telsy, TIM Group, a company renowned for its excellence in producing devices for the protection of national classified information, where he integrated innovation and engineering for national security. Holding a Strategic Sciences degree two Master’s degrees in Cyber Security and one in Politics and Management on MENA, he’s now enriching his knowledge with an Executive MBA at Luiss Business School.

Joseph Jarnecki is a Research Fellow in Cyber at the Royal United Services Institute. His research focuses on international cyber support, strategic cyber threats to critical infrastructure, and impacts from emerging technology on national security.

He is a graduate of King’s College London’s War Studies Department from which he holds a MA in International Conflict Studies

Hele Jonsson is an experienced manager and legal advisor in the fields of privacy, security, and artificial intelligence. She holds two master’s degrees, in Law and an MBA from the Stockholm School of Economics. Currently, she serves as the Vice-President and Head of Group Privacy, Security, and AI Legal at Telia Company, a Swedish multinational telecommunications company and mobile network operator with operations in the Nordics and Baltics. Prior to this, she worked at a financial institution, a law firm, an export and investment council, and served as a Member of the European Advisory Board of the International Association of Privacy Professionals and a Member of the Board of Directors of the International Technology Law Association.

Liina Kamm is a senior researcher at Cybernetica, a deep-tech company in Estonia. Her research focusses on the uptake of privacy enhancing technologies, enabling privacy-preserving statistical analysis for social sciences and genomics, and the security and privacy of AI systems. Her current work also includes leading and managing research projects and consulting industry and public sector organisations on the uptake of privacy enhancing technologies and AI risk assessment. Liina received her PhD in computer science (cryptography) from the University of Tartu (Estonia) in 2015.

Ivar is a career security professional, with over two decades of information management and security experience across public and private sectors. As Silobreaker’s Director of Intelligence/Business Solutions, Ivar is able to apply his threat intelligence and cyber security expertise to ‘see the bigger picture’ and deliver solutions that protect organisations’ critical data and assets, while minimising business risk. His previous roles include Threat Intelligence EMEA Lead at the London Stock Exchange Group and CISO of Statistics Estonia, part of the Estonian Ministry of Finance. 

Dr. Ágnes Kasper, PhD, is the Head of Law Branch at the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence. She is also a Senior Lecturer of Law and Technology in the Department of Law of the Tallinn University of Technology. She holds diplomas in international business, law and management, and also received formal trainings on technical aspects of cybersecurity and digital evidence. Dr Kasper served at embassies, human rights organizations, acted in advisory capacity in consultations with governments on issues relating to cybersecurity, as well as an external expert for the European Commission. She was also legal advisor for start-up accelerator supporting cybersecurity start-ups. Dr Kasper is trained in and holds a certificate in information security audit. Her current research focuses on regulatory aspects of cybersecurity, cyber defence and cyber diplomacy.

Lt. Gen. Kevin B. Kennedy is the Commander, Sixteenth Air Force; Commander, Air Forces Cyber, and Commander, Joint Force Headquarters-Cyber (Air Force), Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. Sixteenth Air Force Airmen deliver multisource intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance products, applications, capabilities and resources. Furthermore, personnel perform operational planning as part of coordinated efforts to support Air Force component and combatant commanders and, upon approval of the President and/or Secretary of Defense, the execution of offensive cyberspace operations. In his position as Sixteenth Air Force Commander, Lt. Gen. Kennedy also serves as the Commander of the Service Cryptologic Component. The general leads the global information warfare activities spanning cyberspace and information operations, electronic warfare, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, targeting, public affairs and weather.

Captain Dr. Robert Koch is Branch Head Cyberspace at Allied Command Transformation, Portfolio Manager, and the primary Cyberspace point of contact to Senior ACT leadership. He manages and coordinates the Cyberspace Programme and represents SACT, DCOS and ACOS on high level cyber-related engagements. Captain Dr. Koch entered the German Navy in 1998. After officer training, university education and subsequent operational and technical training, he served as Deputy Weapon Engineering Officer with deployments to NATO and UN operations. During his subsequent time as a research assistant at the University of the Federal Armed Forces, he wrote a dissertation in the area of IT Security, and thereafter was commissioned as Weapon Engineering Officer with deployments to NATO and EU missions. After the National General/Admiral Staff Officer Course, Captain Dr. Koch served as Action Officer Cyber in the Communication and Information Systems Command, built up the new Penetration Testing capability of the Federal Armed Forces as Department Head in the Center for Cyber Security, and served as Desk Officer Cyber Policy in the Federal Ministry of Defence. From October 2021 to September 2023, he was Section Head Interoperability Verification & Validation and the Director of NATO Coalition Warrior Interoperability eXploration, eXperimentation, eXamination and eXercise (CWIX). Since October 2023, he is Branch Head Cyber in NATO ACT. Beside his military career, Captain Dr. Koch is active in research and teaching in his spare time. He has lecturing assignments at different universities and is Assistant Professor at the University of the Federal Armed Forces, holds a Diploma in Informatics, a Master’s Degree in Military Leadership and International Security, and two doctoral degrees.

As Undersecretary for Legal and Consular Affairs, Erki Kodar directs the work of the Legal Department and the Consular Department and advises the directorate and structural units of the ministry on legal and consular issues, including issues of international law. Erki Kodar has been working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as Undersecretary for Legal and Consular Affairs since 1 September 2019. Before joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he worked in the Ministry of Defence as Undersecretary for Legal and Administrative Affairs, Director of the NATO and European Union Department, and Director and lawyer of the Legal Department. In the years 2005–2017, he was an adjunct lecturer at the School of Law of the University of Tartu.Erki Kodar graduated from the School of Law of the University of Tartu, and also obtained a master’s degree at the United States Army War College, majoring in strategic studies. He has been awarded the Gold Badge (2014) and Silver Badge (2009) of the Ministry of Defence.

Jeff Kosseff is an associate professor of cybersecurity law at the United States Naval Academy. In October 2023, Johns Hopkins University Press published his fourth book, Liar in a Crowded Theater: Freedom of Speech in a World of Misinformation. Before joining the Naval Academy, he practiced First Amendment and cybersecurity law in Washington, D.C. He clerked for Judge Milan D. Smith, Jr. of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and Judge Leonie M. Brinkema of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. He previously worked as a newspaper journalist and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in national reporting. 

Natalia Krapiva leads Access Now’s strategic litigation and works to prevent and mitigate risks to Access Now’s Digital Security Helpline and its beneficiaries. She also works to identify and bring accountability for the use of commercial spyware and other repressive technologies against civil society. Prior to Access Now, Natalia worked as a prosecutor at Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office. Natalia holds a BA in Political Science from Columbia University and a JD from the UC Berkeley School of Law. She is licensed by the state bar of New York.

Aurimas Kuprys is the head of cyber exercises with CR14. He has worked for NATO CCDCOE as a specialist in exercise design. He has worked on multiple games and exercises from the technical to the strategic.

Claire holds a Ph.D in Molecular Biology from the University of Cambridge.  She was a political advisor in the European Parliament working on inter alia, the first iteration of the NIS Directive and the GDPR.  Following this, she was Cyber attaché at the British Embassy in Copenhagen and then Senior Research Analyst for Cyber and Emerging Technology at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.  She then was Principal Advisor for Cyber Defence at the Ministry for European and Foreign Affairs in Luxembourg. She is currently the Senior National Representative for Luxembourg at the CCDCOE.

Philip Kwan is the Director, Product Line Manager specializing in quantum security at Palo Alto Networks, the world’s leading cybersecurity company.  From 2013 onwards, he has led multiple innovation teams at Palo Alto Networks in a wide range of technology from network protocols, high availability, Denial of Service prevention, SSL decryption to SD-WAN.

With a strong passion for technology and over 30 years of experience in high speed networking and data security, he has held high level roles in both IT security as well as product management with multiple Silicon Valley firms where he was on the forefront of industry shaping technologies – gigabit networking, wireless networks, and next generation data security.

Jonathan Kwik is a researcher in international law at the T.M.C. Asser Institute attached to the ELSA Lab Defence project. His specialisation is in the laws governing the conduct of hostilities and artificial intelligence (AI). He obtained his doctorate (cum laude) from the University of Amsterdam on the lawful use of AI-embedded weapons at the operational level, and currently sits as a member of the Board of Experts of the Asia-Pacific Journal of International Humanitarian Law (APJIHL). He has published extensively in the fields of international humanitarian law, targeting law, AI modelling, criminal responsibility and post-conflict reconciliation.

Arthur PB LAUDRAIN is a Research Associate in Cyber Diplomacy with Department of War Studies at King’s College London and a DPhil candidate in Cyber Security at the University of Oxford. His work investigates the cyber diplomacy of the middle-ground, as well as cyber-enabled foreign election interference, both under EPSRC grants. He was an inaugural Fellow of the European Cyber Conflict Research Initiative (ECCRI) and Visiting Researcher at NATO CCDCOE, where he still contributes to the strategic track of LockedShields.

Lisbeth Laurie, Program Manager of the Maritime and Port Security Program of the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism (CICTE), has twenty three years of experience in the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS).In her current position, Mrs. Laurie focuses on initiatives designed to improve maritime and port security, including promoting, designing, and implementing training programs for representatives of OAS Member States; developing training content, best practices, and simulations related to port security; and implementing efforts related to supply-chain security of OAS Member States. Ms. Laurie has led important initiatives, such as the development of National Maritime Security Strategies for Guatemala and each of the seven Eastern Caribbean countries and their Regional Maritime Security Strategy; Operational Port Assessment, in addition to leading the implementation of several comprehensive security-related capacity assessments at both the national and port levels; national-level workshops on maritime security drills and exercises; and facilitation of regional workshops and round tables with authorities responsible for maritime security. Within the General Secretariat of the OAS, Mrs. Laurie has held a variety of managerial positions, primarily focused on promoting efficiency within the Organization by optimizing processes, resources and ensuring compliance with budgetary and financial rules and regulations of the General Secretariat, its subsidiary bodies, donors and other related entities. Ms. Laurie holds a B.A. degree in Public Accounting with specialties in two areas, Forensic Accounting and Financial Analysis, and is a Certified Public Accountant. As well as various graduated studies related to maritime security; incident command system; dynamics of maritime, river and port drug trafficking; and development of national security strategies.

Christian-Marc Lifländer currently serves as the senior cyber and hybrid policy official of NATO’s International Staff. As Head of Cyber and Hybrid Policy section he is responsible for leading the development and implementation of cyber and hybrid policy across NATO. Previously, Mr Lifländer served as Policy Advisor, Deputy Head of Section and Head of Section in the NATO’s International Staff. Before joining NATO, Mr Lifländer held executive and senior advisory level positions within the Estonian Ministry of Defence, including Acting Deputy Undersecretary for Defence Policy, Director of Policy Planning, and Adviser to the Minister of Defence. Mr Lifländer also served as a Defence Counselor at the Embassy of the Republic of Estonia in the United States and as a Defence Counselor at the Delegation of the Republic of Estonia to NATO. Mr. Lifländer received a direct commission in the Estonian Defense Forces (Infantry) and has been awarded with the Estonian Defence Forces Distinguished Service Decoration as well as Distinguished Service Decorations of the Estonian Ministry of Defence. Mr. Lifländer received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering from the United States Military Academy, West Point. He received his Master of Arts in Security Studies from Georgetown University’s Center for Security Studies (CSS) in the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service.

Herbert Lin is senior research scholar at the Center for International Security and Cooperation and Hank J. Holland Fellow at the Hoover Institution, both at Stanford University.  He is also a member of the Science and Security Board of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists. In 2016, he served on President Obama’s Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity.  In 2019, he was elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.  In 2020, he was a commissioner on the Aspen Commission on Information Disorder.  From 1986 to1990 he was a professional staff member and staff scientist for the House Armed Services Committee. He received his doctorate in physics from MIT.

Dr Kubo Mačák is Professor of International Law at the University of Exeter, United Kingdom. Kubo is the author of the book Internationalized Armed Conflicts in International Law (Oxford University Press 2018) and of multiple articles in peer-reviewed journals including the International Review of the Red Cross, the Journal of Cyber Policy, and the Journal of Conflict and Security Law. Kubo is also the General Editor of the Cyber Law Toolkit, an interactive online resource on the international law of cyber operations. Between 2019 and 2023, he served as a legal adviser at the International Committee of the Red Cross in Geneva.

Christophe Van Maele manages the Maritime Governance Unit within the Peacekeeping Division of UNITAR (United Nations Institute for Training and Research). He coordinates maritime and port security projects in Malaysia, Bahrain, West and Central Africa, and Rwanda, aiming to enhance their resilience against various security issues, including ISPS compliance, drone threats, and cybersecurity risks. With over 35 years of experience in the maritime sector, including work in ports and on commercial ships, he has gained extensive knowledge of the industry and understands the challenges associated with implementing new technologies in seaports. Academically, he is pursuing a PhD in Maritime Governance and holds an MBA and several master’s degrees.

Petra Mahnič has been a member of the EU Council Legal Service since 2004, following her graduate studies in law in Ljubljana and Amsterdam, postgraduate studies of EU law at the College of Europe in Bruges (LLM), and a tenure as legal adviser in the Constitutional Court of Slovenia. Her areas of specialization include EU common foreign and security policy, common security and defence policy, EU restrictive measures, and public international law. She provides legal advice to various Council preparatory bodies, and acts as Council agent before the EU Courts. She is a co-organizer of executive training seminars on EU restrictive measures at the European University Institute of Florence (School of Transnational Governance), Italy, and a visiting professor at the College of Europe (Legal Department), Belgium.

Dr Roland Meier is a scientific project manager at the Cyber-Defence Campus of armasuisse in Switzerland. His main research interest are the security of computer networks and network programmability. Prior to joining armasuisse, Roland obtained his doctoral degree from ETH Zurich in 2022.

Stefano Mele is a Partner at Gianni & Origoni where he is the Head of the Cybersecurity & Space Law Department and Co-Head of the Privacy Department. He is also the President of the Information and Communication Technology Authority (“Autorità ICT”) of the Republic of San Marino. He is member of the Regulatory and Governance Committee of the Board of Directors of NEOM. He is Adjunct Professor of “Cyberspace Law and Policies for National Security” at the Faculty of Security Law of the Foggia University, as well as Academic Fellow of the Chair of Cybersecurity at the Department of Legal Studies of Università Bocconi and Academic Fellow at the Chairs of Legal Informatics and Advanced Legal Informatics of the Faculty of Law of the University of Milan. He is a member of the Ethics-Judicial Committee of the Carabinieri Corps. He is a member of the Board of Directors and the President of the Cyber Security Commission of the Italian Atlantic Committee, as well as the President of the “Working Group on Cybersecurity” of the American Chamber of Commerce in Italy (AMCHAM). In 2020, he was invited to join the prestigious International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP) of the U.S. Department of State. Finally, in 2014, the American magazine Forbes included him among the 20 best Cyber Policy Experts in the world to follow on Internet.

Yannick Merkli is a machine learning engineer at LatticeFlow AI, where he works on enabling governments and enterprises deliver trustworthy and performant AI models at scale. Prior to joining LatticeFlow AI, Yannick obtained his master’s degree from ETH Zurich in 2021, where he focused on machine learning and secure and reliable systems.

Dr Konstantinos Mersinas, PhD, CISSP, is an Associate Professor at the Information Security Group, Royal Holloway, University of London. Konstantinos worked in various industry cybersecurity roles before moving to academia. His research interests lie with human and behavioural aspects of cybersecurity, maritime security, and cybercrime. He has advised the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Cybersecurity, the UK Fraud Act and Digital Fraud Committee, and a number of UK Government Departments. He co-founded the research group HIVE (Hub for Interdisciplinary research into Vulnerability to Exploitation), and is a Director at the International Cyber Security Center of Excellence (https://incs-coe.org) founded amongst institutions in the UK, US, and Japan to promote international cybersecurity research.

Tomohiro Mikanagi is a Legal Advisor, Director-General for International Legal Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan. As a diplomat, served in London, NY and Beijing. Published articles in personal capacity, including “Establishing a Military Presence in a Disputed Territory: Interpretation of Article 2(3) and (4) of the UN Charter”, ICLQ Vol. 67 (2018), “Attribution of cyber operations: an international law perspective on the Park Jin Hyok case”, co-authored with Kubo Mačák, Cambridge International Law Journal Vol. 9 (2020), and “Application of the Due Diligence Principle to Cyber Operations”, International Law Studies Vol. 97 (2021). Former Visiting Fellow of the Lauterpacht Centre for International Law, Cambridge

Lisandra Novo is a staff lawyer for the Strategic Litigation Project at the Atlantic Council. Previously, Novo was a judicial fellow at the International Court of Justice, a visiting professional at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, and has worked on civil US litigation for gross human-rights violations committed abroad. She also previously served as a Fulbright scholar in Spain where she conducted research on transitional justice. Novo holds a JD from Harvard Law School and an LLM in law and technology in Europe from Utrecht University.

Jesper is the Chief Security Officer for Northern Europe at Palo Alto Networks where he delivers strategic counsel to large organisations, governments and military entities. Joining the company in 2021, he brings more than two decades of experience and knowledge in leading Information Security efforts across software development, systems & security architecture, national technology and security strategies, and government policy. 
Prior to joining Palo Alto Networks, Jesper was a Senior Information Security Officer at Maersk Drilling in the wake of the NotPetya incident, where he was responsible for Security Operations, as well as the onshore and offshore cybersecurity strategy and programmes. During his time in the Defence, he served as the National Representative for Denmark in NATO on communications, cryptographic and PKI security, and served more than nine years as a Security Officer for the Danish Defence IT Agency.

Dr Chris O’Meara is a Senior Lecturer in Law at the University of Exeter. Chris’ research interests lie in the field of public international law, with a particular focus on the legal regulation of armed conflict. Chris has a PhD in International Law from University College London and is the author of Necessity and Proportionality and the Right of Self-Defence in International Law (OUP, 2021). His latest book, The Right of Self-Defence in International Law, will be published by OUP as part of their Elements of International Law series. Chris has also published in leading international law journals, including the International & Comparative Law Quarterly and Journal on the Use of Force and International Law.

After finishing at the Royal Military Academy in Brussels in 2000 with a master’s degree in science in mathematical engineering, Lieutenant Orye started working on the technical integration of acquired tactical communications equipment in the defence forces. Afterwards, he became material resources manager responsible for tactical radios and later responsible for secure and classified networks. Between those two functions, he served two years as the staff officer for operations and training in the (BEL) 6th signal battalion. From 2017 to 2021, he worked at the CCDCOE within the strategic branch and consequently joined the BEL military cyber directorate during the summer of 2021. In October 2022, Belgian Defence created a Cyber Command, and Major Orye became the innovation officer. He focuses primarily on the military aspects of using 5G networks and the opportunities and threats of quantum computing related to encryption. Parallel to his professional work, he is pursuing a PhD in cybersecurity on wireless communications in transportation.

Silja-Madli Ossip works as a Community Lead in EU CyberNet and is responsible for outreach, partnerships, and community-building to expand the European Union-wide Stakeholder Community, and coordinate and map the EU-funded cyber capacity building projects globally. Prior to working for EU CyberNet, she held several posts supporting the digital and cyber policies at the Estonian National Cyber Security Centre and at the Permanent Representation to the EU. She has also worked as a Policy Coordinator at the Microsoft Government Affairs Team in Brussels. She holds a M.A. degree in International Relations from Leiden University.

Nikolas Ott is a Senior Manager at Microsoft European Government Affairs. His portfolio includes cyber diplomacy, cyber threat intelligence, cyber defense policy, foreign and security policy and cyber capacity building. Previously, he worked in the cyber/ICT security team of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). He is an alumnus of the Mercator Fellowship of International Affairs and the German Academic Scholarship Foundation. He holds a M.A. in Law and Diplomacy from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy (Tufts University) and B.A. in Political Science from the Freie Universität Berlin.

Rain Ottis is the Professor of Cyber Operations and the Head of the Centre for Digital Forensics and Cyber Security in Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia. From 2008 to 2012 he served as a researcher at the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence, where he worked on cyber security in the context of national and international security. Prior to that assignment he served as a communications officer in the Estonian Defence Forces, focusing primarily on cyber defence training and awareness. His research interests include cyber conflict, national cyber security and cyber security exercises.

Pēteris Paikens is a machine learning and computer security researcher, working as Senior Researcher at University of Latvia Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science, and Associate Professor at University of Latvia Faculty of Computing, where he teaches courses on applied machine learning and computer security.

Giacomo is the Head of the Security and Technology Programme at the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR). His expertise spans the science and technology domain with emphasis on the implications of emerging technologies for security and defence. His recent work focused on artificial intelligence and cyber security. Before joining UNIDIR, Giacomo was Associate Director at RAND Europe where he led the defence and security science, technology and innovation portfolio as well as RAND’s Centre for Futures and Foresight Studies. He also served for 14 years as warfare officer in the Italian Navy. He holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Rome, a master’s degree in Political Science from the University of Pisa, and a master’s degree in International Affairs and Diplomacy from the University of Trieste. He speaks English, French and Italian.

Ms. Manisha Parmar is Head for the NATO Cyber Security Centre’s Capability Development Team located in The Hague, Netherlands.  In this role, Manisha leads a large team of experts for the planning, design, deployment and uplift of critical NATO cyber security services.  These services are used to protect NATO’s assets and, by extension, NATO’s users in both the NATO Enterprise and for NATO Allied Operations and Missions around the world.  Manisha has spent over the last 10 years working for NATO and leading medium to large teams, both within the NCI Agency (Netherlands) and NATO’s Allied Command Transformation (Virginia, USA). Prior to joining NATO in 2013, Manisha spent over 10 years working in Calgary for a major defence company designing military grade solutions for both the Canadian and US Armies.  From a pedigree perspective, Manisha is a ‘techie’ at heart, completing both her Bachelors and Master’s degrees in Computer Science, and is a huge advocate for studies in STEM. Manisha is currently pursuing her Doctorate via the Cardiff Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom. Besides being a passionate Cyber Security professional and leader, Manisha loves to travel and has taken the opportunity of living in both the US and Europe to see and visit several destinations.  “Seeing the world, experiencing new cultures and understanding how people live in the global community is one of the best ways to expand our horizons and mind sets.  It also prepares someone for living and working in the international environment, which is truly a rewarding experience!”

Giulia Pavesi is a researcher in International Law and International Space Law at the Leuven Centre for Global Governance Studies and at the Institute of International Law, KU Leuven. Giulia’s main fields of interest are space security, European space security, defence and security and law on the use of force, with a particular focus on hybrid warfare applied to the space domain.

Piret Pernik is a Researcher at the Strategy Branch of the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre for Excellence (CCDCOE). She has authored and co-authored numerous reports and policy analysis, including book chapters, articles in academic peer-reviewed journals, and think tank research reports. She is the editor of a volume of papers entitled “Cyberspace Strategic Outlook 2030: Horizon Scanning and Analysis” (CCDCOE, 2022), and co-editor of “Cyber Threats and NATO 2030: Horizon Scanning and Analysis” (CCDCOE, 2020). Prior to joining the CCDCOE in 2019, Piret Pernik was a Research Fellow at the International Centre for Security and Defence (ICDS), Estonia’s largest think-tank focused on security and defence matters. She worked as a Researcher at the Estonian Academy of Social Sciences. Between 2003-2013 she served in the Estonian Ministry of Defence and was an adviser of the National Defence Committee of the Parliament of Estonia. She holds a Master’s degree on Social Theory (Sociology), and on International Relations and European Studies. Piret was part of the inaugural 2023-2024 cohort of the UC Berkeley Tech Policy Fellowship hosted by University of California, Berkeley, Goldman School of Public Policy & CITRIS Policy Lab.

Roberto Piazza earned his PhD in Computer Science from the University of Luxembourg in 2014 and his Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from both the Polytechnic of Turin and the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2010. With a diverse career in the satellite industry, he has held different engineering positions at Thales Alenia Space, SES, and ST Engineering iDirect (formerly Newtec). Roberto holds several publications and patents in the satellite communication field. Since 2020, Roberto has been serving as an Engineering Manager at Telsy, where he leads the development of innovative cryptographic solutions for secure communications. His research interests include digital signal processing, digital circuit design, quantum communication, and cryptography

Dmytro Plieshakov is a Ukrainian tech entrepreneur with a rich background in AI. He is currently a CEO and co-founder of Osavul, a startup focused on countering disinformation and FIMI. Since 2022, he has been collaborating closely with the Ukrainian government, aiding in the advancement of information security and resilience by implementing cutting-edge technologies for threat detection and data analysis. The technology of Osavul is in active use by the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine and other big government agencies. Apart from his entrepreneurial journey, Dmytro has a passion for AGI and the philosophy of mind. He is also active as an angel investor, supporting early-stage startups in deep tech.

Andrea Pompili is a Cyber Security specialist that has 20 years’ experience in this field.
In the last decade Andrea worked mainly on malware and attack reverse engineering, incident response and application vulnerability research and development leading one of the first team specialized on this kind of new threats. Andrea entered Cy4gate in 2016 and in 2019 Andrea became CY4Gate’s Chief Scientist Officer, extending coordination role to all the cyber topics covered by the Company, including Cyber Intelligence and integrated Cyber/EW activities.

Oleksandr Potii earned his PhD in communication security from Kharkiv Military University and became DScTech at Kharkiv National University of Air Force. His areas of research include information protection standards, cybersecurity and cryptography. Oleksandr Potii has more than 25 years of experience in military service, and 20 years of academic and pedagogical experience. Before joining the State Service, he has hold different technical and administrative positions at important educational institutions, such as Kharkiv National University of Radio Electronics and National Aerospace University “Kharkiv Aviation Institute”. At his current position, he is responsible for a range of important areas, including critical infrastructure protection, IT standardisation and certification, cyber defence, and cyber workforce development. Oleksandr Potii is a laureate of the National Prize of Ukraine named after Borys Paton (2021). He authored 5 manuals, more than 100 research articles, and developed several specialised university courses in areas of his expertise.

Conrad Prince is a Distinguished Fellow and RUSI’s senior adviser on cyber security, offensive cyber, and related intelligence and security issues. He was formerly the Director General for Operations and deputy head of the UK Government’s signals intelligence and cyber security agency, GCHQ, and subsequently held a role as Cyber Security Ambassador for the UK Government, specialising in international capacity building.

Bryan Prior is an Intelligence Analysis Director at Microsoft’s Threat Analysis Center (MTAC) focused on cyber and influence threats in the Middle East. He joined Microsoft in 2020 to a then newly formed Threat Context team focused on nation state goals behind their cyber operations. Prior to Microsoft, Bryan covered a range of security issues in the Middle East from terrorism to military and cyber threats with the US Intelligence Community. As a briefer at US Central Command, he covered the full range of threats in the Middle East with a focus on Iran and its regional activity. He has an M.A. in Strategic Studies from Johns Hopkins SAIS.

Prof. Dr Gabriel Raicu is the Rector of Maritime University of Constanta (CMU) and the Director of Maritime Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (MARCYSCOE). He spearheaded the creation of the first-ever maritime cybersecurity simulator and was instrumental in establishing the inaugural maritime sectoral CSIRT. Annually, in collaboration with the European Security and Defense College, he coordinates the BSCySeC#X conference series and the Cyber ETEE Summer School. Prof Raicu holds a master’s degree in maritime engineering and a doctoral degree in cybernetics. His work in the domains of cybersecurity early warning with applications in the energy industry, the protection of critical maritime infrastructures, and developing cybersecurity infrastructures and logistics has been influential. In addition to these responsibilities, he is the vice president of the Cybersecurity Cluster of Excellence (CYSCOE), an organization that brings together businesses, public authorities, and academia to promote cybersecurity’s development and societal integration. Furthermore, he maintains leadership roles in a range of national and international cybersecurity organizations.

Gian Luca Ricci is associated with Telsy S.p.A. He is a cybersecurity expert with a proven track record of protecting computer systems and networks from threats and vulnerabilities. He has a deep understanding of penetration testing techniques and security best practices, which he uses to help organizations protect themselves from cyber risks.

Throughout his career, Ricci has participated in several international cybersecurity exercises, including Locked Shields 23 and Crossed Swords 23. In these exercises, he had the opportunity to test his skills in a collaborative and competitive environment, alongside other cybersecurity experts from around the world.

Jim Richberg’s role as Fortinet’s Head of Cyber Policy and Global Field CISO leverages his nearly 40 years’ experience driving innovation in cybersecurity and threat intelligence. At Fortinet he focuses on helping governments improve their cybersecurity and leads industry collaboration with government on transitioning to ‘Secure by Design’ Information Technology. Prior to joining Fortinet, he served as the US National Intelligence Manager for Cyber under two Directors of National Intelligence, setting threat priorities and cyber intelligence strategy within the US Government. He also oversaw implementation of a multi-year Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative for Presidents Bush and Obama.

Anastasia Roberts is a qualified lawyer, with 26 years of legal practice. Following 20 years of Service with the British Army in the UK, Iraq, Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, Australia, Germany and most recently in Belgium with NATO, she is now an independent legal consultant. A specialist in operational law with significant experience in intelligence, cyber and strategic communications, she now focuses on legal training and exercise scripting and execution for military and civilian clients. Anastasia has a Masters in technology, media and communications law from Queen Mary University London and speaks French.

Taylor is the Director of Global Security Policy at Intel Corporation. At Intel, Taylor leads on cybersecurity policy engagements and works to help shape the cybersecurity policy ecosystem to both improve the global security practices and enable the execution of Intel product roadmaps. Prior to joining Intel, Taylor served as a Cybersecurity Advisor for the Office of Management and Budget, where her developed government-wide policies to oversee agency cybersecurity practices, and at the University of Oxford as a Senior Researcher for cyber capacity building. He received his Master’s in Pacific International Affairs from the University of California, San Diego and Bachelor’s from Trinity University.

Captain Roca was Head of the Information and Knowledge Management Section, in charge of leading the Digital Transformation of the Spanish Navy.
He was promoted to RA , when in November 2023, after more than 3 years as its 2nd Commander, he was appointed Commander of the Joint Cyberspace Command (MCCE), responsible for the direction, coordination, control and execution of actions leading to ensuring freedom of action of the Armed Forces in cyberspace. But prior to navigate into the cyberspace he navigated around the world aboard, sailing in different ships or flying the SH-60 helicopter for more than a decade.
General Staff course in CHILE, Master of International Security at the US Naval War College or International Capstone Course (ICC) for General Officers in FRANCE, are some of the different courses he had taken. Also he has been posted in ITALY at the headquarters of the NATO Naval Projection Force (STRIKFORNATO).
He also completed a Master’s degree in “Peace, Security and Defence” and he is a university expert in “Humanitarian Aid and Cooperation”.

Alex is pursuing a part-time PhD at the University of Adelaide, where his work focuses on applying Machine Learning to Automated Protocol Reverse Engineering. His other part-time role involves Cyber Security and Data Science research at Defence Science & Technology Group, Australia.

Elena Rückheim is a Project Officer at the Geneva-based Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD). As part of HD’s cyber mediation team, her work focuses on the promotion of dialogue and confidence-building measures regarding the use of information and communication technology. Before joining HD, she served as Deputy Head of Unit at the National IT Situation Centre of the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI). Prior to moving into operational IT security, she supported the drafting of national cybersecurity policies at the Federal Ministry of Defence.

John Schabedoth is a desk officer in the Coordination Staff for Cyber Foreign and Security Policy at the Federal Foreign Office. Before joining the Federal Foreign Office, he worked at the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action in the field of international investor-state dispute settlement

Emma Schroeder is an associate director with the Cyber Statecraft Initiative, within the Atlantic Council Tech Programs. Her focus in this role is on developing statecraft and strategy for cyberspace that is useful for both policymakers and practitioners. She works primarily on CSI’s Conflict, Tech, and Markets portfolio, which examines the role of cyber and cyber-enabled technology in conflict and its impact on states, non-state groups, and markets.

Tanel Sepp is the Ambassador at Large for Cyber Diplomacy since January 2022. He started his diplomatic career in 2003, has been posted to Luxembourg (2005), to Estonian Permanent Representation to the EU in Brussels (2006-2009), to Kabul (2009-2011), to Washington (2012-2015) as well as to Addis-Abeba (2020-2022). During the years in capital, Mr Sepp has dealt with the EU integration, European security policy and South-Asia matters. He was also seconded to the Ministry of Defence (2015-19) to deal with international partnerships at the Cyber Policy Department where he become the director of the department in 2019.  

Since 2020 Swedish Defence University Military Teacher focusing on Cyber Operations. Previously a former UK Royal Air Force Flight Operations Officer and as of 2011 a NATO staff member at Mons, Belgium. There he served as a NATO CD Rapid Reaction Team coordinator, Resolute Support Afghanistan Cyber Security Section Head and worked on cyber exercise planning and execution.

Dr Simona R. Soare specializes in defence innovation, the applications of emerging technologies in defence capabilities, software-defined defence, digital transformation of defence, and future of war. Simona is Professor of in Strategy and Technology in the Department for Politics, Philosophy and Religion at Lancaster University.

Prior Simona was research fellow for defence and military analysis with IISS, senior associate analyst for transatlantic defence and EU-NATO cooperation with the EUISS, senior security and defence advisor to the Vice-President of the European Parliament and defence analyst with the Ministry of Defence. Simona holds a PhD in International Security (2011), and she is a US Department of State Fellow and a Denton Fellow.

Among Simona’s latest publications are Simona R. Soare, Software-Defined Defence: Algorithms at war(IISS, London, February 2023); Simona R. Soare, Digitalisation of Defence in NATO and the EU: Making European Defence Fit for the Digital Age (IISS, London, August 2023);Simona R. Soare and Fabrice Pothier, Leading edge: Key drivers of defence innovation and the future of operational advantage(IISS, London, November 2021); Simona R. Soare, J. Burton, and R. Steff (eds), Emerging technologies and international security: the man, machines, and war (London, Routledge, December 2020); Simona R. Soare, European Military AI: Why Regional Approaches are Lagging Behind (Routledge, London, March 2023); Simona R. Soare, Algorithmic power? The role of artificial intelligence in European strategic autonomy (Routledge, London, May 2023); and Simona R. Soare (ed), Turning the Tide: How to rescue transatlantic relations (EUISS, Paris, October 2020).

Florian Skopik leads the cyber security research program at the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology. In this role, he and his team oversee and contribute to large-scale European research projects focused on infrastructure protection and national cyber security. Building on extensive collaborations with national authorities and CERTs, they have recently expanded their research activities into the defense sector. They are actively involved in projects funded by the European Defence Fund (EDF), such as AInception, EUCINF, NEWSROOM, FEDERATES, and FACT. As a seasoned researcher, Florian has authored over 125 scientific conference papers and journal articles, along with several academic books covering a diverse range of security topics. He serves on various academic conference program committees, including ACM SAC, ARES, CRITIS, and EICC. Florian also contributes to editorial boards, such as IEEE Transactions on Dependable and Secure Computing, and participates in standardization groups such as ETSI TC Cyber, IFIP TC11 WG1, and OASIS CTI. He is a regular reviewer for esteemed journals, including Elsevier’s Computers & Security and ACM Computing Surveys (CSUR). Beyond his academic pursuits, Florian is an ISO27001 Lead Auditor and a subject matter expert in network and information security (NIS). He is designated as an auditor for operators of essential services and frequently serves as an examiner of critical IT infrastructures. As a court-certified expert, Florian provides advisory opinions on legal matters pertaining to IT security and data security in court. Florian thrives on challenges and actively participates in Capture-the-Flag competitions and hackathons. He holds approximately 50 industry-recognized security certifications from ISC2, ISACA, SANS/GIAC, and various vendors. Florian is a Senior Member of the IEEE, a Senior Member of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), a Member of (ISC)2, a Member of ISACA, and a Member of the International Society of Automation (ISA).

Max Smeets is a Senior Researcher at the Center for Security Studies (CSS) at ETH Zurich and Co-Director of the European Cyber Conflict Research Initiative and European Cyber Conflict Research Incubator. He is the author of ‘No Shortcuts: Why States Struggle to Develop a Military Cyber- Force’ (Oxford University Press & Hurst Publishers, 2022) and co-editor of ‘Deter, Disrupt or Deceive? Assessing Cyber Conflict as an Intelligence Contest’ (Georgetown University Press, 2023) and ‘Cyberspace and Instability’ (Edinburgh University Press, 2023). Max is an affiliate at Stanford University’s Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC) and an associate fellow at Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). He also lectures on cyber warfare and defense as part of the Senior Officer course at the NATO Defense College in Rome. He recently co-founded Binding Hook, a new media outlet on technology and security part of ECCRI. He was previously a postdoctoral fellow and lecturer at Stanford University CISAC and a College Lecturer at Keble College, University of Oxford. He has also held research and fellowship positions at New America, Columbia University SIPA, Sciences Po CERI, and NATO CCD COE. Before his academic career, Max worked in finance in London and Amsterdam. Max received a BA in Economics, Politics and Statistics summa cum laude from University College Roosevelt, Utrecht University and an MPhil (Brasenose College) and DPhil (St. John’s College) in International Relations from the University of Oxford.

Abby is a Threat Intelligence Analyst in Microsoft’s Threat Intelligence Centre (MSTIC) where she works on identifying and tracking threat actors and delivering actionable intelligence to protect customers. Prior to Microsoft, Abby previously worked in threat intelligence and research roles within UK government.

James Sullivan is the Director of Cyber Research at RUSI. He founded and has grown a research group at RUSI that explores critical cyber public policy issues. Research themes include: the role of national cyber strategies, the cyber threat landscape, cyber security and resilience, cyber risk management, offensive cyber, cyber statecraft and diplomacy, and ransomware. James has contributed to a variety of publications and media outlets such as the FT, BBC and CNN and has provided insights on aspects of the cyber threat to high-level fora such as the G7, the World Economic Forum and the White House’s International Counter Ransomware Initiative.

Scott Sullivan is a Professor at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point with appointments in the Army Cyber Institute and Department of Law. Professor Sullivan’s research focuses on the intersection of emerging technology and cybersecurity with international and U.S. national security law. Currently, he is a co-principal investigator on a $1.5 million cybersecurity grant awarded by the U.S. National Security Agency, and the European Commission has also funded his research. He has held an endowed professorship at Louisiana State University, been on the faculty at the University of Texas, and received a Fulbright Fellowship to research at the European University Institute.

Counselor for cyber security policies at the polish Ministry of Digital Affairs. Lawyer and graduate of the National School of Public Administration.

Erick is responsible for analyzing emerging threats facing public and private sectors. Assisting organisations along their security journey to a point where they feel secure in knowing they are doing their best. Initiating and assisting public and private sector collaborations.
Erick started his career within the US military and then moved into the burgeoning field of cyber investigations. He has led multiple military / governmental security and computer forensic teams. Additionally, he has collaborated across multiple governmental and non-governmental entities mentoring, collaborating, and building security teams. Some of the projects he lead and contributed include identifying insider threats based on digital artefacts; countering smuggling efforts in Africa; countering human trafficking in Africa; bringing effective discussions surrounding the impact of digital intrusions into military decision making processes.

Amb. Heli Tiirmaa-Klaar is the Chair of the Steering Group of the UDCG IT Coalition at the Estonian Ministry of Defence. Previously, she was the Director of Digital Society Institute at the European School of Management and Technology in Berlin. In 2018-2021, she was serving as Ambassador for Cyber Diplomacy and Director General for the Cyber Diplomacy Department at the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where she led the Estonian efforts to promote norms of responsible state behavior in cyberspace at the United Nations Security Council. Up to Fall 2018, she was working as a Head of Cyber Policy Coordination at the European External Action Service where she steered and coordinated EU external relations on cyber issues and co-led preparations of European Cyber Security Strategies since 2012. She set up EU strategic cyber dialogues with the US, India, Brazil, Japan, South Korea as well as other international organisations. She also kicked off EU global cyber capacity building programs and steered the development of the EU Cyber Diplomacy Toolbox to bolster EU response to malicious cyber activities. In 2011, she was assigned to the NATO International Staff to prepare the NATO Cyber Defence Policy. She has been working on cyber security since 2007 when she led the development of the Estonian Cyber Security Strategy. In 2008-2010 she coordinated the implementation of the Estonian strategy, managed the National Cyber Security Council and led the establishment  of Estonia’s national cyber resilience structures as well as built public-private partnerships for cyber security. In her earlier career, she held various managerial positions at the Estonian Ministry of Defence and the Tallinn University since 1995. She was a Fulbright Scholar at the George Washington University and has published in several academic journals throughout her career.

Geirr Andrew Trotter is currently the Chief Operations Officer at the Norwegian National Cybersecurity Centre. He served in the Norwegian Army from 2001 to 2021, moving into the field of cyber operations and cybersecurity the last few years of his military career. In his current position he leads the national efforts to manage cybersecurity incidents across private, public and military sectors, working closely with cyber security professionals, government officials and business leaders to ensure efficient and timely incident response, decision making and information sharing.

Jelizaveta Vakarjuk is a junior researcher in Cybernetica and industrial PhD student at Tallinn University of Technology. Her research focuses on post-quantum cryptography, privacy-preserving cryptography, and security of voting systems. Mainly she studies post-quantum digital signatures, but also focuses on the aspects of migration to post-quantum cryptography. 

Kerli Veski is the Director General of Legal Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia since 2015. She has BA in law from Tallinn Institute of Law and MA from Tallinn University of Technology, Law School. Ms Veski has also graduate diploma in international studies from Johns Hopkins University, Paul H. Nitze School for Advanced International Studies, Bologna Center. The areas of responsibility are public international law, Estonian law and EU law. International law in cyberspace and accountability for international crimes have been priorities over the last years and remain to be so also in the nearest future.

Lieutenant General Michael Vetter is the Director General for Cyber/IT and Chief Information Officer in the German Ministry of Defence in Berlin since April 2019. Lieutenant General Vetter joined the Luftwaffe as an officer cadet in 1982 and served as a Supply Officer and Squadron Commander in a Tactical Reconnaissance Wing. At staff level he served in various functions such as Assistant Chief of Staff Support in the Luftwaffe Air Transport Command and Branch Chief in the Luftwaffe Support Command. At MoD level he served as Assistant Branch Chief in the Air Staff, as Branch Chief Logistics Plans and Policy at the Joint Staff and as Assistant Chief of Staff for Support at the Joint Staff. From 2003 until 2005 he was the Military Assistant to the Chief of the Air Staff. Lieutenant General Vetter commanded Luftwaffe Maintenance Regiment 2 in Diepholz from 2005 until 2007 and became the Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff Bundeswehr Logistics Centre in 2009. From May 2013 until December 2013 he served as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Support in ISAF Regional Command North, Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan. From 2012 until 2017 he commanded the Bundeswehr Logistics Centre located in Wilhelmshaven. In 2017 he became the first Vice Chief Bundeswehr Cyber and Information Domain Service (CIDS) and the Chief of Staff CIDS Headquarters. Lieutenant General Vetter holds a Master’s Degree in Economics from the Bundeswehr University Munich. He attended the German General Staff Officers Course at the Federal Armed Forces Command and General Staff Academy in Hamburg. He is a member of the Royal College of Defence Studies in London and a graduate from the Defence Resources Management Institute/United States Navy Postgraduate School in Monterey/California. Lieutenant General Vetter is married to Yasmin. They have six children.

Mauro has 20 years of experience in several cyber security and cyber threat intelligence positions, he analysed cyber security issues from several angles. Since two years he joined the ICRC, focusing on aspects such as the militarization of the digital domain, the cyber cognitive warfare, the role of digital technologies in the total defense approach, assessing risks and impacts on civilians, critical civilian infrastructure and the society as a whole.

Paul Vixie serves as VP, Distinguished Engineer, and Deputy CISO at AWS Security. His previous career included 29 years as founder and CEO of five startup companies covering the fields of DNS, anti-spam, Internet exchange, Internet carriage and hosting, and Internet security. Vixie earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science from Keio University in 2011 and was inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame in 2014.

Wayne (Wei-Che) Wang is a researcher at the National Institute for Cybersecurity (NICS), a key cybersecurity think tank in Taiwan. Mr. Wang possesses a multidisciplinary background in both Information Engineering and Law from National Taiwan University. At NICS, he analyzes cybersecurity issues related to emerging technologies and international policy and legislation. His work enables him to provide policy recommendations on a variety of issues, enhancing the institute’s role in shaping national and international cybersecurity strategies.

Bruce is Chief Advisor (Technical) at the Non-profit NGO National Security Centre-of-Excellence (Canada) and a Global Commissioner on Responsible AI in the Military Domain (GC-REAIM). Additionally, he is chief scientist and advisor to IP Blox, Impendo, and several other companies – specializing in explainable AI, post-quantum cryptography, secure supply chains, and cybersecurity. He worked on compilers and programming languages (e.g., for Microsoft), followed by engineering and architecture work on pattern recognition for security (e.g., for Cisco), and optimization of chip designs (e.g., for ASML). Watson has been a presenter, participant and reviewer at several CyCons, including moderating various AI and Quantum Computing panels. Watson’s first Ph.D is in computing science and engineering from Eindhoven, after studying discrete mathematics and computer science in Waterloo (Canada). He later returned to Eindhoven as chair of Software Construction. Watson’s second Ph.D is from the University of Pretoria. He has published more than 100 papers and graduates several dozen Masters and Ph.D students, most of them cum laude.

David van Weel is NATO’s Assistant Secretary General for Innovation, Hybrid, and Cyber. In this capacity, he is the Secretary General’s primary advisor on maintaining NATO’s innovative edge, and on all issues relating to technological challenges, Cyber defence and Hybrid threats and their far-reaching implications for Alliance security. He is also the Secretary General’s Liaison Officer for the Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) and acts as NATO’s observer to the board of the NATO Innovation Fund (NIF).

Richard is a reverse engineer in Mandiant’s FLARE team where he focuses on analysing malicious binaries, researching and implementing modern methods of malware analysis, which he then teaches to future malware analysts. He also supports Malpedia (Fraunhofer FKIE) with its mission ‘to provide a resource for rapid identification and actionable context when investigating malware’ and a student association at the Technical University Ingolstadt of Applied Sciences as a voluntary lecturer for reverse engineering. Richard will also instruct and support ‘Team Europe’ for the next ‘International Cybersecurity Challenge’.

Commander Michael Widmann graduated the US Naval Academy with a BS in economics. He completed two tours in Japan before attending Naval Postgraduate School and earning a MS in Space Systems Operations. Navy tours include: Information Assurance Officer for Strike Force Training Atlantic; Officer in Charge of Afghan National Security Forces Networks and Radios; Assistant Operations Officer at NCTAMS LANT; staff officer at the NATO C2 COE; and Service Chiefs representative at DARPA. He led the Strategy Branch at the Cooperative Cyber Defense Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE) where he was honored with the title of NATO CCDCOE Ambassador. Currently, he is the Cyber Operations Branch Chief at NATO’s Maritime Command.

Ingrid Winther is a former special envoy for Norway at CCDCOE and a CyCon veteran. Her field is cyber defence strategy  and threats in the cyber domain. She’s a King’s College London Alumni and currently serves in the Norwegian Armed Forces.

Taylor Kate Woodcock LL.M. is a PhD researcher in public international law at the University of Amsterdam and TMC Asser Instituut. Taylor’s research examines the implications of the development and use of military applications of artificial intelligence (AI) for international law, with a specific emphasis on International Humanitarian Law. She takes a practice-oriented approach to exploring the relation between international law and human agency, considering how the interaction between data-driven algorithms and military practitioners impacts this relationship. This PhD project is part of the research project Designing International Law and Ethics into Military Artificial Intelligence (DILEMA), funded by NWO–MVI Programme on Responsible Innovation (2020–2024). Taylor has research experience in various fields of international law, including international humanitarian law, international human rights law, international criminal law, and international arms control and disarmament law.

Robert Wortmann is an experienced expert in analyzing and planning complex Cyber Defense architectures and technologies. At Trend Micro DACH he is responsible for Cyber Defense architectures with a special focus on advanced Detection and Response as well as analyzing the current threat landscape.

Dr Yukai Zeng is a Senior Expert at the NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence, specialising in the application of data science to strategic communications. His expertise leverages a data-driven analytical approach to understand and mitigate the challenges posed by disinformation and misinformation. With over a decade of research experience, Yukai aims to develop insights that inform strategic communication policies and support the planning and execution of impactful communications campaigns. He holds a Ph.D. in Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, USA.