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2025 Agenda

8:55am

WELCOME

Shay Cloherty
Director of Revenue, Experiences & Reader Revenues, Business Post

MORNING SESSION

9:00am

OPENING REMARKS FROM THE CHAIR

Elaine Burke
Sci-tech Journalist, Editor & Broadcaster
9:05am

MINISTER ADDRESS

Emer Higgins
Minister of State, Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform
9:20am

KEYNOTE PRESENTATION:

AI is forging the next cyber shockwave. Is your organisation ready?

Puneet Kukreja
Partner, Head of Cyber UK & Ireland, EY
9:40am

PANEL DISCUSSION:

Cyber Resilience in Europe: Governing Trust in a Zero Trust World

Europe is setting a global benchmark for digital regulation through the DORA, NIS2, EU AI Act and the Cyber Resilience Act. These new rules place cybersecurity, accountability, and transparency at the core of how organisations design and use technology… and AI. This panel will explore the governance challenges and opportunities posed by these frameworks, and how businesses can remain both compliant and resilient in a highly regulated industry.

Discussion Points:

  • What the EU AI Act and Cyber Resilience Act mean for cybersecurity strategy and product design
  • What is the impact of DORA and NIS2 on business and how to avoid the high cost of non-compliance.
  • Practical steps to adopt business transformation and stay in line with EU regulations
  • Balancing innovation, usability, and security in compliance efforts
  • Managing overlapping regulatory obligations across security, AI, and data protection
Andrzej Kawalec
Head of Security Portfolio, Vodafone Business
Francisco Matos
Associate General Counsel, Cybersecurity Law, Meta
Adrian Clarke
Data Security Specialist, Thales Cyber Security Products (CSP)
Liana Anca Tomescu
Founder, SonnyLabs.ai
10:10am

SPOTLIGHT SESSION:

AI and Identity: Modern Threats and Defences

AI-driven ID&V attacks are on track to cost the global economy $40 billion in 2027.  This presentation gives a whistle-stop tour of the latest threats and tools used in spoofing Identity Verification.  It covers the defences necessary to prevent the success of those fraud attempts.  We use video demonstrations on how to fake documents, faces, beat liveness tests and more.

Rob O’Farrell
Chief Technology Officer and co-founder, ID-Pal
10:20am

PANEL DISCUSSION:

Identity Theft in the Digital Age: Lessons from the recent retail Cyber Hacks 

The recent retail cyber attacks, where a failure in two-factor authentication (2FA) led to the theft of sensitive customer data, underscores the vulnerabilities in authentication systems. This panel will examine how weaknesses in 2FA can be exploited for identity theft and explore strategies for improving cybersecurity to prevent such breaches.

  • The evolving risks of identity theft and the limitations of traditional two-factor authentication
  • Securing authentication mechanisms across mobile, web, and third-party services
  • The role of adaptive authentication as the future of secure identity verification
  • Legal and regulatory implications for UK businesses following identity theft incidents
Louise Mahon
Security Services Lead, CIE (Córas Iompair Éireann)
Chris Donnelly
CIO, BWG Foods UC
Michael (Jock) Mullen
Detective Superintendent, Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau
Rob O’Farrell
Chief Technology Officer and co-founder, ID-Pal
11:00am

11.00am - 11.30am:

Networking Coffee Break & Exhibition Viewing

STREAM 1: The Human Firewall: Strengthening the Weakest Link in Cyber Defence

11:30am

OPENING REMARKS FROM STREAM CHAIR

Dr Nicola Fox Hamilton
Cyberpsychology Lecturer and Researcher
11:35am

PRESENTATION

The Cyberpsychology of Cybersecurity: Understanding Human Risk

What really happens when people are under pressure and how do scammers manipulate us into feeling that way? This session explores the fascinating world of human behavior in crisis situations… from split-second decisions to emotional responses and cognitive blind spots. Drawing on behavioral science, cyberpsychology and how this applies to your staff and cybersecurity, we will examine how people respond when stakes are high, and how this understanding can be used to shape better systems, teams, and outcomes.

· What happens to human cognition and decision-making under stress, uncertainty, or fear?

· How do cognitive biases and decision-making patterns contribute to cybersecurity vulnerabilities?

· How can behavioural science be applied to predict, influence, and reduce risky user behaviour?

· How can you create a culture of cyber security that will help to protect your organisation?​

Dr Nicola Fox Hamilton
Cyberpsychology Lecturer and Researcher
11:50am

KEYNOTE:

Simplifying Cybersecurity

As cybersecurity has grown more complex with escalating threats and consequences, revisiting the fundamentals takes extra importance. Learn how to cut through the noise to what matters most for practical and effective security. We’ll explore simple things you can do to stop cyberattacks so you can better protect your organization today.

Eoin McGrath
Solutions Engineering for Threatlocker EMEA
12:05pm

PANEL DISCUSSION:

Elevating AI Education Across the Business 

With AI playing an increasingly central role in both cyberattacks and defence mechanisms, educating staff on AI-driven cyber threats is vital to protecting the business. This panel will explore how organisations can equip their workforce with the knowledge and skills needed to identify, prevent, and respond to AI-powered attacks. 

  • Understanding the impact of AI on modern cyberattacks and how it enhances threat sophistication
  • Assessing the current level of AI awareness and security skills within the organisation
  • The role of leadership in promoting AI literacy and building a security-conscious culture
  • Effective strategies for educating non-technical staff on AI-driven cyber threats and detection techniques.
  • Preparing the business for future AI threats: Creating a culture of continuous learning and adaptation
Joy Emedom
Senior Security Consultant, Cyber for School Girls
Kevin Curran
Professor of Cyber Security, Ulster University
Jimmy Hennessy
Head of Data Science & AI, ACI Worldwide
Jennifer Scott
Head of Cyber Operations and Delivery, TCS Global Delivery Centre
12:45pm

CASE STUDY

Cybersecurity Trends and predictions: research from Arctic Wolf labs and the current threats and decisions leaders should be aware of

How do you lead when every second counts? This session reveals the inside story of managing a cyber attack in real time. From chaos to containment and the hard-earned lessons in resilience and recovery.

David Bradley
Senior Systems Engineer, Arctic Wolf

STREAM 2: Beyond Compliance: Building Resilient Organisations in a Regulated World

11:30am

OPENING REMARKS FROM STREAM CHAIR 

Elaine Burke
Sci-tech Journalist, Editor & Broadcaster
11:35am

PANEL DISCUSSION -

EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) and the Impact in the SME sector

How will the EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) impact Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) that manufacture or distribute digital products? CRA mandates that these products meet specific cybersecurity requirements throughout their lifecycle, from design to end-of-life. While aiming to enhance digital product security, the CRA poses compliance challenges for SMEs due to its broad scope and technical requirements. Our panel will discuss these challenges and the potential impact within the SME Sector, along with providing information on how companies can prepare for the act.

Neha Agrawal
Director of Cybersecurity, EY Ireland
Gerard P. Craughwell
Independent Senator, Seanad Éireann
Patricia Shields
CEO & Co Founder, Cyber Cert Labs
Gary Melvin
Head of Security & Compliance, Nostra
12:10pm

SPOTLIGHT SESSION:

Global Risks, AI, and the Future of Identity Management

In a world defined by escalating cyber threats and shifting geopolitical tensions, security leaders face a growing challenge: identifying who the real players are in today’s risk landscape—and how to stay ahead of them. At the same time, advances in artificial intelligence and the critical role of identity management are reshaping the way organizations defend against threats across all industries.

Richard Cassidy
CISO Rubrik EMEA
12:25pm

PANEL DISCUSSION:

Resilience by Design: Embedding Security into the Fabric of the Organisation

As cyber threats grow in complexity and frequency, it is no longer enough to treat security as an add-on. How can organisations can build resilience from the outset by integrating security into their core structures, processes, and technologies, ensuring they remain adaptive in the face of evolving risks, AI-driven threats, and heightened regulatory pressures?   

  • Zero trust in practice: Building adaptive security architectures
  • Preparing for AI-driven threats
Jan Carroll
Founder, Fortify Institute
Mark Ryan
Head of IT, Cityjet DAC
Joe Carlyle
Director of Consultancy and Technology, eir evo
1:00pm

1.00pm - 2.00pm:

Networking Lunch Break & Exhibition Viewing

MAIN STAGE: Future Tech Beyond the Horizon

2:00pm

WELCOME BACK

Elaine Burke
Sci-tech Journalist, Editor & Broadcaster
2:05pm

PRESENTATION:

From ChatGPT to Deepseek & Beyond – Protecting Data for the Next AI Boom

Rich Beckett
Solutions & Strategy Office, Netskope
2:20pm

PANEL DISCUSSION:

Are Cyber Threats Getting Smarter? Exploring AI-Driven Attacks and Defences

As cyber threats evolve, so too does the role of artificial intelligence in shaping them. AI is increasingly being used to power more adaptive, stealthy, and unpredictable attack techniques. This panel will delve into how AI is transforming the threat landscape and examine the advanced solutions being developed to stay ahead of these intelligent threats.

Discussion topics include:

  • How AI is enabling more sophisticated and evasive cyber attack strategies
  • Detecting and responding to AI-powered threats: Current challenges and solutions
  • Predictive threat intelligence: How AI can help foresee and prevent future attacks
  • Ethical considerations in the use of AI for both cyber offense and defense
Casper de Groot
Program Director for Change and Transformation, ARevolution
Adnan Ahmed
Head of ICT and Chief Information Security Officer, Ornua
Niamh Vianney Muldoon
EMEA Chief Information Security Officer & Innovation Lead, BNY
Darren Naidu
Channel Manager, Object First
3:00pm

PANEL DISCUSSION:

What Did You Tell AI?! Preventing Sensitive Data from Becoming Public Prompt Fuel

AI tools like ChatGPT have become embedded in daily workflows in many businesses. While they can offer immense productivity gains, they also introduce serious cybersecurity risks: employees are pasting sensitive legal documents, IP, and strategic plans into AI models… often without company oversight! As generative AI systems may learn from inputs, companies face two urgent challenges: preventing confidential data from being exposed or retained, and ensuring their competitive intelligence isn’t resurfaced in someone else’s prompt. This panel dives into how cybersecurity leaders can get ahead of “Shadow AI” use before it becomes a data breach vector.

  • How does unmanaged AI use put sensitive data at risk?
  • How do private inputs influence public AI outputs?
  • Containing the risk: Deploying private, secure enterprise AI environments
  • Establishing Enforceable AI Usage Policies
Iain Heap
Chief Information Officer, Kainos
Dr Valerie Lyons
Industry Board Member, CeADAR
Ngan Pham
AI & Data, Driving Responsible Innovation, Women in AI
3:35pm

CLOSING REMARKS

3:40pm

CONFERENCE ENDS

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