At the end of March 2024, security leaders joined forces in Noordwijk, Netherlands, to confront pivotal security challenges at the GDS Security Insight Summit EU.
Hosted by GDS Group’s Alex Wood, CISOs and security experts took to the GDS stage to exchange insights and deliberate on pressing issues—ranging from harnessing AI to combatting talent shortages.
One thing is for sure, amidst geopolitical tensions and rapid technological shifts, the role of the CISO is integral to strategic leadership.
But what other learnings were gathered from the summit?
Who are our attendees?
A total of 67 attendees, from 59 unique brands joined the GDS Security Insight Summit, compromising of leading professionals in the security domain, including CISOs, VPs of Security, and Directors of Threat Prevention.
Collectively, these security professionals wielded an average budget of €5 million, with the average project spend hovering around €1.6 million. Noteworthy, project spending focuses included adaptive security, behavior analytics, and malware/ransomware prevention.
What are security leaders prioritizing?
The summit unveiled three key takeaways for security leaders.
1. Cybersecurity challenges and the AI readiness
Insights shared by cybersecurity experts highlighted the importance of AI readiness in mitigating threats and navigating the complexities of modern digital security. Dirk-Jan van Helmond, Director of Solutions Engineering EMEA at Cloudflare shared this insight in his keynote session:
“Criminals only have to get it right one time. We have to get it right every time. And AI isn’t right every time.”
2. Understanding cybercriminal psychology
A standout session featured a captivating keynote by Dr. Roger Miles, Human Behavior Analyst, delving into the psyche of cybercriminals and their modus operandi. Dr. Miles provided attendees with profound insights into cyber threat dynamics, emphasizing the necessity of proactive security measures. Jukka Silomaa, Head of Governance, Risk & Compliance, TomTom, highlighted key points from Dr Miles’ keynote for security leaders to take back to their wider teams:
“- The real risks: un-evolved people and culture
– Let’s meet the bad actors
– What works better: actions now.”
3. Impact of cybersecurity on emotional health
A final key takeaway concluded from the summit surrounded the impact of cybersecurity challenges on the emotional wellbeing of security leaders. Anecdotes shared by CISOs during the summit underscored the tangible real-life toll of cybersecurity issues, including stress-induced health challenges. This underscores the urgency for organizations to prioritize employee well-being and develop comprehensive strategies to address burnout and mental health concerns among security teams and their leaders.
Highlights from our attendees
Summit attendees took to LinkedIn to share their highlights from the two-day event. Masood Alam, Head of Data Architecture for The Scottish Government, highlighted the focus on Zero Trust in his post:
“There was a wealth of valuable insights shared, with a notable focus on Zero Trust environments and their forthcoming impact. The summit featured excellent presentations and engaging discussions on topics ranging from data security to safeguarding infrastructure.”
While Nnamdi O, Information Security Officer Uk & Nordic Regions, Bilfinger, listed the key areas that he discussed with his security peers over the course of the event, following the summit’s opening keynote:
“Discussions from the opening keynote: Navigating the Intersection of Technology & Privacy, human approach to countering cyber risks, defending against 3rd party risks, safeguarding national interests in a cyber threat landscape, ZERO trust, cybersecurity leaders suffering burnout as the pressure of the jobs intensifies. This facilitated thought-provoking and interactive interactions with fellow outstanding security professionals.”
So, what’s next for security leaders?
After dissecting the summit’s insights and discussions, here are our top 3 predictions for the future of security:
1. Increased focus on emotional health support
Organizations will prioritize fostering an empowered workforce and leadership culture to bolster security leaders as they navigate the intricacies of emerging technologies like AI.
2. Challenges and opportunities in AI adoption
The adoption of AI will unlock new possibilities for security leaders, necessitating grappling with legal frameworks, ensuring ethical compliance, and addressing data science biases.
3. Zero Trust security evolution
The journey towards Zero Trust will persist in its evolution, prompting organizations to refine their strategies to counter evolving cybersecurity threats, as they recognize the pivotal role of Zero Trust in mitigating risks and enhancing security maturity.
Eager for more insights from industry-leading security executives?
Explore the comprehensive selection of thought-provoking insights—ranging from an event experience summary, featuring project focus areas and associated spend, to top insights and quotes from senior executives—in the GDS Beyond the Summit Report: Security Edition.
