Challenges in the field of cyber security were the topic of a scientific conference in Brno

The current international situation, also in connection with the war in Ukraine, brings more frequent and complex cyberattacks, which can have a greater impact on the everyday life of people and the functioning of the state. Therefore, more than a hundred Czech and international experts, representatives of the security forces, and other state institutions and commercial companies at the conference devoted themselves to topics such as cybercrime, safe artificial intelligence, protection of critical state infrastructures, education and prevention in cyber security, modern cryptography, the creation of an international quantum network and image processing.

"We are witnessing a time in which cyberattacks are a significant risk with an increasingly serious impact on the operation of public institutions and businesses. They can paralyze the critical infrastructure of the state and thus the entire society. Unfortunately, they are also becoming a serious military threat and an effective weapon. For this reason, we at the Brno University of Technology have long been engaged in research in the field of cyber security in order to effectively prevent such risks," said the Rector of Brno University of Technology, Ladislav Janíček. On the occasion of the conference, the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Communication of the BUT announced the launch of the first inter-faculty quantum link in the Czech Republic, which represents a significant generational leap in the field of cybersecurity.

The conference also introduced the concept of the National Cybersecurity Research and Development Plan, focused on new opportunities to support cybersecurity research at the Czech and European level, especially in terms of technological trends, application of results in practice, and tools to support security programmes at the national level.

"Cybersecurity is one of the few disciplines in which the Czech Republic really excels in Europe. This is mainly thanks to the well-functioning cooperation between the state and universities. Masaryk University was there when a special law was adopted as the first in Europe, participated in the creation of the National Cyber Security Centre and over time built a complex multidisciplinary research and innovation ecosystem in Brno, which, in addition to the security forces, also includes domestic and foreign companies. We are glad that we could show at this conference that we are not only a solid partner but also a reliable support for other European nations in this area," concluded Radim Polčák, MU Vice-Rector for Development, Legislation and Information Technology.

The three-day event was held at several faculties of Masaryk University and Brno University of Technology under the auspices of the City of Brno. The partners of the conference were the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic and the National Office for Cyber and Information Security.