European and German IT security experts met on September 26 for the “Berlin IT Security Conference”. EIT ICT Labs hosted the fourth edition of the conference. The speakers and 90 guests discussed about “Security in the Transition of Technology and Markets”.
Digitalization does not stop at national borders
The key speakers Peter Schaar, Head of EAID, Dr. Markus Dürig, Head of the Department for IT and Cyber Security of the Federal Ministry of the Interior, and Dr. Christian Ehler, MEP, provided valuable insights on the status of data protection and security in Germany and the European Union. Dr. Dürig pointed out that the discussion about IT security often collides with values of freedom, independence and creativity. Thus it needs strong arguments to initiate regulations or restrictions. Dr. Ehler pointed out that the digital sphere does not stop at national borders. Data security measures for European citizens and companies can only be successful if they can rely on Europe-wide laws and regulations.
IT Security demands more attention in all areas of business and society
In the afternoon six presentations were held by IT security professionals and experts. Prof. Claudia Eckert (Fraunhofer Institute) lectured on how to safely shape digitalization with the help of cyber-physical systems. Dr. Jan Pelzl (Escrypt) showed how volatile the internet of things really is by revealing the weak points of medical devices, cars, or heating systems. Bernd Kowalski from the Federal Office for Security in Information Technology talked about the growing importance of IT Security Certificates as society and industry have to depend more and more on the integrity and stability of IT systems. In his view only certified IT products can provide them.
Prof. Joachim Posegga (Passau University) discussed the current security challenges of air traffic communication. His conclusion was that air traffic communication control largely relies on outdated technology. Even in-flight entertainment is often more advanced that the communications systems for pilots. Dr. Kim Nguyen (D-Trust/Bundesdruckerei) indicated new directions for hardware-based authentication & identification with the so-called FIDO (Fast IDentity Online) systems. Dr. Friedrich Tönsing (T-Systems International) highlighted the necessary future requirements for a trustworthy digital identity.
For the fourth time, the conference displayed how important secure IT systems have become in our daily lives and how much we can and have to rely on them.
