Balkansecure 2.0

Today marks the start of the 2-day BalkanSecure 2.0 conference, an event that is fast becoming a cornerstone in efforts to improve cyber security across the Western Balkans. Organized this year in Albania, in the premises of the Innovation, Security and Defense Center, BalkanSecure 2.0 is based on the success of last year's first edition of this event, which was held in Pristina. This initiative is jointly organized by the Sense Cyber ​​Research Center, Chevening Alumni Kosovo, and the Security and Defense Innovation Centre, with support from the Chevening Alumni Program and the United Kingdom's Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

BalkanSecure was created to strengthen the regional community of cyber security professionals and foster cross-border cooperation. With cyber threats increasing in scale and sophistication, the goal is to ensure that incident response capabilities across the region are of the same height, coordinated and shared. This year's theme, "Improving Cyber ​​Incident Response Capabilities in the Western Balkans", reflects the urgency to improve our preparedness to face the complex cyber security challenges we face today. Representatives from CERT/CSIRTs (Cyber ​​Incident Monitoring and Response Teams) across the region, as well as Chevening Western Balkans Cyber ​​Security Fellows, will engage over the next two days in panel discussions, technical workshops and real crisis simulations. These activities are designed to share best practices, strengthen collaboration and ensure we are prepared for any potential cyber threat.

The Chevening Western Balkans Cybersecurity Fellowship program started in 2019 and currently counts more than 10 experts from Albania and over 60 experts from the Western Balkans. Participants include administration workers, cyber security experts, academics and representatives from the public and private sectors. Their shared expertise and knowledge will help shape the future of our region's cyber security framework, ensuring it is resilient and fit for tomorrow's challenges.

As cyber threats become increasingly sophisticated, our region must cooperate more closely than ever before. We believe that collaborations such as today's between the Innovation, Security and Defense Center, Sense Cyber ​​Research Center, Chevening Alumni, and FCDO, bringing together some of the brightest minds in the field will enable the achievement of that ultimate goal, of a safer and more stable Western Balkans.