Luxembourg Internet Days Back In Person; 1st Day Focuses on Network Resilience

After two digital editions, the Luxembourg Internet Days 2022 event kicked off in person at the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday morning.

Organised by LU-CIX ASBL, this two-day live event is expected to bring together about 1,000 information technology (IT), information and communications technology (ICT) and operational technology (OT) decision makers in Luxembourg to discuss ways to strive against increasing threats whilst effectively protecting their organisations.

Returning after two digital editions, this ninth edition kicked off with a panel discussion on Tuesday called "The Machine Stops - Threat Actors, Threat Vectors and Why We Do Not Learn the Lessons From the Past". Later in the morning, Claude Demuth delivered his first in-person Luxembourg Internet Days welcome address since taking over as Chairman of LU-CIX ASBL in June 2020. He thanked former Chairman Marco Houwen for his role in shaping LU-CIX throughout its first eleven years of existence. In addition to introducing this edition's main topics, namely network and operational technology security and resilience, and the fight against evolving (distributed) denial-of-service ((D)DoS) attacks, Mr Demuth welcomed this edition's partner country: the United States of America, i.e. the country where the Internet was born. He went on to thank several event partners and sponsors, particularly thanking Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel whose "continued support and vision have contributed to the success" of Luxembourg Internet Days.

Prime Minister Xavier Bettel welcomed this return to an in-person Luxembourg Internet Days and described the event as an opportunity to "reflect on how we got here". The Prime Minister recalled that digital connectivity had reduced the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on governance, social connections and education. He expressed pride over how Luxembourg navigated the pandemic and reiterated that this was a collective effort. Similarly, the war in Ukraine requires collective action and solidarity. He stressed that our digital infrastructure in Europe and Luxembourg are under constant threat from cyberattacks. Luxembourg Internet Days thus puts a spotlight on the relevant issue of network resilience. Luxembourg’s Prime Minister went on to emphasise the need for strong digital infrastructure capable of delivering both today’s needs and catering to future demand. He highlighted the importance of connecting the unconnected and ensuring people can afford digital connectivity – and presented some of the ways in which the Luxembourg Government has been working to achieve this. He thanked the LU-CIX team for their continued efforts and wished everyone present many fruitful discussions and exchanges. The Prime Minister concluded that everyone is a part of cybersecurity - a part of the problem but also a part of the solution.

The US Ambassador to Luxembourg, Thomas Barrett, reflected on just how rapidly cybersecurity has been evolving in recent years. And these changes are in response to real threats. He added that governments and the private sector must work together to thwart these attacks (cyber or otherwise). He addressed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has "challenged us all" both militarily and in the realm of cybersecurity. He went on to praise Luxembourg for its willingness to "pivot" and adapt over time: deciding to move from the steel industry to financial services and later to invest in satellites. He highlighted cybersecurity as another area in which Luxembourg could be at the forefront, moving forward in this area together with its partners and allies. He concluded with Luxembourg’s nation-branding motto: "Let’s make it happen".

In his address, Carlo Thelen, Director General of the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce, praised the Luxembourg Internet Days’ varied programme and its ability to bring together local and international experts in the field. He also thanked the Prime Minister for his commitment to economic promotion of Luxembourg. He went on to emphasise the importance of new partnerships, including those with US companies. On the subject of resilience, Carlo Thelen recalled the importance of digital tools, not least during the pandemic, describing them as playing a key role in ensuring a resilient future by tackling today’s challenges. He highlighted the role of Luxembourg in this area, which boasts several data centres and the MeluXina HPC supercomputer. Referring to COP27, he noted that ICT solutions can play a role in mitigating the climate crisis. He also highlighted the many digital education and awareness training programmes available in Luxembourg, as well as the fact that the Grand Duchy also actively participates in European and global initiatives, such as Gaia-X.

The opening morning continued with the following keynote speeches: "Cybersecurity – reasons for concern and optimism" by David Dab of Microsoft; "Anatomy of a real world attack" by Jean-Marie Bourbon of POST Luxembourg; "Protecting your networks and cloud applications from vulnerabilities of satellite-delivered timing" by Clive Wright and Kevin Grahnert of ADVA.

The Luxembourg Internet Days event is taking place on Tuesday 15 and Wednesday 16 November 2022. For the full programme and to register, visit https://www.luxembourg-internet-days.com/.