OSINT Playdate #4
2025-12-05 15:00 - 17:00 (Europe/Zurich) | Digital Society Initiative, Eventroom, Rämistrasse 69, Zürich, 8001, Schweiz
We’re introducing a series of OSINT playdates throughout the year. We will apply what we’ve learned and solve some puzzles together. The exercises will focus on solving, exchanging different approaches, techniques, and best practices, and of course, to meet likeminded OSINTers.

There will be easy to hard exercises, any level’s OSINTer is welcome!

The fourth playdate will be on the 5. December 2025, it will be for OSINT Switzerland members and CYREN ZH students and it will be possible to attend in person only.

If you would like to attend in person, we kindly ask you to register on OSINT Switzerland’s website:https://osintswitzerland.ch/events/

If for any reason you cannot attend anymore please let us know, since seats are limited!

The EU AI Act – Opportunities, Challenges and Perspectives
2025-11-20 18:00 - 19:00 | Rämistrasse 59, 8001 Zürich, Raum: RAA-G-01 (kleine Aula), Rämistrasse 59, Zürich, 8001
Is the EU AI Act a regulatory burden or a competitive advantage for Europe? And how does it affect Switzerland?

The EU AI Act is the world’s first comprehensive law on artificial intelligence — a bold attempt to turn Europe’s values into rules for the digital age. But beyond the legal text, what does it really mean for innovation, responsibility, and trust in AI? How will it shape the daily work of professionals in cybersecurity, governance, and technology — and what new opportunities might it unlock?Join us to explore what’s at stake as AI moves from experimentation to regulation.

We warmly invite you to an engaging panel discussion on the EU AI Act, exploring its opportunities, challenges, and implications for practice. Following the discussion, you’ll have the opportunity to learn more about the five co-hosting organizations and their work at the intersection of security, technology, governance, and society:

ISACA Switzerland Chapter

CYRENZH

DSI Community Cybersecurity

DSI Community AI Law

ETH Cyber Group

The evening will conclude with an apéro and networking session, offering space to continue the conversation in an informal setting, exchange ideas, and connect with peers from different disciplines.

Program

Welcome & Introduction

Panel Discussion: The EU AI Act – Opportunities, Challenges, and Perspectives

Apéro, Networking & chance to learn more about the co-hosting Organizations

🔒 Unlocking Insights 2025: Interdisciplinary Cybersecurity Lunch Talks Series 🔒
2025-11-13 12:00 - 13:00
This is an online event, no need to register!

At this cybersecurity talk on Zoom, Karim Khamaisi will share how people can stay connected when the mobile network fails. He will present a practical setup that combines a small radio network with an easy-to-use phone app, so neighbours and volunteers can coordinate even without an Internet connection.

In a crisis, you still need to message family, ask for help, and trust what you read. Field tests in Zürich showed working connections up to about 1.2 km, with 92% of messages delivered successfully. The app supports peer-to-peer messaging, simple identity checks, and community moderation.

The paper:https://arxiv.org/pdf/2509.22568

🚀 Join our quarterly lunch series where cybersecurity researchers converge to share, discuss, and refine their work. Explore interdisciplinary perspectives, present your projects, and foster connections in this collaborative environment. Elevate your understanding and help shape the future of cybersecurity.

Join us on Zoom: https://uzh.zoom.us/j/62539031345?pwd=[REDACTED]

Meeting-ID: 625 3903 1345Kenncode: 184540

OSINT Playdate #3
2025-10-24 15:00 - 17:00 | Digital Society Initiative, Eventroom, Rämistrasse 69, Zürich, 8001, Schweiz
We’re introducing a series of OSINT playdates throughout the year. We will apply what we’ve learned and solve some puzzles together. The exercises will focus on solving, exchanging different approaches, techniques, and best practices, and of course, to meet likeminded OSINTers.

There will be easy to hard exercises, any level’s OSINTer is welcome!

The second playdate will be on the 24. October 2025, it will be for OSINT Switzerland members and CYREN ZH students and it will be possible to attend in person only.

If you would like to attend in person, we kindly ask you to register on OSINT Switzerland’s website:https://osintswitzerland.ch/events/

If for any reason you cannot attend anymore please let us know, since seats are limited!

Hack the Box Meet Up Zurich @CYREN ZH
2025-10-23 18:00 - 22:00, 2025-07-10 18:00 - 22:00 | Digital Society Initiative, Eventroom, Rämistrasse 69, Zürich, 8001, Schweiz
We’re happy to host some of the Hack the Box Meet Ups Zurich! Read more, follow the group and register for the events here: https://www.meetup.com/hack-the-box-meetup-zurich-ch

Anyone who is interested in cybersecurity and penetration testing should join this group. The purpose of the meet up is to meet other infosec enthusiasts, discuss, exchange knowledge regarding cybersecurity, hack machines from Hack The Box dedicated to this gathering and enjoy.

OSINT Playdate #2
2025-07-04 15:00 - 17:00 | Digital Society Initiative, Eventroom, Rämistrasse 69, Zürich, 8001, Schweiz
We’re introducing a series of OSINT playdates throughout the year. We will apply what we’ve learned and solve some puzzles together. The exercises will focus on solving, exchanging different approaches, techniques, and best practices, and of course, to meet likeminded OSINTers.

There will be easy to hard exercises, any level’s OSINTer is welcome!

The second playdate will be on the 4. July 2025, it will be for OSINT Switzerland members and CYREN ZH students and it will be possible to attend in person only.

If you would like to attend in person, we kindly ask you to register on OSINT Switzerland’s website:https://osintswitzerland.ch/events/

If for any reason you cannot attend anymore please let us know, since seats are limited!

Workshop: Sovereignty 2.0: Legal and Strategic Dimensions of Digital Governance
2025-06-19 16:00 - 18:00 | Digital Society Initiative, Eventroom, Rämistrasse 69, Zürich, 8001, Schweiz
This workshop with Przemyslaw Roguski convenes policymakers, legal scholars, technologists, and industry leaders to dissect the multifaceted legal and geopolitical implications of digital sovereignty. The session will provide a structured yet fluid exploration of how Europe, the United States, China, and Russia are redefining state authority in the digital age, with particular emphasis on regulatory frameworks, strategic competition, and emerging governance dilemmas.

The workshop begins by mapping divergent facets of digital sovereignty debate, concentrating on four main points: cross-border offensive cyber operations, extraterritorial jurisdiction, cross-border data flows and technological decoupling. Participants will analyse and discuss policies and legislation of the four big actors addressing these four issues with the view of discerning trends, commonalities and divergences. The outcome of this part of the workshop should be a heightened understanding of the four main approaches: souveraineté à la Européenne (EU), sovereignty through market share (US), multipolar sovereignty (RU) and sovereignty within a “community of shared future” (CN).

Building on this comparative foundation, the workshop will next shifts focus to emergent challenges complicating traditional sovereignty paradigms and probe the compatibility of the divergent approaches in a world of escalating geopolitical tensions. Discussions will focus on matters such as the EU’s Cloud Certification scheme and its impact on cross-border data flows, or the feasibility of technological decoupling—evident in U.S. semiconductor export controls and China’s retaliatory AI investment surges—through the lens of international law and norms.

The workshop culminates in a forward-looking debate on Sovereignty 2.0 – a reconceptualization of state power that accounts for current and future disruptive digital technologies, and lessons which can and must be learned and implemented by States and companies wishing to navigate the new geopolitical reality, while remaining rooted in the rules-based international order.

Dr. Roguski is an assistant professor at the Jagiellonian University Chair for Public International Law and Principal Investigator at the “Sovereignty 2.0 – ‘digital sovereignty’ in light of public international law” project, which is financed with a grant from the Polish National Science Council (NCN). His research focuses on the law of peacetime cyber operations and different aspects of international law relating to cybersecurity, ICT and internet governance. Dr. Roguski holds law degrees from the University of Mainz (Germany), Trinity College Dublin (Ireland) and a PhD in international law from Jagiellonian University. He is a Senior Advisor at ICT4Peace Foundation.

Digital Sovereignty in a Fragmented World: Power, Control, and the Future of Global Order
2025-06-18 16:30 - 18:00 | Digital Society Initiative, Eventroom, Rämistrasse 69, Zürich, 8001, Schweiz
In this public lecture, Przemyslaw Roguski, assistant professor at the Jagiellonian University Chair for Public International Law, will explain how the digital revolution has reshaped how nations govern, compete, and interact with each other. It has also changed States’ abilities to exercise power – both regulatory and direct – without regard to distance and borders. For instance, the US passed legislation allowing it to compel cloud storage companies to hand over data stored anywhere in the world – irrespective of the citizenship of the data holder. China requires its companies to cooperate with the PLA and intelligence services in the use of any technical equipment, both at home and abroad. And Japan passed legislation allowing its police to remotely “disinfect” or even shut down servers located abroad, without the consent of the owner or the territorial State. What does this mean for us users, businesses, Swiss and Europeans?

This lecture explores the urgent global debate over digital sovereignty: the struggle by states to control data, technologies, and infrastructures within their borders. Drawing from a comparative analysis of Europe, the United States, China, and Russia, we examine how divergent visions of sovereignty are rewriting the rules of international law and geopolitics. From the TikTok ban to cross-border cyber operations, this talk will unpack the clash between democratic values, state control, and corporate power. We will confront critical questions: How do China’s “cyber sovereignty” policies and Russia’s “sovereign internet” model challenge Western ideals of an open internet? Can nations balance security and innovation without sacrificing civil liberties? Is a “Sovereignty 2.0” framework possible in an era of escalating U.S.-China rivalry? And how should small nations navigate their interests in this new digital economy.

Dr. Roguski is an assistant professor at the Jagiellonian University Chair for Public International Law and Principal Investigator at the “Sovereignty 2.0 – ‘digital sovereignty’ in light of public international law” project, which is financed with a grant from the Polish National Science Council (NCN). His research focuses on the law of peacetime cyber operations and different aspects of international law relating to cybersecurity, ICT and internet governance. Dr. Roguski holds law degrees from the University of Mainz (Germany), Trinity College Dublin (Ireland) and a PhD in international law from Jagiellonian University. He is a Senior Advisor at ICT4Peace Foundation.

Workshop "Mobilisierung von Pensionären: Das fehlende Stück zur Steigerung der digitalen Sicherheit"
2025-06-11 15:30 - 18:00 | Digital Society Initiative, Eventroom, Rämistrasse 69, Zürich, 8001, Schweiz
In der Schweiz gibt es viele Menschen, die die Schwierigkeiten haben, mit den digitalen Risiken umzugehen. Es fehlt ihnen die notwendige Unterstützung, um die damit verbundenen Risiken zu bewältigen.

Wer ist gefährdet?

Seniorinnen und Senioren, die mit gefälschten Support-Anrufen, Liebesbetrug oder Online-Betrug konfrontiert werden.

Junge Menschen, die sich mit Grooming, Sextortion oder fingierten Jobangeboten auseinandersetzen müssen.

Kleinunternehmen, die Ziel von Phishing, Rechnungsbetrug oder CEO-Betrug werden.

Lokale Organisationen, die mit grundlegender Cybersicherheit überfordert sind.

Wer kann helfen?

Die Schweiz verfügt über eine wahre Trumpfkarte: Ihre Pensionäre. Jedes Jahr gehen Tausende von Menschen in den Ruhestand – mit dem Wunsch, sich zu engagieren, aktiv zu bleiben und eine neue Sinnhaftigkeit zu finden. Viele von ihnen engagieren sich bereits freiwillig und bringen dabei viele wertvolle Eigenschaften mit:

Jahrzehntelange Lebenserfahrung aus Bereichen wie Bildung, Wirtschaft, IT, Recht oder Gesundheit.

Sie haben Sozialkompetenzen erlernt wie Empathie, Eigeninitiative sowie Team- und Kommunikationsfähigkeiten

Sie sind motiviert und sorgen sich um das Wohl ihrer Mitmenschen.

Sie haben Zeit, sich sinnvoll für wichtige Anliegen einzusetzen.

Das Beste? Auch Pensionierte profitieren. Freiwilligenarbeit steht im Zusammenhang mit besserer kognitiver Leistungsfähigkeit, höherem mentalen Wohlbefinden und sogar einer längeren Lebensdauer.

Was ist das Ziel des Workhops?

In unserem Workshop wollen wir ergründen, wie freiwilliges Engagement – insbesondere durch Pensionierte – die digitalen Kompetenzen in unseren Gemeinschaften stärken kann, indem wir:

Die benötigten kommunikativen, sozialen und technischen Erfahrungen klären

Erarbeiten, was bei der Einbindung von Pensionierten funktioniert – und was nicht,

Den Bedarf, Herausforderungen und Chancen im Kanton Zürich identifizieren,

Erste Kontakte für zukünftige Kooperationen knüpfen.

Für wen ist dieser Workshop gedacht?

Dieser Workshop möchte von den Erkenntnissen der folgenden Akteure profitieren:

Organisationen, die mit Pensionierten oder Freiwilligen arbeiten,

Expert:innen in Cybersicherheitund Bildung

Pensionierte, die sich engagieren möchten.

Interessierte an digitalem Engagement,

Was werden wir besprechen?

Gérald Vernez (digiVolution) stellt die nationale Initiative CyberPatrouilleur vor und erläutert deren Potenzial für den Kanton Zürich. Dr. Melanie Knieps (CYREN ZH) führt durch den Workshop, in dem wir gemeinsam konkrete Ideen und nächste Schritte erarbeiten, wie Pensionierte zu einer sicheren digitalen Zukunft beitragen können. Wir behandeln dabei folgende Themen

Problem – Warum dieser Workshop?

Gemeinschaften – Was brauchen sie?

Unterstützung – Was kann man tun?

Freiwillige – Wie können Pensionierte helfen?

Fazit – Wie geht es weiter?

Erkundigt mit uns Bedürfnisse, Herausforderungen – und Möglichkeiten. Melde dich unten an!

🔒 Unlocking Insights 2025: Interdisciplinary Cybersecurity Lunch Talks Series 🔒
2025-06-05 12:00 - 13:00
The decision-making of security analysts frequently determines if an organization succumbs to a cyberattack or manages to brace it unscathed. Thierry Schaltegger will share insights from his latest study on the importance of expert intuition in the cyber incident response process. The following questions will be answered:

How are decisions made in the incident response process?

How do procedures and technology support these decisions?

What is the role of intuition in this process?

Join our quarterly lunch series where cybersecurity researchers converge to share, discuss, and refine their work. Explore interdisciplinary perspectives, present your projects, and foster connections in this collaborative environment. Elevate your understanding and contribute to shaping the future of cybersecurity.

If you wish to contribute and present your own research please reach out to Thierry Schaltegger.

Beyond Compliance: Responsible Technology Use as a Competitive Advantage in Private Security and Beyond
2025-04-09 16:30 - 18:00 | Digital Society Initiative, Eventroom, Rämistrasse 69, Zürich, 8001, Schweiz
In today’s digital landscape, private security companies face unprecedented challenges balancing technological innovation with ethical considerations and human rights standards. This presentation introduces a comprehensive toolkit for responsible technology use that transforms potential risks into business opportunities.

Originally developed for the private security sector but broadly applicable across industries, our approach provides practical implementation strategies tailored to organizations of all sizes. Drawing from compelling real-world examples of technology failures that resulted in significant financial losses and reputational damage, we demonstrate how responsible technology practices not only mitigate risks but create measurable competitive advantages. Attendees will gain actionable insights into addressing key challenges including data protection, algorithmic bias, surveillance ethics, and emerging technologies while enhancing their market position through increased client trust, regulatory compliance, and operational resilience. Join us to discover how ethical technology implementation can become your organization’s strategic differentiator in an increasingly scrutinized digital environment.

Speaker at the event will be Anne-Marie Buzatu, Executive Director of the ICT4Peace Foundation.

In her role, Anne-Marie Buzatu actively leads and conducts policy research, offers strategic advice to governments and multilateral organizations, and spearheads a variety of capacity-building courses at the intersection of peace, security, and technology, with particular attention to inclusive approaches to digital peacebuilding.Before assuming her current position, Anne-Marie was Deputy Head at the Public-Private Partnerships Division of DCAF in Geneva. There, she was instrumental in developing the International Code of Conduct for Private Security Service Providers (ICoC) and its oversight body (ICoCA), establishing human rights-based standards and oversight and accountability for the private security industry. In addition to her expertise in international law and security policy, Anne-Marie has a background in the tech sector, having worked for several years as a web developer and database administrator.

The presentation is followed by a networking aperitif.

🔒 Unlocking Insights 2025: Interdisciplinary Cybersecurity Lunch Talks Series 🔒
2025-03-27 12:00 - 13:00
At this cybersecurity lunch, Dr. Benjamin Ambuehl will report from his experience in practical research with Swiss farmers and their most pressing cybersecurity challenges.

Extensive digitalisation does not stop at agriculture – and with it comes the risk of falling victim to a cyberattack which can have potentially lethal consequences for livestock. The causes of successful cyberattacks are rarely of a purely technical nature. In the majority of cases, victims’ behaviour plays a crucial role (e.g. not employing protective measures or clicking on links and opening attachments). In this talk, Dr. Benjamin Ambuehl presents exploratory research that aimed to identify weaknesses and potential mitigation options to improve cybersecurity practices among Swiss farmers.

Join our quarterly lunch series where cybersecurity researchers converge to share, discuss, and refine their work. Explore interdisciplinary perspectives, present your projects, and foster connections in this collaborative environment. Elevate your understanding and contribute to shaping the future of cybersecurity.

If you wish to contribute and present your own research please reach out to Thierry Schaltegger.

OSINT Playdate #1
2025-03-21 15:00 - 17:00 | Digital Society Initiative, Eventroom, Rämistrasse 69, Zürich, 8001, Schweiz
We’re introducing a series of OSINT playdates throughout the year. We will apply what we’ve learned and solve some puzzles together. The exercises will focus on solving, exchanging different approaches, techniques, and best practices, and of course, to meet likeminded OSINTers.

There will be easy to hard exercises, any level’s OSINTer is welcome!

The first playdate will be on the 21st of March 2025, it will be for OSINT Switzerland members and CYREN ZH students and it will be possible to attend in person only.

If you would like to attend in person, we kindly ask you to register on OSINT Switzerland’s website: https://osintswitzerland.ch/events/playdate-21-03/

If for any reason you cannot attend anymore please let us know, since seats are limited!

OSINT Switzerland: Workshop
2025-01-31 14:00 - 17:00 | Digital Society Initiative, Eventroom, Rämistrasse 69, Zürich, 8001, Schweiz
We’re happy to host OSINT Switzerland for this workshop! Read what they say about this event:

🕵🏻 In our ongoing mission to share knowledge and foster growth within the community, we’re excited to offer a new learning opportunity.🎯 What’s Happening: A practical, hands-on workshop diving into the world of Open Source Intelligence.👥 Who’s It For: Members of OSINT Switzerland and students of CYREN ZH eager to sharpen their investigative and analytical skills.📅 Date / Location: January 31st, 2025 – 14:00 to 17:00 at Rämistrasse 69, 8001 Zürich & Streamed Online👉 Register now if you want to join in person (no registration needed for the streamed event) and find more details here: https://osintswitzerland.ch/events/osint-workshop/

Hack the Box Meet Up @CYREN ZH
2025-01-23 18:00 - 22:00 | Digital Society Initiative, Eventroom, Rämistrasse 69, Zürich, 8001, Schweiz
We’re happy to host some of the Hack the Box Meet Ups Zurich!

R

Read more, follow the group and register for the events here: https://www.meetup.com/hack-the-box-meetup-zurich-ch/events/305179152/

Anyone who is interested in cybersecurity and penetration testing should join this group. The purpose of the meet up is to meet other infosec enthusiasts, discuss, exchange knowledge regarding cybersecurity, hack machines from Hack The Box dedicated to this gathering and enjoy.

Cyber Lunch
2024-11-28 12:00 - 13:00
🔒 Unlocking Insights: Interdisciplinary Cybersecurity Lunch Talks Series 🔒

This event is online, no need to register!

Join on Zoom

Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence (AI) have received much attention in recent years. This talk by Jan von der Assen will introduce threat modeling and discuss how it can be applied to AI-based systems. In addition, we will summarize what we learned from securing real-world AI systems.

Join our quarterly lunch series on Zoom where cybersecurity researchers converge to share, discuss, and refine their work. Explore interdisciplinary perspectives, present your projects, and foster connections in this collaborative environment. Elevate your understanding and contribute to shaping the future of cybersecurity.

Swiss Security Awareness Day
2024-10-24 08:30 - 17:30
The Swiss Security Awareness Day, organized by Switch, aims at giving some insights into the different possible ways to deal with Security Awareness while pointing out where to get support and what is most crucial for being successful. CYRENZH‘s Melanie Knieps, Nico Ebert and Verena Zimmermann will be present at the event.

Join them at Switch’s flagship event, a crucial summit for advancing digital security awareness. Engage with industry experts in an in-depth dialogue on the vital role of security awareness in our interconnected digital landscape.

Cyber Lunch
2024-10-03 12:00 - 13:00
🔒 Unlocking Insights: Interdisciplinary Cybersecurity Lunch Talks Series 🔒

This event is online, no need to register! Join us via the button below.

Join our quarterly lunch series where cybersecurity researchers converge to share, discuss, and refine their work. Explore interdisciplinary perspectives, present your projects, and foster connections in this collaborative environment. Elevate your understanding and contribute to shaping the future of cybersecurity. Stay tuned for upcoming sessions and opportunities to engage!

The Security Operation Center is essential to a company’s security infrastructure, but the scientific literature only scratches the surface of how decisions are made within them. Thierry Schaltegger will share some insights from expert interviews to answer the following questions:

What role does the intuition of security experts play in handling cybersecurity incidents?

How can the experience of experts be passed on to newcomers?

Human Factors in Cybersecurity – Insights from Research
2024-09-11 16:00 - 19:00 | Digital Society Initiative, Eventroom, Rämistrasse 69, Zürich, 8001, Schweiz
Organized by CYREN ZH and the DSI Cybersecurity Community we’ll invite you to an event dedicated to Human Factors in Cybersecurity on 11.9. from 16:00 – 19:00 at the University of Zurich (including networking apéro).

What is cybersecure behavior and how can it be measured? How can rules of thumb help to identify phishing emails? These and many other topics are being researched by CYREN ZH in collaboration with companies and organizations.

At this event, we will present our latest findings from applied research projects on human factors in cybersecurity and look forward to lively discussions! After the presentations, we invite you to a networking aperitif.

Agenda

16:00 – 16:15 Introduction (Dr. Melanie Knieps)16:15 – 16:45 What can we learn from cyber incidents in organizations? An analysis of cyber insurance cases (Rico Müller, KESSLER & CO AG / Prof. Dr. Nico Ebert, ZHAW)What causes cyber incidents in organizations and how can they be explained? What recommendations for preventive measures can be derived for organizations? We’ll present insights from the analysis of over 90 cyber insurance cases in Switzerland.16:45 – 17:15 How do we make the right decision during cyber incidents? (Thierry Schaltegger) How do people make decisions in situations of uncertainty? What role does the intuition of security experts play in organizations that manage incidents? How can the experience of experts be passed on to newcomers?17:15 – 17:45 How to measure and change cybersecurity behavior in organizations (Dr. Benjamin Ambuehl) How can cybersecurity behavior of employees in organizations be measured? What do targeted measures to promote secure behavior look like?18:00 Networking apéro

Cyber Lunch
2024-07-11 12:00 - 13:00
🔒 Unlocking Insights: Interdisciplinary Cybersecurity Lunch Talks Series 🔒

This event is online, no need to register! Join us via the button below.

Challenges of Human-Centred Phishing Interventions / with Lorin Schöni

Phishing remains a pervasive cybersecurity threat. Since phishing relies on human actions, interventions that try to reduce phishing susceptibility should therefore also focus on human cognition and perception. While some approaches of such human-centred training are promising, research and practice reveal a variety of challenges, ranging from low engagement to a lack of comparability, and ultimately, a persistence of phishing susceptibility. We will discuss how interactivity, emerging technologies like augmented reality, and a more systematic approach using a phishing intervention framework could address these issues.

SSCC on Cyber Resilience (Webinar)
2024-06-11 13:00 - 15:00 | Online
On 11 June 2024, the Swiss Support Center for Cybersecurity (SSCC) is co-organizing a high-profile online workshop on “Cyber Resilience”. It will also feature Melanie Knieps from CYRENZH . Register here.

Stability is at the core of the healthy development of society, whether it is cultural, economical, or related to the well-being of people. In order to reach stability, society should be resilient to incidents, interference, or attacks, let them be physical or cyber. Cyber resilience is characterized by the fact that it touches upon most of the aspects of our daily lives, while they can be easily attacked, using little budgets, from any place on the globe.

Whereas cyber security aims to protect systems from cyber attacks, the objective of cyber resilience is to prevent organizations and systems from being derailed even in cases where the security of critical elements have already been compromised. Cyber resilience thus combines business continuity, information security and organizational resilience. As a result of cyber resilience, organizations and their systems are supposed to provide their services, even in cases of challenging cyber events, natural disasters, or economic crises.

On the technical side cyber resilience involves, for example, zero-trust architectures that aim to minimize trust into technical components of the infrastructure. From the organisational point-of-view cyber resilience may include disaster exercise that aim to prepare the entire organisation from the technical experts up to the management for the worst.

The goal of this webinar is to shed light on cyber resilience related aspects from different view angles. We will see technical measures that aim to improve resilience of systems themselves to more organizational measures that have the goal to absorb the impact even if technical security measures have been successfully circumvented by attackers. Our speakers cover the federal, cantonal, communal, NGOs, and academic sectors:

Melanie Knieps: “CYRENZH – On engaging students and citizens in cyber resilience”Melanie is a Senior Researcher at the “Digital Society Initiative” and CYRENZH co-lead, University of Zurich.

Monica Ratte: “How can the NCSC help me increase my resilience?”Monica works in the Swiss National Cyber Security Centre. Within NCSC she is the co-head of the Computer Emergency Response Team (GovCERT) that provides support to Swiss based organisations in case of cybersecurity related incidents.

Mathias Payer: “Why fuzz about security? How automated testing saves developer time and improves security”Mathias is a security researcher and associate professor at the EPFL school of communication sciences, leading the HexHive group. His research focuses on protecting applications in the presence of vulnerabilities.

Nicolas Frey: “Small and Medium Organisations : paving the way for effective resilience”Nicolas is the co-founder of Cyber-Safe, a Swiss auditing an labeling organisation active on the cantonal, communal and SME levels.

Fabien Leimgruber: “CyberPeace Builders: Partnering with Companies to Enhance Cyber Resilience in Nonprofits”Fabien is a senior program manager at the CyberPeace Institute. He is active mainly in the sector of NGOs.

Cyber Security in the Age of Industry 4.0
2024-05-29 08:30 - 17:00
On 29 May 2024, the ZHAW will host a conference on Cyber Security in the Age of Industry 4.0: Learning from Experience. The event offers presentations, networking and aperitifs.

Verena Distler: Mechanisms of Manipulation: How Technology Users Interact with Manipulative and Deceptive Communication
2024-05-07 12:15 - 13:45 | ETH Main Building, HG E 33.3, Rämistrasse 101, Zürich
When people use technology, they are regularly exposed to manipulative or deceptive communication, which frequently leads to behavioral outcomes with various negative consequences. Social engineering attacks, such as phishing, are an impactful example. Despite training efforts, people struggle to recognize social engineering attacks and take protective behaviors. This talk will discuss the processes that lead to adverse behavioral outcomes for individuals in the face of manipulative or deceptive communication and show how interdisciplinary approaches can provide insights into possible mitigation strategies.Verena Distler is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of the Bundeswehr Munich, Germany. Her research at the intersection of psychology, human-computer interaction, and security/privacy uses social science research methods to understand the interplay between people and technology, focusing on security-related and deceptive interactions with technology. She uses these insights to develop human-centered solutions against cyber threats. Dr. Distler earned her PhD in psychology at the University of Luxembourg, focusing on human-computer interaction and human-centered security. During her PhD, Dr. Distler was a visiting researcher at Carnegie Mellon University’s Cylab. Previously, she obtained a master’s degree in social sciences at the Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon in France.

Cyber Lunch
2024-04-18 12:00 - 13:00
🔒 Unlocking Insights: Interdisciplinary Cybersecurity Lunch Talks Series 🔒

This event is online, no need to register! Join us via the button below.

Join our quarterly lunch series where cybersecurity researchers converge to share, discuss, and refine their work. Explore interdisciplinary perspectives, present your projects, and foster connections in this collaborative environment. Elevate your understanding and contribute to shaping the future of cybersecurity.

Join us on Zoom for the first event of this series where Thierry Schaltegger presents his work challenging traditional cybersecurity paradigms. We will discuss how cognitive heuristics, often dismissed, can revolutionize cyber threat mitigation by leveraging them to enhance decision-making in uncertain cyber environments.

Promoting trust in cybersecurity through ethics and law - a conclusion
2024-03-07 16:00 - 17:30 | Digital Society Initiative, Eventroom, Rämistrasse 69, Zürich, 8001, Schweiz
For three years, researchers from the Universities of Zurich and Lausanne have been investigating the ethical, legal and social aspects of cybersecurity as part of National Research Programme 77 “Digital Transformation”. At two final events, all specialists involved in the project and other interested parties will be invited to gain an insight into the main findings of the project.

In particular, the results of interviews and a survey of critical infrastructures in Switzerland, guidelines for creating a value-based cybersecurity culture and legislative recommendations for improving the cybersecurity of critical infrastructures in Switzerland will be presented. Philipp Grabher, CISO of the Canton of Zurich (TBC), will also give a presentation on current cybersecurity measures in the Canton of Zurich. Finally, CYRENZH – the Cyber Resilience Network of the Canton of Zurich – will be presented.

The event will be bilingual (slides in German, presentations in English, podium in German). The event will be followed by an aperitif for informal discussions.

For planning purposes, registration is requested: https://ema.uzh.ch/RULEM

Date and time: Thursday, 7. March 2024, 16:00 – 17:30, followed by an Apéro

Place: Digital Society Initiative, Rämistrasse 69, 8001 Zürich

Programm:

16:00 Welcome

16:05 Sylvain Métille (University of Lausanne): A brief overview of the research project

16:15 Melanie Knieps (University of Zurich): What do critical infrastructures in Switzerland think about cybersecurity?

16:25 Markus Christen (University of Zurich): Dealing with practical dilemmas – guidelines for a values-based cybersecurity culture

16:35 Pauline Meyer (University of Lausanne): What are the gaps in the current Swiss cyber security legislation?

16:45 Melanie Knieps (Universität Zürich): The cyber resilience network of the Canton of Zurich

16:55 Philipp Grabher (TBC / CISO Kanton Zürich): How the canton of Zurich will meet the challenges of cybersecurity

17:10 Discussion with Philipp Grabher, Melanie Knieps (Moderation: Markus Christen)

17:30 Apéro

1 Year CYREN ZH - Shaping the Roadmap
2024-01-25 16:00 - 18:00 | Digital Society Initiative, Eventroom, Rämistrasse 69, Zürich, 8001, Schweiz
The mission of CYRENZH is to establish a structure that can sustainably increase the cyber resilience in the Canton of Zurich, thereby strengthening and protecting its economy and society. For that reason, we are currently working to establish a joint UZH/ZHAW “cyber clinic” which will leverage the skills of university students to increase the cyber hygiene of eligible organizations. We currently view the scope of the cyber clinics as strictly preventative and want to permanently integrate them into the respective university structures. Extending this partnership to other local partners like the ETH is also a possibility we are exploring.

Central questions we want to answer at this stage are: What services should we offer? How can cyber clinics be sustainably integrated into existing and developing curricula? Who can teach courses and supervise students? In general, what motivates stakeholders – students, prospective clients, and facilitators – to support and participate in this initiative?

How we want to do that?

To ensure sustainable engagement in the clinics, it is important to understand the needs and interests of the designated stakeholders who will be involved in the Clinics – Students (who will provide the services), Clients (who will receive services), and Facilitators (who will coordinate and manage the Clinic activities, give lectures, supervise students, and ensure overall quality control). Given the many services we could potentially offer, it is important to prioritize them based on the stakeholder input. Concretely, we want to:

Compile a comprehensive list of possible services that could be listed in the portfolio,

Get a grasp of the potential obstacles and their solution,

Determine the feasibility and impact of each service,

Learn about the skills, willingness, and motivation of the stakeholders to get involved.

Workshop

For this purpose, we will conduct a workshop in our annual CYRENZH “Shaping the Roadmap” event. It will take place on 25. January 2024 from 16:00-18:00, followed by an apéro.

Please help stop Food Waste and register until 22. January 2024.

Photo: Dream by wombo

Kenneth Paterson: Cryptography in the Wild
2023-11-23 16:30 - 18:00 | Digital Society Initiative, Eventroom, Rämistrasse 69, Zürich, 8001, Schweiz
Kenneth Paterson will discuss a research theme that has emerged in the last few years, namely the analysis of deployed cryptographic systems. In this line of work, we either try to find vulnerabilities in the system (and disclose them to the affected vendors) or prove the security of the cryptographic core of the system. He will reflect on how they conduct this kind of research, why they do it, and what we can learn from it about how developers use (and abuse) cryptography.

Kenny Paterson is a Professor of Computer Science at ETH Zurich, where he leads the Applied Cryptography Group and is currently the head of the Department of Computer Science. Prior to joining ETH in 2019, Kenny was with Hewlett-Packard Laboratories (1996-2001) and then at Royal Holloway University of London (2001-2019). Kenny was Program Chair for Eurocrypt 2011 and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Cryptology from 2017 to 2020. He co-founded the Real World Cryptography series of conferences. His research has won best paper awards at conferences including ACM CCS 2016 and 2022, IEEE S&P 2022 and 2023, NDSS 2012, CHES 2018, and IMC 2018. He was made a Fellow of the IACR in 2017. In 2022, he was the winner of the “Golden Owl” best teaching award for the Department of Computer Science at ETH.

As always: Help stop Food Waste and register until 19. November 2023!

Leveraging Games for Education - Perspectives from Cybersecurity and Sustainability
2023-11-09 16:30 - 18:00 | Digital Society Initiative, Eventroom, Rämistrasse 69, Zürich, 8001, Schweiz
Education is commonly recognized as the cornerstone for promoting awareness of critical societal issues, with cybersecurity and sustainability standing out as two prime examples. Although the significance of these challenges is broadly acknowledged, people sometimes disengage because they find them overwhelmingly complex. Fortunately, a new approach to enhancing education has emerged – the use of games! Now, the pivotal question is: What skills can games genuinely cultivate? And how effective are they in driving desired behavior change?

Join us at the “Leveraging Games for Education” event, where we’ll delve deep into the use of games for topics like cybersecurity and sustainability. Get ready for an exciting journey into the future of education! 🎮📚🌍💡

Speakers:

Mela Kocher (ZHdK)

Sonja Böckler (ZHdK)

Katja Dörlemann (SWITCH)

Of course we’ll invite you to a small apéro after the event. Help stop Food Waste and register until 8. November 2023.

How civilians can help in a crisis - New formats, new solutions?
2023-10-05 17:00 - 19:30 | Digital Society Initiative, Eventroom, Rämistrasse 69, Zürich, 8001, Schweiz
In the digital age, individuals have access to an abundance of information. While many express concerns about the risks that the internet entails, it also provides ordinary citizens access to data and social networks like never before. In theory, we no longer have to solely rely on information provided to us by governments and corporations with an agenda. A challenge is how to leverage this information. The war in Ukraine, for instance, has demonstrated how ordinary citizens can provide reliable information even before the international media does.

In the upcoming event, we will delve into questions such as (a) why the independent collection and analysis of information is important for society, (b) how members of society can be recruited for these tasks, and (c) the opportunities and challenges of volunteering, especially in the Swiss context. In collaboration with the DSI Community Democracy, DSI Community Cybersecurity, and CYRENZH, this event will discuss new formats about how civilians can help in a crisis. Our speakers are:

Lennart Maschmeyer (ETHZ, Center for Security Studies) will be talking about the need for independent data and how the Toronto-based “Citizen Lab” project has made crucial contributions towards evidence-based research on security matters since 2001.

Raphael Perret (studiozb, Truth Detectives) will delve into the potential of harnessing the skills and motivation of gamers, a community totaling more than 3 billion individuals globally, for the purpose of collecting and analyzing information.

Sigrid Haunberger (ZHAW Soziale Arbeit) will provide us with insights into the Swiss volunteering landscape.

Melanie Knieps (CYRENZH) will moderate the event, with the goal of fostering an active debate between the speakers and the audience to explore how citizens in Switzerland can leverage information in a crisis.

Raphael Perret und Anja Reiß (studiozb, Truth Detectives)

Lennart Maschmeyer (ETHZ, Center for Security Studies)

Sigrid Haunberger (ZHAW Soziale Arbeit)

Moderation: Melanie Knieps (CYRENZH)

The inputs will be from 17:00 to latest 18:30. Of course we’ll invite you to a small apéro after the event. Help stop Food Waste and register until 4. October 2023.
