International Cyber Expo 2023 and signs of optimism for 2024

In 2022, the Expo was much more modest and felt like an afterthought, occupying a small corner of the physical International Security Expo in the Grand Hall. This year, exhibitors at ICE set up shop in the adjacent National Hall, and in many ways, it outshone its physical security counterpart. Footfall was high, and the place had real energy and enthusiasm as cybersecurity experts tuned into a packed agenda of talks and presentations at the Global Cyber Summit, Tech Hub Stage and areas dedicated to Government and Women in Cyber.

Throughout the course of the International Cyber Expo, there were a number of key moments. Ciaran Martin, ex-NCSC chief and cybersecurity professor at Oxford University kicked off proceedings with a keynote on the state of cyber. Check out Ciaran and Bloomberg cyber reporter Katrina Manson’s predictions for cybersecurity trends in 2023 during a Babel webinar in January which complements some of the themes. There were also talks on the secrets of Russia’s cyber and espionage operations, the daft (and entertaining) things that cyber criminals have done over the years, and everything in between. Another welcome addition to this year’s show was the “Grab the Mic: Women in Cyber” networking event, which aimed to inspire, educate and empower women in the cybersecurity industry.

The Value of In-Person Networking

Then, of course, there was the networking, and it was evident that the cybersecurity community at ICE was relishing the chance to meet in person. There was also a significantly larger media presence than in previous years, which should persuade cybersecurity PR and communications teams of the value of attending these in-person industry events in order to stay in the conversation around emerging cyber PR and communications trends.