Conference Description
Key Takeaways
- Academic and industry conference addressing security and resilience of cyber-physical systems in critical infrastructure sectors
- Technical focus spans 5G security, post-quantum cryptography, AI-driven threat detection, zero-trust architectures and industrial control system protection
- Designed for researchers, security engineers, critical infrastructure operators and policy makers working in energy, transport and communications
- Explores operational continuity strategies, adaptive risk management and recovery protocols for complex networked environments
- Organised by IEEE with academic partners including University of the Peloponnese, University of Portsmouth, University of Thessaly and University of Roma Tre
Introduction
The IEEE International Conference on Cyber Security and Resilience (IEEE CSR 2026) convenes in Lisbon, Portugal, from 3–5 August 2026, bringing together researchers, practitioners and industry leaders to address the escalating threat landscape facing cyber-physical systems. As critical infrastructure sectors including energy grids, transportation networks and telecommunications increasingly depend on interconnected digital systems, the consequences of successful cyber-attacks extend well beyond data breaches into operational disruption and potential cascading failures across essential services.
This conference occupies a distinctive position at the intersection of theoretical security research and practical implementation challenges. The programme encompasses keynote presentations, technical paper sessions and workshops designed to advance both the academic understanding and real-world application of defensive strategies for complex networked environments.
About IEEE CSR 2026
IEEE CSR 2026 operates under the auspices of IEEE and the IEEE Systems, Man, and Cybernetics Society, with organisational support from several European academic institutions. The conference takes place at the VIP Grand Lisboa Hotel & Spa and follows an in-person format emphasising direct knowledge exchange and professional networking.
The event structure combines formal research dissemination with collaborative discussion. Technical sessions provide a platform for peer-reviewed paper presentations, while workshops offer deeper exploration of specific methodologies and emerging technologies. This format reflects the conference’s dual commitment to advancing scholarly research and addressing the practical concerns of organisations responsible for securing critical systems.
Technical Focus Areas
The conference programme addresses three interconnected domains that collectively define the modern challenge of protecting critical infrastructure.
Cyber Security Foundations
Core security topics include the protection of 5G and beyond-5G networks, where the expanded attack surface created by network virtualisation and edge computing introduces novel vulnerabilities. Sessions also examine big data analytics for threat detection, blockchain applications in security contexts, and the evolving requirements for cloud-edge security architectures. Cryptographic discussions extend to post-quantum security, reflecting growing concern about the long-term viability of current encryption standards as quantum computing capabilities advance.
Resilience Engineering and Recovery
Beyond prevention, the conference dedicates substantial attention to resilience—the capacity of systems to maintain essential functions during attacks and recover rapidly afterward. This includes fault-tolerant protocol design, cyber-range platforms for testing defensive strategies, and dynamic risk management frameworks that adapt to evolving threat conditions. Zero-trust architectures feature prominently, representing a fundamental shift from perimeter-based security models toward continuous verification approaches better suited to distributed environments. Human factors research acknowledges that technical controls alone cannot address the full spectrum of operational vulnerabilities.
Cyber-Physical System Protection
The application domain encompasses automotive security, industrial Internet of Things deployments, SCADA systems and smart grid infrastructure. Digital twin technology appears as both a security tool—enabling simulation of attack scenarios—and a protected asset requiring its own defensive considerations. Healthcare systems, smart city infrastructure and embedded systems round out the coverage, reflecting the breadth of sectors now dependent on secure cyber-physical integration.
Industry Context and Relevance
The timing of IEEE CSR 2026 coincides with intensifying regulatory attention to critical infrastructure protection across multiple jurisdictions. Operators face mounting pressure to demonstrate not merely compliance with security standards but genuine resilience—the ability to sustain operations through sophisticated, persistent attacks. The heterogeneous nature of modern cyber-physical systems, often combining legacy industrial equipment with contemporary networked components, creates integration challenges that purely technical solutions cannot fully address.
The conference’s emphasis on bridging academic research and practical implementation responds to a persistent gap in the field. Theoretical advances in areas such as AI-driven intrusion detection or adaptive risk assessment frequently encounter deployment obstacles when applied to operational environments with strict availability requirements and limited tolerance for false positives.
Intended Audience
IEEE CSR 2026 serves a technically sophisticated audience spanning academic and operational roles. Researchers and doctoral students will find opportunities to present work and engage with peers across related disciplines. Security engineers, system architects and IT managers from critical infrastructure sectors can evaluate emerging defensive approaches against their operational requirements. Government representatives and policy makers concerned with national infrastructure protection may gain insight into the current state of defensive capabilities and remaining vulnerabilities. The programme also accommodates early-career professionals seeking to develop expertise in this specialised domain.
Conclusion
IEEE CSR 2026 addresses one of the defining technical challenges of interconnected infrastructure: ensuring that the systems underpinning essential services can withstand, adapt to and recover from increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. The conference provides a structured environment for advancing both the theoretical foundations and practical methodologies required to meet this challenge.