Conference Description
Key Takeaways
- Austrian IT security conference for CISOs, CSOs, risk managers and CIOs taking place on 30 September 2026 in Rankweil
- Technical focus on AI security risks, post-quantum cryptography, autonomous AI agents and OT security in production environments
- Sessions address the gap between regulatory compliance and actual security posture, particularly for NIS 2
- Interactive roundtables cover ransomware negotiation strategies and security culture training through serious games
- Speakers from Johannes Kepler University, A1 Telekom Austria, Deutsche Telekom Security and Horizon3 AI
About the Event
Cyber Crime Forum West is a one-day conference for IT security and risk management professionals in Austria. The 2026 edition takes place at Firmament in Rankweil on 30 September. The programme runs from 08:30 to 19:00 and includes keynotes, expert talks, interactive roundtable sessions, a panel discussion and networking. Attendance is free for qualifying professionals in security and risk management roles, while solution providers pay a separate fee.
AI, Quantum Computing and Emerging Threats
The opening keynote by Stefan Rass from Johannes Kepler University examines two converging technology trends: artificial intelligence and quantum computing. The session covers AI transparency requirements, potential attack vectors arising from manipulable AI systems, and the threat quantum computing poses to established cryptographic methods. Rass will discuss current research findings and practical risk implications for organisations.
A separate session from iC Consult addresses security challenges with autonomous AI agents that hold administrative privileges. The talk explores how attacks on agentic AI systems unfold, why traditional security concepts fall short, and what countermeasures organisations can implement around identity management, access control and monitoring.
Gerhard Burtscher from Sefar Group presents research on the psychological effects of AI on human behaviour, covering cognitive offloading, automation bias, overtrust and attention fragmentation.
Compliance Versus Actual Security
Several sessions examine the disconnect between compliance documentation and real-world security. Kristian Schwingenschlögl from A1 Telekom Austria will demonstrate live reconnaissance during his talk to show what attackers can discover externally, regardless of an organisation’s regulatory status. A roundtable led by Deutsche Telekom Security explores why NIS 2 compliance and green dashboards do not guarantee cyber resilience, particularly in OT environments where legacy systems, production constraints and limited maintenance windows create gaps between governance requirements and technical implementation.
Operational Technology and Critical Infrastructure
A panel discussion titled “Wie souverän ist unsere Produktion?” (How sovereign is our production?) addresses security challenges in manufacturing and industrial environments. The Deutsche Telekom Security roundtable specifically examines scenarios where security controls appear functional until production systems fail, highlighting the tension between regulatory requirements and operational realities in OT settings.
Ransomware Response and Security Culture
A1 Telekom Austria leads a roundtable on ransomware negotiation, framed as “Verhandeln mit Hackern: Zahlen oder Schützen?” (Negotiating with hackers: pay or protect?). A separate interactive session uses a serious game called Habitux to train security culture, simulating a cyberattack scenario where users, administrators, developers and managers must collaborate to build organisational resilience.
Crisis Communication
The closing keynote by Harald Kopeter addresses communication during security incidents. Topics include balancing transparency with responsibility, developing clear narratives for complex situations, managing internal communication when staff experience fear or exhaustion, and maintaining personal composure when leaders lack complete information.
Who Should Attend
The event targets CISOs, CSOs, IT security officers, risk and compliance managers, CIOs and other executives with responsibility for information security. Attendees typically come from large enterprises, critical infrastructure operators, technology companies and public sector organisations. The programme balances strategic and technical content, with roundtables allowing deeper discussion on specific challenges.