Three days, 13,000 professionals, and hundreds of sessions. Just for its scale alone Infosecurity Europe (2–4 June) stands out in the congested calendar of European cyber security events. The CIISec stand was a welcoming port in a storm of busy cyber professionals. What did we pick up from the delegates?
Adversaries are moving faster. That might have a lot to do with AI. It might be that criminals are more agile than defenders. It might be because just about everything has sped up. At the largest cyber security conference in Europe, the hundreds of vendors exhibiting might claim to have the answer. The presenters on the deep-dive stage and in the various technology showcase sessions might claim to have the answers too. However, we know that attackers want to take the path of least resistance, and very often employees (sometimes without knowing it) offer that pathway. Whatever the answer is, whichever safeguard or tool is deployed, we know that they are always more effective when they go hand in hand with cyber security awareness initiatives and employee education.
We heard often that cyber security is a team sport. So, as well as information-sharing, we also need to create opportunities for networking, so we’re all better placed to help and support each other when needed. Member lunches offered a chance to strengthen relationships within the CIISec community. These moments reinforced something important: professional bodies are at their strongest when they create not only standards and frameworks, but also a sense of belonging and shared purpose, and an opportunity to share stories.
People might still talk about a skills gap but look around; you’ll see it’s a recruiter’s market. The need to stand out has never been stronger. Vendors compete forcefully for attention on the show floor, with elaborate stands, happy hours, and expensive giveaway merchandise. We used our South Gallery room sessions to place an emphasis on progression: not only how people enter the profession, but how they build credibility, and move towards higher levels of recognition. Chartership, professional and member registration were key themes; we spent time helping attendees better understand the pathways, processes and prerequisites involved. There is an increasing need to stand out, make yourself more desirable, and bolster your career. A string of certifications won’t cut through any more, but competency-based qualifications continue to hold their own.
Infosec 2026 proved to be a valuable opportunity for CIISec to connect with members, meet new faces from across the profession, and continue important conversations about skills, standards and professional development in cyber security. Our aim was simple: alongside the vendors offering sophisticated solutions to sophisticated threats, we aimed to showcase an equally important solution: a resilient cyber ecosystem depends on capable, supported and recognised professionals.
Contact us at membership@ciisec.org to ask us about membership options, or to pick up the conversation where we left off.
