Mr Tõnis Saar

NATO CCDCOE Director

It is my pleasure to welcome you to CyCon 2026, the 18th International Conference on Cyber Conflict, hosted in Tallinn by the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence.

CyCon has always been a place where serious ideas meet real world practice. In 2026, under the theme Securing Tomorrow, the conference looks ahead to the challenges that will shape cyber conflict in the years to come. As technology evolves faster than institutions, and dependencies in digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence, and critical supply chains deepen, the question is no longer whether cyber security matters, but how we collectively prepare for what comes next.

This year’s programme brings together leading voices from government, military, industry, and academia through keynote addresses, focused track panels, and interactive workshops. Alongside the conference sessions, CyCon offers opportunities for professional exchange, informal discussion, and the presentation of new research and products developed by the Centre and its partners. All peer reviewed research will be published in the Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Cyber Conflict: Securing Tomorrow.

CyCon would not be possible without the continued support of our industry partners, whose engagement strengthens the conference and broadens the perspectives represented. I thank them for their contribution.

I look forward to welcoming you to Tallinn in May for CyCon 2026.

Tõnis Saar

Director,

NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence

Alar Karis

President of the Republic of Estonia

Petr Pavel

President of the Czech Republic

Ambassador Jean-Charles Ellermann-Kingombe

NATO Assistant Secretary General for Cyber and Digital Transformation

Hanno Pevkur

Minister of Defence of Estonia

The Honorable Katherine E. Sutton

Assistant Secretary of War for Cyber Policy

Principal Cyber Advisor to the Secretary of War

Dr Richard Harknett

Director of the Center for Cyber Strategy and Policy, University of Cincinnati

Volodymyr Styran

Special Assistant to the Director, State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine (SSSCIP)

Dr Michael Fischerkeller

Researcher, Institute for Defense Analysis

James Babbage

Former Director General (Threats) UK Crime Agency

Tarah Wheeler

Research Director, University of Chicago Initiative for US Rural Critical Infrastructure

Robert Knake

CEO, TPO Group

Brigadier General (National Service) Guarav Keerthi

Chief Executive Officer, StrongKeep

Dr Marina Krotofil

Independent Cybersecurity Consultant

Kim Zetter

Independent Cybersecurity Reporter

Emelia Probasco

Senior Fellow, Center for Security and Emerging Technology

Tom Uren

Between Two Nerds Podcast Host

The Grugq

Between Two Nerds Podcast Host

Joe Carson

Chief Security Evangelist and Advisory CISO , Segura

Brigadier General Ümit Ersoy

Director Cyberspace Operations Centre at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) and NICC Military Coordinator

Colonel Davide Dettori

Head of Cyber Operations at NATO HQ CDT and acting NICC Enterprise Coordinator

Luc Dandurand

Chief of the NATO Cyber Security Centre, NATO Integrated Cyber Defence Centre