Cyberwal in Galaxia Academy
Euro Space Center (Libin) – December 8th to December 12th, 2025
Free of charge
The first International School connected to the Cyberwal initiative proudly welcomes the fourth edition of the Cyberwal in Galaxia Academy.
800+
participants
4th
edition
14
countries represented
The goal is to establish Wallonia as a hub of cybersecurity excellence,
recognized well beyond its borders, and to affirm its role as a strategic center addressing the fast-evolving needs of the international cyber ecosystem.
This program will take place at the Galaxia site in Transinne which, together with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the nearby ESEC Centre in Redu (5 km away), forms one of Europe’s leading space hubs.
At ESEC Redu, ESA has established its Cybersecurity Centre, dedicated to safeguarding the Agency’s ground infrastructures and space operations, ensuring the highest standards of cyber protection.
Located in the heart of Belgium, the Euro Space Center in Transinne is a flagship educational and scientific facility dedicated to space exploration. Each year, it welcomes around 16,000 young participants from 35 nationalities and attracts over 120,000 visitors with its interactive exhibitions and immersive experiences. Combining education, outreach, and innovation, it has become a European benchmark for space awareness.
Speakers
The organizers’ objective is to position these courses as a benchmark in high-level education on a European scale, while ensuring a direct connection with the real and evolving needs of the cyber ecosystem. By inviting renowned speakers and experts from academia, companies, and public institutions, the program guarantees both academic excellence and practical relevance, preparing participants to meet tomorrow’s cybersecurity challenges.
Georges Ataya
Professor
Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management
- 3 décembre
•
- 09:00-10:00
La sécurité informatique à l’ère quantique
Mohamed Boukhebouze
AI Product Manager
EarthLab Luxembourg
- 3 décembre
•
- 09:00-10:00
La sécurité informatique à l’ère quantique
Selim Chaabani
PhD Student
ULiege
- 3 décembre
•
- 09:00-10:00
La sécurité informatique à l’ère quantique
Phédra Clouner
Deputy Director general
Centre for cybersecurity Belgium
- 3 décembre
•
- 09:00-10:00
La sécurité informatique à l’ère quantique
Emmanuelle de Foy
First Counsellor
Directorate General for Multilateral Issues
Federal Public Service (FPS) Foreign Affairs
Unit M4 Global Governance
- 3 décembre
•
- 09:00-10:00
La sécurité informatique à l’ère quantique
Yvan De Mesmaeker
Secretary General
European Corporate Security Association – ECSA
- 3 décembre
•
- 09:00-10:00
La sécurité informatique à l’ère quantique
Vincent Defrenne
NVISO
Partner Cyber Strategy & Architecture
- 3 décembre
•
- 09:00-10:00
La sécurité informatique à l’ère quantique
Laurens D'hooge
Postdoctoral researcher
IDLab-imec
- 3 décembre
•
- 09:00-10:00
La sécurité informatique à l’ère quantique
Alexandre Dulaunoy
Head of CIRCL
Computer Incident Response Center Luxembourg
- 3 décembre
•
- 09:00-10:00
La sécurité informatique à l’ère quantique
Maxime Gennart
Legal Advisor
Belgian Data Protection Authority
- 3 décembre
•
- 09:00-10:00
La sécurité informatique à l’ère quantique
Vassili Joannidès de Lautour
Consultant in AI for education and affiliate professor at Parma University
Parma University
- 3 décembre
•
- 09:00-10:00
La sécurité informatique à l’ère quantique
Thomas Kopp
Chief Scientist
LuxTrust
- 3 décembre
•
- 09:00-10:00
La sécurité informatique à l’ère quantique
Clément Laurens
Co-founder
CRESCO
- 3 décembre
•
- 09:00-10:00
La sécurité informatique à l’ère quantique
Christian Mack
COO
Guardis SRL
- 3 décembre
•
- 09:00-10:00
La sécurité informatique à l’ère quantique
Philippe Massonet
Scientific Coordinator
CETIC
- 3 décembre
•
- 09:00-10:00
La sécurité informatique à l’ère quantique
Matteo Merialdo
Cybersecurity Principal
Nexova
- 3 décembre
•
- 09:00-10:00
La sécurité informatique à l’ère quantique
Burcu Özkaptan
Head of Telecommunication and Navigation
Telespazio Belgium
- 3 décembre
•
- 09:00-10:00
La sécurité informatique à l’ère quantique
Cristel Pelsser
Professor
UCLouvain
- 3 décembre
•
- 09:00-10:00
La sécurité informatique à l’ère quantique
Giulia Rinaldi
Cyber Data Engineer Part of the Innovation & Product Policy Secure Communication and Information Systems Thales Belgium
Thales Belgium
- 3 décembre
•
- 09:00-10:00
La sécurité informatique à l’ère quantique
Pascal Rogiest
General Manager
Clarence
- 3 décembre
•
- 09:00-10:00
La sécurité informatique à l’ère quantique
Merlijn Sebrechts
Senior Researcher
Imec – Ghent University
- 3 décembre
•
- 09:00-10:00
La sécurité informatique à l’ère quantique
Pascal Steichen
CEO
Luxembourg House of Cybersecurity
- 3 décembre
•
- 09:00-10:00
La sécurité informatique à l’ère quantique
Francesco Vedovato
Assistant Professor @ Department of Information Engineering & Co-founder and product developer
University of Padova & ThinkQuantum s.r.l.
- 3 décembre
•
- 09:00-10:00
La sécurité informatique à l’ère quantique
Bert Verdonck
CEO
- 3 décembre
•
- 09:00-10:00
La sécurité informatique à l’ère quantique
Stay tuned. More speakers to be announced soon!
Our Program for the 5 days
Over the course of five days, participants will benefit from a balanced mix of theoretical insights and practical training sessions, designed to combine knowledge acquisition with hands-on experience.
To encourage networking and informal exchanges, morning and afternoon breaks are scheduled each day, providing the opportunity to connect with peers, speakers, and experts.
The program still holds exciting surprises in store for you. Stay tuned further details about the program will be available soon.
Institutional day
This day of the Cyberwal in Galaxia Academy explores the latest advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) as applied to cybersecurity and secure communications.
The day begins with an introduction to AI’s role in these critical fields, followed by presentations on innovative projects such as AIDE. Then, a session will explore how different types of AI technologies can be used to automatically generate cybersecurity functional and penetration tests, for both black box and white bow testing.
The agenda includes discussions on securing radio frequency (R/F) communications, protecting machine learning models for unmanned vehicles, and the latest developments in homomorphic encryption. Leading experts from institutions and companies—including UCLouvain, UNamur, Cetic, Multitel, imec/IDLab, Thales and Telespazio, will share their expertise and solutions.
The program also features sessions on explainable and trustworthy AI, as well as networking opportunities to encourage collaboration. The event aims to provide a holistic view of the opportunities and challenges in leveraging AI for modern cybersecurity, fostering innovation and knowledge exchange.
- Coming soon
Welcome & Registration
- Coming soon
Opening ceremony
Général Pierre Ciparisse
Auditorium
Although practised as an art and science for ages, cryptography had to wait until the mid-twentieth century for Claude Shannon to endow it with a rigorous mathematical foundation. However, Shannon’s approach was rooted in his own information theory, itself inspired by the classical physics of Newton and Einstein. Yet, the world in which we live is subject to the laws of quantum theory, no matter how bewildering, whose experimental verification half a century ago was rewarded in 2022 by the Nobel Prize in Physics. When quantum theory is taken into account, new vistas open up both for codemakers and codebreakers. Is this a blessing or a curse for cybersecurity? Quantum computers will soon be capable of computations that would be unthinkable for a conventional computer, which will seriously undermine the so-called security of Internet communications as we practise them today. Nevertheless, the same quantum theory gives rise to new cryptographic paradigms that are in principle invulnerable to arbitrary attacks, even by an adversary capable of harnessing unlimited computing power and technology. However, this unconditional security requires quantum cryptography to be implemented according to the theory, which is very challenging. Will the cat-and-mouse game between codebreakers and codemakers soon reach a decisive outcome? As we shall see, the jury is still out!
No prior knowledge in cryptography or quantum theory will be assumed. Please note that this talk will be given in French, with slides written in English.
Général Pierre Ciparisse - Cyber Command
Kim Guldstrand Larsen - Professor at Aalborg University, Department of Computer Science, Denmark
- Coming soon
Luxembourg Cybersecurity Factory
Pascal Steichen (Luxembourg House of Cybersecurity)
Auditorium
The Luxembourg Cybersecurity Factory (LCF) is set to become a groundbreaking hub for collaboration, enabling the seamless collection, analysis, and sharing of critical cybersecurity data—from threat intelligence and vulnerabilities to the effectiveness of protective measures. Designed as an open cybersecurity data space, the LCF will integrate advanced data tools, a dedicated Open Source Program Office (OSPO), and robust governance frameworks to strengthen risk mitigation across sectors.
This initiative will empower organisations, especially SMEs, to develop innovative, autonomous cybersecurity solutions, fostering a vibrant ecosystem of data, tools, and real-world applications. In a second phase, the LCF will expand its partnership with the Luxembourg AI Factory (L-AIF), integrating AI capabilities to further enhance its impact.
By attracting cybersecurity data providers to contribute their datasets and supporting data curation for AI applications, Luxembourg aims to position the LCF as a global leader in open-source-driven cybersecurity innovation.
Pascal Steichen - CEO
- Coming soon
Coming soon
Emmanuelle de Foy
Auditorium
We are familiar with the off-line world, our material world, managed by rules and laws. When it comes to the online world (and more and more parts of our lifes go online, work, leisure, information, orders, bookings…), who are the actors and how are they behaving ? What is important or crucial ? What is allowed or not allowed ? How can you react ? These issues have been discussed in the United Nations since 1998. The presentation will deal with 2 sets of negotiations that are actually typifying the state of the world. The negotiations on a international framework on ICT will show the rivalry between democracies and autocracies and the weight of the Global South. The second negotiation will show even more precisely the rivalry about the conceptions of the applicable law and the values such as the protection of human rights). The presentation will quickly deal with other lines of efforts at the level of the European Union, the OSCE and the NATO.
Emmanuelle de Foy - First Counsellor & Directorate General for Multilateral Issues
- Coming soon
Coming soon
Phedra Clouner
Auditorium
Although practised as an art and science for ages, cryptography had to wait until the mid-twentieth century for Claude Shannon to endow it with a rigorous mathematical foundation. However, Shannon’s approach was rooted in his own information theory, itself inspired by the classical physics of Newton and Einstein. Yet, the world in which we live is subject to the laws of quantum theory, no matter how bewildering, whose experimental verification half a century ago was rewarded in 2022 by the Nobel Prize in Physics. When quantum theory is taken into account, new vistas open up both for codemakers and codebreakers. Is this a blessing or a curse for cybersecurity? Quantum computers will soon be capable of computations that would be unthinkable for a conventional computer, which will seriously undermine the so-called security of Internet communications as we practise them today. Nevertheless, the same quantum theory gives rise to new cryptographic paradigms that are in principle invulnerable to arbitrary attacks, even by an adversary capable of harnessing unlimited computing power and technology. However, this unconditional security requires quantum cryptography to be implemented according to the theory, which is very challenging. Will the cat-and-mouse game between codebreakers and codemakers soon reach a decisive outcome? As we shall see, the jury is still out!
No prior knowledge in cryptography or quantum theory will be assumed. Please note that this talk will be given in French, with slides written in English.
Phedra Clouner - First Counsellor & Directorate General for Multilateral Issues
- Coming soon
Coming soon
Georges Ataya
Auditorium
Although practised as an art and science for ages, cryptography had to wait until the mid-twentieth century for Claude Shannon to endow it with a rigorous mathematical foundation. However, Shannon’s approach was rooted in his own information theory, itself inspired by the classical physics of Newton and Einstein. Yet, the world in which we live is subject to the laws of quantum theory, no matter how bewildering, whose experimental verification half a century ago was rewarded in 2022 by the Nobel Prize in Physics. When quantum theory is taken into account, new vistas open up both for codemakers and codebreakers. Is this a blessing or a curse for cybersecurity? Quantum computers will soon be capable of computations that would be unthinkable for a conventional computer, which will seriously undermine the so-called security of Internet communications as we practise them today. Nevertheless, the same quantum theory gives rise to new cryptographic paradigms that are in principle invulnerable to arbitrary attacks, even by an adversary capable of harnessing unlimited computing power and technology. However, this unconditional security requires quantum cryptography to be implemented according to the theory, which is very challenging. Will the cat-and-mouse game between codebreakers and codemakers soon reach a decisive outcome? As we shall see, the jury is still out!
No prior knowledge in cryptography or quantum theory will be assumed. Please note that this talk will be given in French, with slides written in English.
Georges Ataya
- Coming soon
Coming soon
Maxime Gennart
Auditorium
Although practised as an art and science for ages, cryptography had to wait until the mid-twentieth century for Claude Shannon to endow it with a rigorous mathematical foundation. However, Shannon’s approach was rooted in his own information theory, itself inspired by the classical physics of Newton and Einstein. Yet, the world in which we live is subject to the laws of quantum theory, no matter how bewildering, whose experimental verification half a century ago was rewarded in 2022 by the Nobel Prize in Physics. When quantum theory is taken into account, new vistas open up both for codemakers and codebreakers. Is this a blessing or a curse for cybersecurity? Quantum computers will soon be capable of computations that would be unthinkable for a conventional computer, which will seriously undermine the so-called security of Internet communications as we practise them today. Nevertheless, the same quantum theory gives rise to new cryptographic paradigms that are in principle invulnerable to arbitrary attacks, even by an adversary capable of harnessing unlimited computing power and technology. However, this unconditional security requires quantum cryptography to be implemented according to the theory, which is very challenging. Will the cat-and-mouse game between codebreakers and codemakers soon reach a decisive outcome? As we shall see, the jury is still out!
No prior knowledge in cryptography or quantum theory will be assumed. Please note that this talk will be given in French, with slides written in English.
Maxime Gennart - Legal Advisor
- Coming soon
How Cyber Security fits into Global Corporate Security
Yvan De Mesmaeker
Auditorium
Although practised as an art and science for ages, cryptography had to wait until the mid-twentieth century for Claude Shannon to endow it with a rigorous mathematical foundation. However, Shannon’s approach was rooted in his own information theory, itself inspired by the classical physics of Newton and Einstein. Yet, the world in which we live is subject to the laws of quantum theory, no matter how bewildering, whose experimental verification half a century ago was rewarded in 2022 by the Nobel Prize in Physics. When quantum theory is taken into account, new vistas open up both for codemakers and codebreakers. Is this a blessing or a curse for cybersecurity? Quantum computers will soon be capable of computations that would be unthinkable for a conventional computer, which will seriously undermine the so-called security of Internet communications as we practise them today. Nevertheless, the same quantum theory gives rise to new cryptographic paradigms that are in principle invulnerable to arbitrary attacks, even by an adversary capable of harnessing unlimited computing power and technology. However, this unconditional security requires quantum cryptography to be implemented according to the theory, which is very challenging. Will the cat-and-mouse game between codebreakers and codemakers soon reach a decisive outcome? As we shall see, the jury is still out!
No prior knowledge in cryptography or quantum theory will be assumed. Please note that this talk will be given in French, with slides written in English.
Yvan De Mesmaeker - Secretary General
Cyber & AI Day
This day of the Cyberwal in Galaxia Academy explores the latest advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) as applied to cybersecurity and secure communications.
The day begins with an introduction to AI’s role in these critical fields, followed by presentations on innovative projects such as AIDE. Then, a session will explore how different types of AI technologies can be used to automatically generate cybersecurity functional and penetration tests, for both black box and white bow testing.
The agenda includes discussions on securing radio frequency (R/F) communications, protecting machine learning models for unmanned vehicles, and the latest developments in homomorphic encryption. Leading experts from institutions and companies—including UCLouvain, UNamur, Cetic, Multitel, imec/IDLab, Thales and Telespazio, will share their expertise and solutions.
The program also features sessions on explainable and trustworthy AI, as well as networking opportunities to encourage collaboration. The event aims to provide a holistic view of the opportunities and challenges in leveraging AI for modern cybersecurity, fostering innovation and knowledge exchange.
- 08:00 - 9:00
Welcome & Registration
- 09:00 - 09:15
Introduction to the 'AI day’
Jonathan Pisane and Philippe Massonet
Auditorium
The introduction to the AI day will, afetr a brief introduction to the topic of AI for Cybersecurity, explain the objectives of the day, introduce the program and the speakers of the day.
Jonathan Pisane
Philippe Massonet - Scientific Coordinator
- 09:15 - 09:45
Overview of the use of AI in cyber
Laurens D’Hooge
Auditorium
Dr. D’hooge’s presentation will be divided in two parts: a plunge into the current research landscape where AI is applied to cybersecurity and an overview of the AIDE project which aims at a platform for secure, federated machine learning.
The first part will cover the state-of-the-art in topics such as network intrusion detection and malware detection as well as a host of other topics where machine learning (ML) is being leveraged to solve cybersecurity issues. The talk will include guidelines on solid ML experiment design and evaluation to reach more reliable and reproducible results with a key focus on the importance of model generalization.
Laurens D'hooge - Postdoctoral researcher
- 09:45 - 10:00
Presentation of the AIDE project
Laurens D’Hooge
Auditorium
The second part will dive deep into imec’s role as integrator for the AIDE project, financed by FOD Bosa to research and develop secure infrastructure in academia for Belgian companies to jointly train and evaluate machine learning models without sharing data in a federated manner.
Laurens D'hooge - Postdoctoral researcher
- 10:00 - 10:45
AI-powered tools and cybersecurity: the role of prompting
Vassili Joannidès de Lautour
Auditorium
With the development of LLMs, generative AI has been democratised, making prompting the new must-have skill. According to an OpenAI study, 80% or generative AI users believe they know how to prompt but do not. 15% can write decent, yet incomplete and insecure prompts whilst only 5% have a perfect command of prompting. This has caused the occurring of a number of loopholes for cybersecurity, some whereof are covered in this presentation. In the first place, It is no longer needed to have a good command of coding, prompting may suffice. Secured systems may be vulnerable to well-designed prompts, a new generation of hackers. Secondly, prompt amateurs may not be able to discern hallucination and other AI-generated creations whilst engineers would. Thirdly, AI-powered tools may be vulnerable if they are not secured through some basic tools (APIs, tokens, etc.) Fourthly, the prompt at the core of AI-powered tools may be vulnerable, if they are misconceived (loose instructions, no fallback mechanisms, no reflexivity, etc.)
Vassili Joannidès de Lautour - Consultant in AI for education and affiliate professor at Parma University
- 10:45 - 11:00
Coffee break
- 11:00 - 11:30
AI-powered tools and cybersecurity: tests generation
Xavier Devroey (Unamur), Martin Vivian (UCLouvain) and Guillaume Ginis (CETIC)
Auditorium
Although practised as an art and science for ages, cryptography had to wait until the mid-twentieth century for Claude Shannon to endow it with a rigorous mathematical foundation. However, Shannon’s approach was rooted in his own information theory, itself inspired by the classical physics of Newton and Einstein. Yet, the world in which we live is subject to the laws of quantum theory, no matter how bewildering, whose experimental verification half a century ago was rewarded in 2022 by the Nobel Prize in Physics. When quantum theory is taken into account, new vistas open up both for codemakers and codebreakers. Is this a blessing or a curse for cybersecurity? Quantum computers will soon be capable of computations that would be unthinkable for a conventional computer, which will seriously undermine the so-called security of Internet communications as we practise them today. Nevertheless, the same quantum theory gives rise to new cryptographic paradigms that are in principle invulnerable to arbitrary attacks, even by an adversary capable of harnessing unlimited computing power and technology. However, this unconditional security requires quantum cryptography to be implemented according to the theory, which is very challenging. Will the cat-and-mouse game between codebreakers and codemakers soon reach a decisive outcome? As we shall see, the jury is still out!
No prior knowledge in cryptography or quantum theory will be assumed. Please note that this talk will be given in French, with slides written in English.
Xavier Devroey
Martin Vivian
Guillaume Ginis
- 11:30 - 12:00
AI for secure R/F communications: academical approach
Nicolas Point (Multitel)
Auditorium
Although practised as an art and science for ages, cryptography had to wait until the mid-twentieth century for Claude Shannon to endow it with a rigorous mathematical foundation. However, Shannon’s approach was rooted in his own information theory, itself inspired by the classical physics of Newton and Einstein. Yet, the world in which we live is subject to the laws of quantum theory, no matter how bewildering, whose experimental verification half a century ago was rewarded in 2022 by the Nobel Prize in Physics. When quantum theory is taken into account, new vistas open up both for codemakers and codebreakers. Is this a blessing or a curse for cybersecurity? Quantum computers will soon be capable of computations that would be unthinkable for a conventional computer, which will seriously undermine the so-called security of Internet communications as we practise them today. Nevertheless, the same quantum theory gives rise to new cryptographic paradigms that are in principle invulnerable to arbitrary attacks, even by an adversary capable of harnessing unlimited computing power and technology. However, this unconditional security requires quantum cryptography to be implemented according to the theory, which is very challenging. Will the cat-and-mouse game between codebreakers and codemakers soon reach a decisive outcome? As we shall see, the jury is still out!
No prior knowledge in cryptography or quantum theory will be assumed. Please note that this talk will be given in French, with slides written in English.
Nicolas Point
- 12:00 - 12:30
Importance of Spectrum Monitoring for Safety-Critical Autonomous Vehicle PNT Applications
Burcu Özkaptan (Telespazio)
Auditorium
Our project presents a prototype of a Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) user equipment that integrates 4G and GNSS technologies to deliver highly reliable navigation capabilities for safety-critical applications, even under hostile environmental conditions or signal interference. The hybrid system is designed to enhance the performance and resilience of autonomous vehicles, particularly in urban environments where GNSS reliability is compromised due to superstructures and 4G networks are dense, and in rural environments where the mobile networks are scarce. Key use cases include autonomous docking in ports and autonomous ground vehicles in airports, both of which demand high safety standards and benefit from mobile network deployments. Besides positioning hybridization of GNSS with 4G mobile networks, the prototype uses machine learning techniques on both spectra for interference detection and classification, and signal processing algorithms for interference mitigation and features intelligent sensor switching based on signal quality indicators. A machine learning-based system assesses signal integrity in the spectrum of interest and recommends optimal PNT sources, ensuring robust navigation outputs for vehicle systems. The solution is compact and suitable for integration into UAVs, supporting future applications in urban air mobility and infrastructure monitoring. The PNT solution is reliable, robust and secure in the presence of interferers, and it is suitable for safety critical applications even in case of hostile environment conditions or attacks on the GNSS or mobile bands.
Burcu Özkaptan - Head of Telecommunication and Navigation
- 12:30 - 13:30
Lunch break
- 13:30 - 14:30
Homomorphic ciphering: academical approach
Xavier Lessage (Cetic)
Auditorium
Although practised as an art and science for ages, cryptography had to wait until the mid-twentieth century for Claude Shannon to endow it with a rigorous mathematical foundation. However, Shannon’s approach was rooted in his own information theory, itself inspired by the classical physics of Newton and Einstein. Yet, the world in which we live is subject to the laws of quantum theory, no matter how bewildering, whose experimental verification half a century ago was rewarded in 2022 by the Nobel Prize in Physics. When quantum theory is taken into account, new vistas open up both for codemakers and codebreakers. Is this a blessing or a curse for cybersecurity? Quantum computers will soon be capable of computations that would be unthinkable for a conventional computer, which will seriously undermine the so-called security of Internet communications as we practise them today. Nevertheless, the same quantum theory gives rise to new cryptographic paradigms that are in principle invulnerable to arbitrary attacks, even by an adversary capable of harnessing unlimited computing power and technology. However, this unconditional security requires quantum cryptography to be implemented according to the theory, which is very challenging. Will the cat-and-mouse game between codebreakers and codemakers soon reach a decisive outcome? As we shall see, the jury is still out!
No prior knowledge in cryptography or quantum theory will be assumed. Please note that this talk will be given in French, with slides written in English.
Xavier Lessage
- 14:30 - 15:00
CONFIDENTIAL ML FOR UNMANNED VEHICLES (securing ML models from extraction)
Merlijn Sebrechts (imec/IDLab)
Auditorium
Machine learning models and other software on Unmanned Vehicles (UVs) are not safe. It’s often trivial for adversaries with physical access to extract the models on a device. This risks theft of intellectual property and can even help adversaries develop countermeasures to “fool” or hijack AI models. While confidential computing is a promising technology to protect data and models while they’re in use, the hardware in most UVs does not actually support modern confidential computing solutions. This talk will investigate the confidential computing solutions of commercial off-the-shelf hardware in UVs, show off a demo taking advantage of these features, and take a peek into the future of confidential computing for UVs.
Merlijn Sebrechts - Senior Researcher
- 15:00 - 15:30
Coming soon
Coming soon
Auditorium
Although practised as an art and science for ages, cryptography had to wait until the mid-twentieth century for Claude Shannon to endow it with a rigorous mathematical foundation. However, Shannon’s approach was rooted in his own information theory, itself inspired by the classical physics of Newton and Einstein. Yet, the world in which we live is subject to the laws of quantum theory, no matter how bewildering, whose experimental verification half a century ago was rewarded in 2022 by the Nobel Prize in Physics. When quantum theory is taken into account, new vistas open up both for codemakers and codebreakers. Is this a blessing or a curse for cybersecurity? Quantum computers will soon be capable of computations that would be unthinkable for a conventional computer, which will seriously undermine the so-called security of Internet communications as we practise them today. Nevertheless, the same quantum theory gives rise to new cryptographic paradigms that are in principle invulnerable to arbitrary attacks, even by an adversary capable of harnessing unlimited computing power and technology. However, this unconditional security requires quantum cryptography to be implemented according to the theory, which is very challenging. Will the cat-and-mouse game between codebreakers and codemakers soon reach a decisive outcome? As we shall see, the jury is still out!
No prior knowledge in cryptography or quantum theory will be assumed. Please note that this talk will be given in French, with slides written in English.
Kim Guldstrand Larsen - Professor at Aalborg University, Department of Computer Science, Denmark
- 15:30 - 15:45
Coffee break
- 15:45 - 16:15
Homomorphic ciphering: academical approach
Coming soon
Auditorium
Although practised as an art and science for ages, cryptography had to wait until the mid-twentieth century for Claude Shannon to endow it with a rigorous mathematical foundation. However, Shannon’s approach was rooted in his own information theory, itself inspired by the classical physics of Newton and Einstein. Yet, the world in which we live is subject to the laws of quantum theory, no matter how bewildering, whose experimental verification half a century ago was rewarded in 2022 by the Nobel Prize in Physics. When quantum theory is taken into account, new vistas open up both for codemakers and codebreakers. Is this a blessing or a curse for cybersecurity? Quantum computers will soon be capable of computations that would be unthinkable for a conventional computer, which will seriously undermine the so-called security of Internet communications as we practise them today. Nevertheless, the same quantum theory gives rise to new cryptographic paradigms that are in principle invulnerable to arbitrary attacks, even by an adversary capable of harnessing unlimited computing power and technology. However, this unconditional security requires quantum cryptography to be implemented according to the theory, which is very challenging. Will the cat-and-mouse game between codebreakers and codemakers soon reach a decisive outcome? As we shall see, the jury is still out!
No prior knowledge in cryptography or quantum theory will be assumed. Please note that this talk will be given in French, with slides written in English.
Xavier Lessage
- 16:15 - 16:45
Homomorphic ciphering: industrial approach
Mohamed Boukhebouze (Earth Lab Luxembourg)
Auditorium
Although practised as an art and science for ages, cryptography had to wait until the mid-twentieth century for Claude Shannon to endow it with a rigorous mathematical foundation. However, Shannon’s approach was rooted in his own information theory, itself inspired by the classical physics of Newton and Einstein. Yet, the world in which we live is subject to the laws of quantum theory, no matter how bewildering, whose experimental verification half a century ago was rewarded in 2022 by the Nobel Prize in Physics. When quantum theory is taken into account, new vistas open up both for codemakers and codebreakers. Is this a blessing or a curse for cybersecurity? Quantum computers will soon be capable of computations that would be unthinkable for a conventional computer, which will seriously undermine the so-called security of Internet communications as we practise them today. Nevertheless, the same quantum theory gives rise to new cryptographic paradigms that are in principle invulnerable to arbitrary attacks, even by an adversary capable of harnessing unlimited computing power and technology. However, this unconditional security requires quantum cryptography to be implemented according to the theory, which is very challenging. Will the cat-and-mouse game between codebreakers and codemakers soon reach a decisive outcome? As we shall see, the jury is still out!
No prior knowledge in cryptography or quantum theory will be assumed. Please note that this talk will be given in French, with slides written in English.
Mohamed Boukhebouze - AI Product Manager
- 16:45 - 17:00
Ending session
Jonathan Pisane and Philippe Massonet
Auditorium
Although practised as an art and science for ages, cryptography had to wait until the mid-twentieth century for Claude Shannon to endow it with a rigorous mathematical foundation. However, Shannon’s approach was rooted in his own information theory, itself inspired by the classical physics of Newton and Einstein. Yet, the world in which we live is subject to the laws of quantum theory, no matter how bewildering, whose experimental verification half a century ago was rewarded in 2022 by the Nobel Prize in Physics. When quantum theory is taken into account, new vistas open up both for codemakers and codebreakers. Is this a blessing or a curse for cybersecurity? Quantum computers will soon be capable of computations that would be unthinkable for a conventional computer, which will seriously undermine the so-called security of Internet communications as we practise them today. Nevertheless, the same quantum theory gives rise to new cryptographic paradigms that are in principle invulnerable to arbitrary attacks, even by an adversary capable of harnessing unlimited computing power and technology. However, this unconditional security requires quantum cryptography to be implemented according to the theory, which is very challenging. Will the cat-and-mouse game between codebreakers and codemakers soon reach a decisive outcome? As we shall see, the jury is still out!
No prior knowledge in cryptography or quantum theory will be assumed. Please note that this talk will be given in French, with slides written in English.
Jonathan Pisane
Philippe Massonet - Scientific Coordinator
Quantum Technology and Cybersecurity
This session of the Cyber and Quantum Day program explores the transformative impact of quantum technologies on secure communications and their implications for cybersecurity.
The event will begin with a technical exploration of Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), providing attendees with a solid foundation for understanding its critical role in securing communications against quantum threats.
The agenda continues with presentations on the latest breakthroughs in QKD networks, highlighting both theoretical models and practical deployments. Experts will also explore the integration of QKD with Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC), examining hybrid approaches to achieve robust and scalable quantum-safe solutions.
A panel discussion will convene leading voices from academia, industry, and critical infrastructure sectors to address the challenges and opportunities of building quantum-secure communications.
This exchange will consider technical, economic, and regulatory perspectives, with a focus on the concrete steps required to prepare for a quantum-resilient future. Finally, the day will conclude with an exclusive visit to the Gilles Brassard Quantum Cryptography Lab, an open research platform dedicated to advancing secure communications in the quantum era.
By bringing together experts from institutions and companies—including Università di Padova, Université de Liège, Multitel, Starion, and Thales—the event fosters collaboration, knowledge exchange, and innovation.
The Cyber and Quantum Day aims to provide a holistic view of the opportunities and challenges in leveraging quantum technologies to transform secure communications, paving the way toward a trusted digital future.
- Coming soon
Welcome & Registration
- 09:00 - 09:15
Introduction to the 'quantum day'
Serge Habraken (CSL)
Auditorium
This presentation explores the fundamental concepts behind Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) and the challenges arising from its implementation in spatial contexts. The first part introduces the theoretical foundations of QKD, providing an overview of its operating principles. It covers key ideas such as the growing threat posed by quantum computers, the basics of modern cryptography, and the quantum mechanics principles relevant to QKD. The second part adopts a more technological perspective, presenting the hardware and systems required to exchange quantum keys and discussing several approaches to building these resources. Overall, this presentation aims to provide a clear introduction to QKD, accessible to an audience without prior background in the field.
Serge Habraken - CSL
- 09:15 - 10:30
Technical introduction to QKD
Serge Habraken (CSL)
Auditorium
This presentation explores the fundamental concepts behind Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) and the challenges arising from its implementation in spatial contexts. The first part introduces the theoretical foundations of QKD, providing an overview of its operating principles. It covers key ideas such as the growing threat posed by quantum computers, the basics of modern cryptography, and the quantum mechanics principles relevant to QKD. The second part adopts a more technological perspective, presenting the hardware and systems required to exchange quantum keys and discussing several approaches to building these resources. Overall, this presentation aims to provide a clear introduction to QKD, accessible to an audience without prior background in the field.
Serge Habraken - CSL
- 10:30 - 10:45
Coffee break
- 10:45 - 12:00
Advance in QKD related researches
Francesco Vedovato (U. Padua)
Auditorium
Although practised as an art and science for ages, cryptography had to wait until the mid-twentieth century for Claude Shannon to endow it with a rigorous mathematical foundation. However, Shannon’s approach was rooted in his own information theory, itself inspired by the classical physics of Newton and Einstein. Yet, the world in which we live is subject to the laws of quantum theory, no matter how bewildering, whose experimental verification half a century ago was rewarded in 2022 by the Nobel Prize in Physics. When quantum theory is taken into account, new vistas open up both for codemakers and codebreakers. Is this a blessing or a curse for cybersecurity? Quantum computers will soon be capable of computations that would be unthinkable for a conventional computer, which will seriously undermine the so-called security of Internet communications as we practise them today. Nevertheless, the same quantum theory gives rise to new cryptographic paradigms that are in principle invulnerable to arbitrary attacks, even by an adversary capable of harnessing unlimited computing power and technology. However, this unconditional security requires quantum cryptography to be implemented according to the theory, which is very challenging. Will the cat-and-mouse game between codebreakers and codemakers soon reach a decisive outcome? As we shall see, the jury is still out!
No prior knowledge in cryptography or quantum theory will be assumed. Please note that this talk will be given in French, with slides written in English.
Francesco Vedovato - U. Padua
- 12:00 - 12:15
Spontaneous presentation of the public activities
Fatou Diao
Auditorium
Although practised as an art and science for ages, cryptography had to wait until the mid-twentieth century for Claude Shannon to endow it with a rigorous mathematical foundation. However, Shannon’s approach was rooted in his own information theory, itself inspired by the classical physics of Newton and Einstein. Yet, the world in which we live is subject to the laws of quantum theory, no matter how bewildering, whose experimental verification half a century ago was rewarded in 2022 by the Nobel Prize in Physics. When quantum theory is taken into account, new vistas open up both for codemakers and codebreakers. Is this a blessing or a curse for cybersecurity? Quantum computers will soon be capable of computations that would be unthinkable for a conventional computer, which will seriously undermine the so-called security of Internet communications as we practise them today. Nevertheless, the same quantum theory gives rise to new cryptographic paradigms that are in principle invulnerable to arbitrary attacks, even by an adversary capable of harnessing unlimited computing power and technology. However, this unconditional security requires quantum cryptography to be implemented according to the theory, which is very challenging. Will the cat-and-mouse game between codebreakers and codemakers soon reach a decisive outcome? As we shall see, the jury is still out!
No prior knowledge in cryptography or quantum theory will be assumed. Please note that this talk will be given in French, with slides written in English.
Fatou Diao
- 12:15 - 13:15
Lunch
- 13:15 - 14:00
Thesis in QKD
Selim Chaabani (ULiege), Antoine Groulard (ULiege) & Fatou Diao (multitel)
Auditorium
Although practised as an art and science for ages, cryptography had to wait until the mid-twentieth century for Claude Shannon to endow it with a rigorous mathematical foundation. However, Shannon’s approach was rooted in his own information theory, itself inspired by the classical physics of Newton and Einstein. Yet, the world in which we live is subject to the laws of quantum theory, no matter how bewildering, whose experimental verification half a century ago was rewarded in 2022 by the Nobel Prize in Physics. When quantum theory is taken into account, new vistas open up both for codemakers and codebreakers. Is this a blessing or a curse for cybersecurity? Quantum computers will soon be capable of computations that would be unthinkable for a conventional computer, which will seriously undermine the so-called security of Internet communications as we practise them today. Nevertheless, the same quantum theory gives rise to new cryptographic paradigms that are in principle invulnerable to arbitrary attacks, even by an adversary capable of harnessing unlimited computing power and technology. However, this unconditional security requires quantum cryptography to be implemented according to the theory, which is very challenging. Will the cat-and-mouse game between codebreakers and codemakers soon reach a decisive outcome? As we shall see, the jury is still out!
No prior knowledge in cryptography or quantum theory will be assumed. Please note that this talk will be given in French, with slides written in English.
Selim Chaabani - ULiege
Antoine Groulard - ULiege
Fatou Diao - Multitel
- 14:00 - 14:45
Advance in QKD networks
Patrick Renaux (Starion)
Auditorium
Although practised as an art and science for ages, cryptography had to wait until the mid-twentieth century for Claude Shannon to endow it with a rigorous mathematical foundation. However, Shannon’s approach was rooted in his own information theory, itself inspired by the classical physics of Newton and Einstein. Yet, the world in which we live is subject to the laws of quantum theory, no matter how bewildering, whose experimental verification half a century ago was rewarded in 2022 by the Nobel Prize in Physics. When quantum theory is taken into account, new vistas open up both for codemakers and codebreakers. Is this a blessing or a curse for cybersecurity? Quantum computers will soon be capable of computations that would be unthinkable for a conventional computer, which will seriously undermine the so-called security of Internet communications as we practise them today. Nevertheless, the same quantum theory gives rise to new cryptographic paradigms that are in principle invulnerable to arbitrary attacks, even by an adversary capable of harnessing unlimited computing power and technology. However, this unconditional security requires quantum cryptography to be implemented according to the theory, which is very challenging. Will the cat-and-mouse game between codebreakers and codemakers soon reach a decisive outcome? As we shall see, the jury is still out!
No prior knowledge in cryptography or quantum theory will be assumed. Please note that this talk will be given in French, with slides written in English.
Patrick Renaux - Starion
- 14:45 - 15:00
Coffee break
- 15:00 - 16:00
QKD & PQC
Sarah Ampe (EY) & Jean Lienardy (ERM)
Auditorium
Although practised as an art and science for ages, cryptography had to wait until the mid-twentieth century for Claude Shannon to endow it with a rigorous mathematical foundation. However, Shannon’s approach was rooted in his own information theory, itself inspired by the classical physics of Newton and Einstein. Yet, the world in which we live is subject to the laws of quantum theory, no matter how bewildering, whose experimental verification half a century ago was rewarded in 2022 by the Nobel Prize in Physics. When quantum theory is taken into account, new vistas open up both for codemakers and codebreakers. Is this a blessing or a curse for cybersecurity? Quantum computers will soon be capable of computations that would be unthinkable for a conventional computer, which will seriously undermine the so-called security of Internet communications as we practise them today. Nevertheless, the same quantum theory gives rise to new cryptographic paradigms that are in principle invulnerable to arbitrary attacks, even by an adversary capable of harnessing unlimited computing power and technology. However, this unconditional security requires quantum cryptography to be implemented according to the theory, which is very challenging. Will the cat-and-mouse game between codebreakers and codemakers soon reach a decisive outcome? As we shall see, the jury is still out!
No prior knowledge in cryptography or quantum theory will be assumed. Please note that this talk will be given in French, with slides written in English.
Sarah Ampe - EY
Jean Lienardy - ERM
- 16:00 - 17:00
Panel discussion
Yvan De Mesmaeker (Infras critiques), Joachim Vererfven (Proximus), Francesco Vedovato (Académique) & Olivier Croix (Thales Be)
Auditorium
Although practised as an art and science for ages, cryptography had to wait until the mid-twentieth century for Claude Shannon to endow it with a rigorous mathematical foundation. However, Shannon’s approach was rooted in his own information theory, itself inspired by the classical physics of Newton and Einstein. Yet, the world in which we live is subject to the laws of quantum theory, no matter how bewildering, whose experimental verification half a century ago was rewarded in 2022 by the Nobel Prize in Physics. When quantum theory is taken into account, new vistas open up both for codemakers and codebreakers. Is this a blessing or a curse for cybersecurity? Quantum computers will soon be capable of computations that would be unthinkable for a conventional computer, which will seriously undermine the so-called security of Internet communications as we practise them today. Nevertheless, the same quantum theory gives rise to new cryptographic paradigms that are in principle invulnerable to arbitrary attacks, even by an adversary capable of harnessing unlimited computing power and technology. However, this unconditional security requires quantum cryptography to be implemented according to the theory, which is very challenging. Will the cat-and-mouse game between codebreakers and codemakers soon reach a decisive outcome? As we shall see, the jury is still out!
No prior knowledge in cryptography or quantum theory will be assumed. Please note that this talk will be given in French, with slides written in English.
Yvan De Mesmaeker - Infras critiques
Joachim Vererfven - Proximus
Francesco Vedovato - Académique
Olivier Croix - Thales Be
- 17:00 - 17:15
Closing session
Coming soon
Auditorium
Although practised as an art and science for ages, cryptography had to wait until the mid-twentieth century for Claude Shannon to endow it with a rigorous mathematical foundation. However, Shannon’s approach was rooted in his own information theory, itself inspired by the classical physics of Newton and Einstein. Yet, the world in which we live is subject to the laws of quantum theory, no matter how bewildering, whose experimental verification half a century ago was rewarded in 2022 by the Nobel Prize in Physics. When quantum theory is taken into account, new vistas open up both for codemakers and codebreakers. Is this a blessing or a curse for cybersecurity? Quantum computers will soon be capable of computations that would be unthinkable for a conventional computer, which will seriously undermine the so-called security of Internet communications as we practise them today. Nevertheless, the same quantum theory gives rise to new cryptographic paradigms that are in principle invulnerable to arbitrary attacks, even by an adversary capable of harnessing unlimited computing power and technology. However, this unconditional security requires quantum cryptography to be implemented according to the theory, which is very challenging. Will the cat-and-mouse game between codebreakers and codemakers soon reach a decisive outcome? As we shall see, the jury is still out!
No prior knowledge in cryptography or quantum theory will be assumed. Please note that this talk will be given in French, with slides written in English.
Kim Guldstrand Larsen - Professor at Aalborg University, Department of Computer Science, Denmark
- 17h15 - x
Visit of Quantum lab
Antoine Dierick (Thales)
Auditorium
Although practised as an art and science for ages, cryptography had to wait until the mid-twentieth century for Claude Shannon to endow it with a rigorous mathematical foundation. However, Shannon’s approach was rooted in his own information theory, itself inspired by the classical physics of Newton and Einstein. Yet, the world in which we live is subject to the laws of quantum theory, no matter how bewildering, whose experimental verification half a century ago was rewarded in 2022 by the Nobel Prize in Physics. When quantum theory is taken into account, new vistas open up both for codemakers and codebreakers. Is this a blessing or a curse for cybersecurity? Quantum computers will soon be capable of computations that would be unthinkable for a conventional computer, which will seriously undermine the so-called security of Internet communications as we practise them today. Nevertheless, the same quantum theory gives rise to new cryptographic paradigms that are in principle invulnerable to arbitrary attacks, even by an adversary capable of harnessing unlimited computing power and technology. However, this unconditional security requires quantum cryptography to be implemented according to the theory, which is very challenging. Will the cat-and-mouse game between codebreakers and codemakers soon reach a decisive outcome? As we shall see, the jury is still out!
No prior knowledge in cryptography or quantum theory will be assumed. Please note that this talk will be given in French, with slides written in English.
Kim Guldstrand Larsen - Professor at Aalborg University, Department of Computer Science, Denmark
- 15:30 - 15:45
Coffee break
- 15:45 - 16:15
Homomorphic ciphering: academical approach
Xavier Lessage (Cetic)
Auditorium
Although practised as an art and science for ages, cryptography had to wait until the mid-twentieth century for Claude Shannon to endow it with a rigorous mathematical foundation. However, Shannon’s approach was rooted in his own information theory, itself inspired by the classical physics of Newton and Einstein. Yet, the world in which we live is subject to the laws of quantum theory, no matter how bewildering, whose experimental verification half a century ago was rewarded in 2022 by the Nobel Prize in Physics. When quantum theory is taken into account, new vistas open up both for codemakers and codebreakers. Is this a blessing or a curse for cybersecurity? Quantum computers will soon be capable of computations that would be unthinkable for a conventional computer, which will seriously undermine the so-called security of Internet communications as we practise them today. Nevertheless, the same quantum theory gives rise to new cryptographic paradigms that are in principle invulnerable to arbitrary attacks, even by an adversary capable of harnessing unlimited computing power and technology. However, this unconditional security requires quantum cryptography to be implemented according to the theory, which is very challenging. Will the cat-and-mouse game between codebreakers and codemakers soon reach a decisive outcome? As we shall see, the jury is still out!
No prior knowledge in cryptography or quantum theory will be assumed. Please note that this talk will be given in French, with slides written in English.
Kim Guldstrand Larsen - Professor at Aalborg University, Department of Computer Science, Denmark
Kim Guldstrand Larsen - Professor at Aalborg University, Department of Computer Science, Denmark
- 16:15 - 16:45
Homomorphic ciphering: industrial approach
Mohamed Boukhebouze (Earth Lab Luxembourg)
Auditorium
Although practised as an art and science for ages, cryptography had to wait until the mid-twentieth century for Claude Shannon to endow it with a rigorous mathematical foundation. However, Shannon’s approach was rooted in his own information theory, itself inspired by the classical physics of Newton and Einstein. Yet, the world in which we live is subject to the laws of quantum theory, no matter how bewildering, whose experimental verification half a century ago was rewarded in 2022 by the Nobel Prize in Physics. When quantum theory is taken into account, new vistas open up both for codemakers and codebreakers. Is this a blessing or a curse for cybersecurity? Quantum computers will soon be capable of computations that would be unthinkable for a conventional computer, which will seriously undermine the so-called security of Internet communications as we practise them today. Nevertheless, the same quantum theory gives rise to new cryptographic paradigms that are in principle invulnerable to arbitrary attacks, even by an adversary capable of harnessing unlimited computing power and technology. However, this unconditional security requires quantum cryptography to be implemented according to the theory, which is very challenging. Will the cat-and-mouse game between codebreakers and codemakers soon reach a decisive outcome? As we shall see, the jury is still out!
No prior knowledge in cryptography or quantum theory will be assumed. Please note that this talk will be given in French, with slides written in English.
Kim Guldstrand Larsen - Professor at Aalborg University, Department of Computer Science, Denmark
- 16:45 - 17:00
Ending session
Jonathan Pisane and Philippe Massonet
Auditorium
Although practised as an art and science for ages, cryptography had to wait until the mid-twentieth century for Claude Shannon to endow it with a rigorous mathematical foundation. However, Shannon’s approach was rooted in his own information theory, itself inspired by the classical physics of Newton and Einstein. Yet, the world in which we live is subject to the laws of quantum theory, no matter how bewildering, whose experimental verification half a century ago was rewarded in 2022 by the Nobel Prize in Physics. When quantum theory is taken into account, new vistas open up both for codemakers and codebreakers. Is this a blessing or a curse for cybersecurity? Quantum computers will soon be capable of computations that would be unthinkable for a conventional computer, which will seriously undermine the so-called security of Internet communications as we practise them today. Nevertheless, the same quantum theory gives rise to new cryptographic paradigms that are in principle invulnerable to arbitrary attacks, even by an adversary capable of harnessing unlimited computing power and technology. However, this unconditional security requires quantum cryptography to be implemented according to the theory, which is very challenging. Will the cat-and-mouse game between codebreakers and codemakers soon reach a decisive outcome? As we shall see, the jury is still out!
No prior knowledge in cryptography or quantum theory will be assumed. Please note that this talk will be given in French, with slides written in English.
Kim Guldstrand Larsen - Professor at Aalborg University, Department of Computer Science, Denmark
Cyber protection in practise
This day of the Cyberwal in Galaxia Academy explores the latest advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) as applied to cybersecurity and secure communications.
The day begins with an introduction to AI’s role in these critical fields, followed by presentations on innovative projects such as AIDE. Then, a session will explore how different types of AI technologies can be used to automatically generate cybersecurity functional and penetration tests, for both black box and white bow testing.
The agenda includes discussions on securing radio frequency (R/F) communications, protecting machine learning models for unmanned vehicles, and the latest developments in homomorphic encryption. Leading experts from institutions and companies—including UCLouvain, UNamur, Cetic, Multitel, imec/IDLab, Thales and Telespazio, will share their expertise and solutions.
The program also features sessions on explainable and trustworthy AI, as well as networking opportunities to encourage collaboration. The event aims to provide a holistic view of the opportunities and challenges in leveraging AI for modern cybersecurity, fostering innovation and knowledge exchange.
- Coming soon
Welcome & Registration
- 08:00 - 10:00
Protecting systems by anticipation - ISAC operations - Coming soon
Alexandre Dulaunoy (CIRCL)
Auditorium
Although practised as an art and science for ages, cryptography had to wait until the mid-twentieth century for Claude Shannon to endow it with a rigorous mathematical foundation. However, Shannon’s approach was rooted in his own information theory, itself inspired by the classical physics of Newton and Einstein. Yet, the world in which we live is subject to the laws of quantum theory, no matter how bewildering, whose experimental verification half a century ago was rewarded in 2022 by the Nobel Prize in Physics. When quantum theory is taken into account, new vistas open up both for codemakers and codebreakers. Is this a blessing or a curse for cybersecurity? Quantum computers will soon be capable of computations that would be unthinkable for a conventional computer, which will seriously undermine the so-called security of Internet communications as we practise them today. Nevertheless, the same quantum theory gives rise to new cryptographic paradigms that are in principle invulnerable to arbitrary attacks, even by an adversary capable of harnessing unlimited computing power and technology. However, this unconditional security requires quantum cryptography to be implemented according to the theory, which is very challenging. Will the cat-and-mouse game between codebreakers and codemakers soon reach a decisive outcome? As we shall see, the jury is still out!
No prior knowledge in cryptography or quantum theory will be assumed. Please note that this talk will be given in French, with slides written in English.
Alexandre Dulaunoy
- 09:15 - 09:45
Increase resilience by training and deep rehearsal of cyber crises
Vincent Defrenne (NVISO)
Auditorium
What makes the difference between days and weeks of recovery time? Beyond the obvious controls, there is the quality of the response: being prepared; understanding roles, responsibilities and communication flows in the context of a crisis; having plans that not only exist, but are also usable. But beyond plans, there is experience. We will discuss how you build experience without going through the trauma of a cyber attack, through exercises. How you build knowledge of the plans, an intuition of how an incident unravels, what sort of questions you will need to solve, so that you have structure and peace of mind when disaster hits. We’ll discuss how to organize exercises to train your teams, key success criteria, typical scenarios and concrete tips & tricks to run cyber exercises that makes your organization better prepared.
Vincent Defrenne - Partner Cyber Strategy & Architecture
- 11:30 - 12:45
Ethical Hacking or how to stress test your cyber safety
Clément Laurens (CRESCO)
Auditorium
Although practised as an art and science for ages, cryptography had to wait until the mid-twentieth century for Claude Shannon to endow it with a rigorous mathematical foundation. However, Shannon’s approach was rooted in his own information theory, itself inspired by the classical physics of Newton and Einstein. Yet, the world in which we live is subject to the laws of quantum theory, no matter how bewildering, whose experimental verification half a century ago was rewarded in 2022 by the Nobel Prize in Physics. When quantum theory is taken into account, new vistas open up both for codemakers and codebreakers. Is this a blessing or a curse for cybersecurity? Quantum computers will soon be capable of computations that would be unthinkable for a conventional computer, which will seriously undermine the so-called security of Internet communications as we practise them today. Nevertheless, the same quantum theory gives rise to new cryptographic paradigms that are in principle invulnerable to arbitrary attacks, even by an adversary capable of harnessing unlimited computing power and technology. However, this unconditional security requires quantum cryptography to be implemented according to the theory, which is very challenging. Will the cat-and-mouse game between codebreakers and codemakers soon reach a decisive outcome? As we shall see, the jury is still out!
No prior knowledge in cryptography or quantum theory will be assumed. Please note that this talk will be given in French, with slides written in English.
Clément Laurens - Co-founder
- 12:45 - 13:30
Lunch
- 13:30 - 15:00
Safeguarding national data for better & safely exploiting it
Bert Verdonck (LNDS)
Auditorium
Although practised as an art and science for ages, cryptography had to wait until the mid-twentieth century for Claude Shannon to endow it with a rigorous mathematical foundation. However, Shannon’s approach was rooted in his own information theory, itself inspired by the classical physics of Newton and Einstein. Yet, the world in which we live is subject to the laws of quantum theory, no matter how bewildering, whose experimental verification half a century ago was rewarded in 2022 by the Nobel Prize in Physics. When quantum theory is taken into account, new vistas open up both for codemakers and codebreakers. Is this a blessing or a curse for cybersecurity? Quantum computers will soon be capable of computations that would be unthinkable for a conventional computer, which will seriously undermine the so-called security of Internet communications as we practise them today. Nevertheless, the same quantum theory gives rise to new cryptographic paradigms that are in principle invulnerable to arbitrary attacks, even by an adversary capable of harnessing unlimited computing power and technology. However, this unconditional security requires quantum cryptography to be implemented according to the theory, which is very challenging. Will the cat-and-mouse game between codebreakers and codemakers soon reach a decisive outcome? As we shall see, the jury is still out!
No prior knowledge in cryptography or quantum theory will be assumed. Please note that this talk will be given in French, with slides written in English.
Bert Verdonck
- 15:00 - 16:30
Managing European digital identity and related attributes under eIDAS2
Thomas Kopp (LuxTrust)
Auditorium
Although practised as an art and science for ages, cryptography had to wait until the mid-twentieth century for Claude Shannon to endow it with a rigorous mathematical foundation. However, Shannon’s approach was rooted in his own information theory, itself inspired by the classical physics of Newton and Einstein. Yet, the world in which we live is subject to the laws of quantum theory, no matter how bewildering, whose experimental verification half a century ago was rewarded in 2022 by the Nobel Prize in Physics. When quantum theory is taken into account, new vistas open up both for codemakers and codebreakers. Is this a blessing or a curse for cybersecurity? Quantum computers will soon be capable of computations that would be unthinkable for a conventional computer, which will seriously undermine the so-called security of Internet communications as we practise them today. Nevertheless, the same quantum theory gives rise to new cryptographic paradigms that are in principle invulnerable to arbitrary attacks, even by an adversary capable of harnessing unlimited computing power and technology. However, this unconditional security requires quantum cryptography to be implemented according to the theory, which is very challenging. Will the cat-and-mouse game between codebreakers and codemakers soon reach a decisive outcome? As we shall see, the jury is still out!
No prior knowledge in cryptography or quantum theory will be assumed. Please note that this talk will be given in French, with slides written in English.
Thomas Kopp
- 16:30 - coming soon
Use AI on sensitive data through disconnected sovereign cloud
Pascal Rogiest (Clarence)
Auditorium
Although practised as an art and science for ages, cryptography had to wait until the mid-twentieth century for Claude Shannon to endow it with a rigorous mathematical foundation. However, Shannon’s approach was rooted in his own information theory, itself inspired by the classical physics of Newton and Einstein. Yet, the world in which we live is subject to the laws of quantum theory, no matter how bewildering, whose experimental verification half a century ago was rewarded in 2022 by the Nobel Prize in Physics. When quantum theory is taken into account, new vistas open up both for codemakers and codebreakers. Is this a blessing or a curse for cybersecurity? Quantum computers will soon be capable of computations that would be unthinkable for a conventional computer, which will seriously undermine the so-called security of Internet communications as we practise them today. Nevertheless, the same quantum theory gives rise to new cryptographic paradigms that are in principle invulnerable to arbitrary attacks, even by an adversary capable of harnessing unlimited computing power and technology. However, this unconditional security requires quantum cryptography to be implemented according to the theory, which is very challenging. Will the cat-and-mouse game between codebreakers and codemakers soon reach a decisive outcome? As we shall see, the jury is still out!
No prior knowledge in cryptography or quantum theory will be assumed. Please note that this talk will be given in French, with slides written in English.
Pascal Rogiest
Training and Cyber Range
In the current European context of digital sovereignty and the implementation of NIS2, cyber ranges are emerging as strategic infrastructures — with Belgium playing a key role. Beyond training, they offer a shared, realistic, and interoperable environment to test and validate technologies, procedures, and IT/OT integrations, while leveraging digital twins to accelerate innovation and compliance (Cyber Resilience Act). This day will be dedicated to exploring cyber ranges and their applications — training, testing, and digital twins — with partners from across the European Union.
- 09:00 - 09:10
Welcome & Registration
Distribution of color-coded badges indicating group and demo order.
- 09:10 - 10:00
The role of cyber ranges in training, testing/validation, and digital twins in the context of NIS2 and CRA
Matteo Merialdo (Nexova)
Auditorium
In a Europe pursuing digital sovereignty and implementing the NIS2 Directive and the Cyber Resilience Act, cyber ranges are moving from “training tools” to national-level strategic infrastructure. This session shows how modern cyber range technology is helping lead that shift. Drawing on real projects in Security Operations Centre operations, critical infrastructures (IT/OT) protection, and space systems, Matteo will illustrate how cyber ranges and digital twins provide shared, realistic, and interoperable environments to train teams, test and validate technologies and procedures, rehearse incident response, and accelerate compliance-by-design.
Matteo Merialdo - Cybersecurity Principal
- 10:00 - 10:10
Break & Group Formation
- 10:10 - 11:20
Demo Rotations
Cristel Pelsser , Multitel and Siris
Auditorium
Demo 1 – Cyber Range :
Demonstration of the cyber range and scenarios
Cristel Pelsser - Professor
Demo 2 – Quantum Lab
Discovering use cases for securing communications
Multitel
Demo 3 – ICS/OT Railway – Robotic Train
Presentation of a digital twin and incident/operations scenarios, with analysis of impacts and potential responsesEach group will rotate through all the demos based on their badge color.
Siris
- 11:20 – 11:30
Technical Break & Room Reset
- 11:30 – 12:30
Cyber Range Group Exercise (IDELUX and NEXOVA)
Auditorium
Participants will follow a simple, guided scenario showcasing the versatility of cyber ranges in decision-making, coordination, and real-time defense.
Kim Guldstrand Larsen - Professor at Aalborg University, Department of Computer Science, Denmark
Kim Guldstrand Larsen - Professor at Aalborg University, Department of Computer Science, Denmark
- 12:30 – 13:00
Roundtable & Q&A
Auditorium
Lessons learned, interoperability, and practical applications (training, testing, digital twinning)
Kim Guldstrand Larsen - Professor at Aalborg University, Department of Computer Science, Denmark
- 13:15 – 13:30
Closing
Auditorium
Light refreshments, wrap-up, and next steps.
Kim Guldstrand Larsen - Professor at Aalborg University, Department of Computer Science, Denmark
Our Program for the 5 days
Over the course of five days, participants will benefit from a balanced mix of theoretical insights and practical training sessions, designed to combine knowledge acquisition with hands-on experience.
To encourage networking and informal exchanges, morning and afternoon breaks are scheduled each day, providing the opportunity to connect with peers, speakers, and experts.
The program still holds exciting surprises in store for you. Stay tuned further details about the program will be available soon.
Previous editions
2023 Cyberwal in Galaxia Program
04 – 08 December 2023
2022 Cyberwal in Galaxia Program
12 – 16 December 2022
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