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Western Balkans Digital Summit 2025

02.10.2025

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We were honoured to participate in the annual Western Balkans Digital Summit in Skopje, a core side-event of the Berlin Process that sets the stage for the upcoming Western Balkans Leaders' Summit. The event featured high-level dialogues with prominent voices, including the European Commission, Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), International Telecommunication Union (ITU), ministers responsible for digital transformation and cybersecurity from across the region, and leading European experts. These conversations reinforced the critical link between regional security and digital transformation.
This gathering was a powerful reminder that regional security and digital transformation go hand-in-hand. It's clear that cybersecurity is no longer a standalone technical issue, but the essential trust-builder that enables integration across digital services, critical sectors and ultimately, with the EU's single market. 
We were proud to see our WB3C cybercrime trainer, Yannick Casse, take the stage on a panel dedicated to cybersecurity solutions. He presented the WB3C as the primary regional hub for building cyber capabilities and the essential platform for fostering cross-border cooperation, the key enabler for implementing regional cybersecurity policies and fight against cybercrime. 

Beyond the panel, our colleagues Vanja Madzgalj MBE and Guillaume Narjollet used the opportunity to hold productive meetings with our key stakeholders and expand our network with new contacts, reinforcing the partnerships that are central to our mission.

The message in Skopje was clear: collaboration is our greatest asset. We return energized to continue our work across cybersecurity, cybercrime and cyberdiplomacy, looking with enthusiasm into our work plan for the next three months, which will bring some exciting activities with ransomware as the central theme.


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Upcoming
Regional Conference on Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference and Disinformation

This regional conference intended for governments, media and civil society brings diverse perspectives on the growing hybrid threats of fake news, disinformation, manipulative and malign narratives that have the power to undermine democratic processes, trust in media and institutions and overal societal resilience and cohesion. Understanding, detecting, preventing, responding, debunking, investigating and prosecuting such manipulations will be the task of our panels, case studies and interactive exercises aimed at supporting governemnts and societies to tackle this challenge. The conference will feature 30 prominent speakers from the EU and the WB region from various departments, sectors and industries. 

CTI for Critical Infrastructure Training Completed

Last week at WB3C, we wrapped up a four-day training on Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) focused on the energy sector and government infrastructure, led by Ljuban Petrovic.

Working with SOC, CSIRT and CERT teams from across the region, the training reinforced a simple point: CTI only matters when it informs decisions. When it helps prioritise. When it changes how teams prepare and respond.
The sectoral focus proved its value. Energy infrastructure comes with its own risk landscape, and the discussions reflected that reality—specific, operational, and directly relevant.

We are continuing this work in September, building on what started here.
Because strengthening resilience is not a one-off effort. It is something that develops over time, through practice, exchange, and trust. 

What is Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) — and why does it matter?

Simply put, CTI is about turning information into insight, before a threat happens.

Not just collecting data on threats, but understanding who is behind them, how they operate, and what that means for your own systems.
Without that understanding, cybersecurity remains reactive. With it, organisations can anticipate, prioritise and respond with purpose.

Next week at WB3C, we will be running a four-day regional training on Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI).
The training is designed for SOC, CSIRT and CERT teams, as well as IT professionals working within critical entities—specifically the energy sector. The choice is deliberate.

We are taking a sectoral approach to cybersecurity capacity building. Because threats are not abstract—they target specific systems, infrastructures and vulnerabilities. And the energy sector, as a backbone of economic and societal stability, requires tailored, operationally relevant skills that reflect its real risk landscape.
Over four days, participants will cover:
💡 understanding CTI in the context of critical infrastructure
💡 analysing threats and assessing their impact
💡 translating intelligence into actionable outputs

All week, we will be working closely with cybersecurity professionals from across the region’s energy sector—moving from concepts to application, and building capabilities that can directly support operational decision-making.
This is where CTI becomes operational. Protecting our energy infrastructure means protecting our economy, our security and our livelihood.

Image: Patrick https://lnkd.in/diYnZEgB


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Disclaimer: Translations of the original content written in English into other languages are AI generated by Weglot.