According to recent reports, amidst current CEO anxieties, cybersecurity is high on the agenda. PwC Luxembourg is hosting its annual Cybersecurity & Privacy Day on 8th June at Crystal Park – a day to explore how CEOs can create a culture of cybersecurity awareness. And, startups with solutions can now apply for the big Pitch Contest!
According to the latest 2023 PwC Global CEO Survey, CEOs’ pessimism in global economic growth is at an all-time high. Cybersecurity remains one of the key levers that CEOs can draw on to protect their organisation from evolving risk – 48% of CEOs say they are increasing investment in cybersecurity or data privacy in response to rising geopolitical conflict.
On June 8th, PwC Luxembourg will host it’s annual Cybersecurity & Privacy Day at Crystal Park. This year the theme will be leadership and centred around how teams can become cybersecurity savvy.
Cybersecurity: Top concern for business
After a turbulent 12 months, it is no surprise that global CEOs identify inflation (40%), macroeconomic volatility (31%) and geopolitical conflict (25%) as their top three risks for the year ahead. Cyber is fourth (20%) and it’s the top operational risk, remaining firmly on board agendas. The geopolitical environment and rapid digitisation continue to focus CEO attention on cyber risk.
At the same time, CISOs are facing an unlimited number of various attacks and risks every day. DPOs see their mission evolve to ensure data security and privacy are respected, in a complex environment.
Today, very few board-level members are unaware of the growing tidal wave of cyberattacks. The media is full of non-stop horror stories of data breaches and ransomware attacks. The perpetrators continuously find new and creative ways to carry out their crimes. Protecting an organization is now part of the daily business routine.
Developing and executing a winning cybersecurity strategy not only requires leadership buy-in but the commitment of CEOs and CISOs to communicate well, stay aware and up-to-date on current trends, and to allocate enough resources to their teams for protection – given the rising frequency of attacks and the extent of financial and reputational damage that a company can suffer.
What to do about it?
To keep businesses safe, attention needs to be paid to cybersecurity. We live in a digital world and it’s now our online presence that can be most at risk of business attack.
Mobilizing the C-suite is the best way to defend your business in the long term, and that is why PwC has made leadership the theme for this year’s event.
Koen Maris, Cybersecurity Leader, PwC Luxembourg said: “More and more, the perception of cybersecurity as strictly an IT function has changed. It is a strategic part of the daily business of an organization. But to be effective, it has to be driven by senior management. Good governance and leadership at the top of the organization are necessary to establish a corporate culture of cybersecurity and privacy and protect the firm as well as its customers. This includes the ability to adapt and adjust to the changing environment in this area. Cybercriminals are a species that evolve all the time. Technology is changing all the time. And hackers change with it. Good leadership means never resting on the solutions that keep you protected today, but constantly preparing for what the hackers will do tomorrow. We look forward to welcoming you on our premises for what should be an excellent agenda.”
CEOs have an important role to play to stay ahead of cyber challenges, ranging from speaking publicly about their commitment to cybersecurity, to using their influence to inspire sweeping changes, and creating a united front against attacks. Unity starts in the C-suite, according to PwC’s recent Digital Trust Insights research, which found that a critical contributor to cybersecurity improvements at leading companies was a C-suite collaboration to make the most of sustained, cumulative investments in risk mitigation.
In both the Cybersecurity & Privacy Day – CEO Corner on 7th June, and the PwC Cybersecurity & Privacy Day itself on 8th June, topics around leadership’s responsibility to not only support cybersecurity efforts but to also drive a culture of security and awareness will be the main themes of the day.
The BIG Pitch Contest
One of the most exciting and most popular parts of the PwC Cybersecurity & Privacy Day is the Pitching Competition – and this year will be no exception.
What’s at stake?
For the 2023 edition of the event, PwC Luxembourg is calling for innovative solutions addressing major cybersecurity or privacy challenges. The top five solutions will compete for two prestigious awards:
- 2023 PwC Cybersecurity & Privacy Solution of the Year – Jury’s Choice
- 2023 PwC Cybersecurity & Privacy Solution of the Year – People’s Choice
Taking part in the contest will give cybersecurity innovators the chance to pitch their solutions and gain credibility with international investors and corporate stakeholders. It’ll also boost visibility with international media exposure, and, finalists will benefit from professional coaching by the PwC team.
Applications are now open! Apply here today.
Key dates to remember:
- Application start: 18 January 2023
- Application deadline: 28 February 2023
- Announcement of the five selected solutions: mid-April 2023
- PwC Cybersecurity & Privacy Day event – CEO Corner: 07 June 2023
- PwC Cybersecurity & Privacy Day, including the Pitching competition: 08 June 2023
