Swiss Cyber Security Days Talk

Quantum computing: How Elisa Torres is changing the industry (#17)

A 19-year-old founder on curiosity, diversity, and the future of quantum computing. In this episode, Sandra Casalini speaks with Elisa Torres, the founder of Girls in Quantum. Elisa, 19, founded the organization at the age of 16 to inspire young women to pursue quantum computing. She emphasizes the importance of diversity in emerging technologies and explains how quantum computing offers great potential, particularly in areas such as health and cybersecurity. Elisa recounts how her curiosity led her to quantum computing and how she created Girls in Quantum to make these technologies more accessible to women. She highlights the importance of educating young people about the safe use of technology and the protection of personal data. Her goal is to build a global community that learns about quantum computing and offers career opportunities in this field.

Researcher uncovers weaknesses in AI systems (#16)

Artificial intelligence is advancing rapidly — but so are the risks hidden in its systems. Sandra Casalini speaks with Maura Pintor, Assistant Professor at the PRA Laboratory of the University of Cagliari, about AI security. Pintor emphasizes the importance of proactive security testing of AI, where attacks are modeled in advance. She criticizes the fact that misjudgments and confirmation biases hinder progress, as researchers often overestimate how robust their models are. She also sees problems arising from the rapid development of new models and generative AI, which could compromise data quality. Nevertheless, she remains optimistic because progress is being made in automated testing.

Cybercrime-Experte: Digitale Herausforderungen für die Polizei (#15)

Digitale Herausforderungen für die Polizei In dieser Episode spricht Tobias Bolzern mit Serdar Günal-Rütsche, Leiter der Abteilung für Cyberkriminalität bei der Kantonspolizei Zürich und des Netzwerks NEDIC. Serdar erklärt, wie sich die Polizeiarbeit durch Digitalisierung verändert hat und warum internationale Zusammenarbeit im Kampf gegen Cyberkriminalität wichtig ist. Er stellt das Netzwerk NEDIC vor, das den Austausch von Informationen und Wissen zwischen Kantonen fördert.Er berichtet auch über den erfolgreichen Fall der Ransomware-Gruppe Aidbase, bei dem die Schweiz beteiligt war und international mit Europol zusammengearbeitet wurde. Serdar betont, dass DDoS-Angriffe eine unterschätzte Gefahr darstellen und dass der Umgang mit persönlichen Daten in der Gesellschaft verbessert werden muss. Abschliessend wünscht er sich eine automatische Datenweitergabe in der Schweiz zur besseren Bekämpfung von Cyberkriminalität und eine strengere Regulierung der Nutzung sozialer Medien durch Jugendliche.

AI and genetic engineering: opportunities and risks in focus (#14)

AI and genetic engineering In this episode, Sandra Casalini talks to Jean-Marc Rickli about the opportunities and risks of new technologies. He emphasises that technologies such as CRISPR-Cas9 and AI offer great potential for medical advances, but can also be misused, for example for genetic manipulation or deepfakes. Rickli emphasises that technological progress is often faster than security precautions, which poses a challenge for cybersecurity. He warns of exponential developments and geopolitical tensions, particularly between the USA and China. He concludes by emphasising that technology can be both a blessing and a curse and that we need to use it responsibly.

Cybersecurity: expert calls for digital social contract (#13)

Calling for Responsibility: Why We Need a Digital Social Contract In this episode of Swiss Cybersecurity Days, Tobias Bolzern talks to Nicolas Mayencourt, CEO of DreamLab Technologies, about the evolution of cybersecurity. Nicolas explains how the technology has evolved from a niche to the foundation of our society and emphasises the need to close security gaps in the digital infrastructure. He criticises Switzerland for acting too slowly despite the discovery of millions of vulnerabilities and reflects on the risks posed by foreign cloud providers. For the future, he calls for more secure technologies and a digital social contract that regulates rights and obligations in the digital space.