Ciso

#22 - Event

What to Expect?

Host: Online

Theme: More Security with Less Budget: AI, Automation & Smart Strategies for Swiss CISOs

‍The Challenge:
How can CISOs strengthen their security posture without breaking the budget?
This exclusive afternoon is dedicated to exploring how cybersecurity leaders can optimize their security strategies by making more efficient use of existing investments and consolidating tool landscapes. We’ll also examine the role of AI — can it already help, or is it the key to making these strategies possible in the first place?

The 6 Burning Questions Every CISO Faces Today:
‍
>How can you maximize existing cybersecurity investments?

> How do you reduce complexity without sacrificing protection?

> How do you convince management and the board to fund the right priorities?
> What projects truly deliver impact — and what can wait?

>How relevant are geopolitical dependencies in choosing security solutions?

> What’s realistically possible with AI — today and in the near future?

After a long pause since COVID, we’re thrilled to restart one of Switzerland’s most valued cybersecurity formats – now in its 22nd edition. This event series has always been more than just another industry meetup. It’s a trusted space for Swiss CISOs and security leaders to exchange openly, share real-world experiences, and learn from one another.True to the spirit of High-Tech Connect, we also introduce hand-picked, forward-thinking cybersecurity companies – often presenting in Switzerland for the very first time. These aren’t sales presentations. No pitches. No fluff. Every speaker is required to demonstrate how their solution is used in practice and directly addresses the core theme of the event.

Welcome back. Come to exchange, to challenge ideas, and to leave inspired.

Ira Winkler: How CISOs can achieve more with less
One of the world’s leading cybersecurity thought leaders shares how CISOs can achieve more with less — offering practical, experience-based advice from 35 years in government, enterprises, and startups.

‍Live Cyber Crisis Simulation with Cytactic
Nimrod Kozlovski, cybersecurity law expert and CEO of Cytactic, will guide participants through a live C-level crisis simulation. Experience how decision-makers react under pressure — and what you must prepare for today to be ready for tomorrow.

‍Top-Tier CISO Speakers & Security Experts
Senior cybersecurity leaders from Swiss corporations, global security firms, and high-growth startups will share how they deliver real security outcomes with limited resources — no sales pitches, just insights.

‍Exclusive Startup Showcase
Three leading Swiss cybersecurity startups, two top-tier innovators from the U.S., and one from Israel present curated tools and solutions tailored to CISO needs — selected for practical relevance and strategic value.

‍C-Level Panel Discussion
Moderated by Peter Kunz, this interactive discussion features seasoned CISOs debating what really works today — and what’s just buzz.
‍

#22: Speakers

Who’s Invited?

CISOs, CIOs, and their direct reports from large Swiss companies and organizations.
In addition, our expert team will select 4–5 relevant IT security startups to join the event — including at least one from Switzerland and one from the EU.For this edition, three of the selected startups are Swiss.

Event Registration

Registration (see above) is required for all events.

Nimrod Kozlovski

Founder & CEO, Cytactic, Adj Prof. Cyber Studies

A global authority on cyber crisis management, advisor to Fortune 500 companies, governments, and boards, and a pioneer in cyber resilience strategy and operational readiness. Formerly led the tech and regulation department at Herzog Law Offices and was a venture capitalist at JVP Cyber Labs. Founded as an Adjunct Prof. the Cybersecurity program at Tel Aviv University Business School and teaches at Kellogg executive MBA program. Holds a J.S.D from Yale Law School with postdoctoral research in computer science from Yale University and postdoctoral in Internet studies from Oxford University.

Ira Winkler

CISO and Vice President at CYE

Highly skilled cyberscurity and intelligence professional, especially in the fields of human intelligence and security, with more than 35 years of experience in private industry and government. Successful serial entrepreneur. Consistently top-rated speaker at international events. Wrote 6 acclaimed and bestselling books, as well as more than 1,000 professional, trade and academic articles. Received many notable awards, including 2 lifetime achievement awards.

Nataliya Guts

Security Solutions Engineer, Futurae Technologies

Nataliya Guts is a Security Solutions Engineer at Futurae, with a background in computer science and formal verification. She holds a PhD for her research at the Microsoft Research–Inria Joint Centre and has worked in both academia and industry, focusing on secure distributed systems and authentication technologies.

Roselle Safran

CEO & Founder at KeyCaliber

Roselle is the Founder of KeyCaliber. The first startup she founded, Uplevel Security, was acquired by McAfee. Both of her startups have been based heavily on her previous experience as a cybersecurity practitioner and leader. She led cybersecurity operations at the Executive Office of the President during the Obama Administration, directing tactical measures and strategic initiatives for protecting and defending the White House’s network. Prior she managed the computer forensics and malware analysis teams at the Department of Homeland Security’s US-CERT (now CISA).

Gregor Erismann

Co-CEO at Exeon Analytics

As Co-CEO of Exeon Analytics, Gregor Erismann is responsible for building the business and organization of the cybersecurity specialist.After various roles in the IT industry, he joined Exeon Analytics in early 2021 and has since driven the international expansion of the software provider.During this time, Exeon Analytics has grown from a Swiss company into a European Network Detection & Response provider, serving clients and partners in Germany, Austria, Luxembourg, Italy, Eastern Europe, and the MENA region.

Olivier Eyries

Co-Founder & CEO at Saporo

Currently working on making it simple for organisations to gain visibility and disrupt the attack path leading to critical assets, in the cloud or on premise.

Stefan Mettler

Deputy CISO / Information Security Officer (ISO) SRG SSR, Founder & CEO CRYPTRON Security GmbH

Stefan Mettler brings over 20 years of experience in IT security, supporting a wide range of national and international organizations—including corporations, government agencies in assessing and improving their security posture. He studied Information Security at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and holds several industry-recognized offensive security certifications. His expertise covers the evaluation of complex cloud platforms and web applications, network analysis, and targeted penetration testing in sophisticated ICT environments. Stefan also provides strategic consulting for large-scale SAP and cloud transformation projects. As CEO from CRYPTRON Security, he is committed to knowledge transfer, designing tailored workshops and delivering practical lectures. He is a recognized lecturer in Switzerland, teaching information security modules at university and vocational levels. Stefan is also a regular participant at leading security conferences such as Black Hat and DEF CON in the USA and Singapore, staying at the forefront of emerging trends and techniques. He has advised organizations across industries such as banking, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, and insurance—combining deep technical expertise with a pragmatic, results-focused approach.

Peter Kunz

Seasoned & Passionate Information Security Executive | VC/Startup/Scaleup Advisor & Investor

Various leadership roles in global information security from startups to corporations. Expert in Information Security, in manufacturing, high-tech, financial services, automotive, public sector, chemicals, healthcare and startups. Information Security and Risk - Risk management (identify, analyze and quantify, integrate, evaluate and prioritize, manage, monitor), governance and compliance - Develop and implement solutions / architectures - Carry out assessments and due diligence - Successful solution development, supplier selection, contract management (support procurement and the bidding process), standardization - Monitor product & service selection processes from the definition of requirements to contract signing - Establish the Systems Intelligence Program, an initiative to select and implement a global vulnerability management solution

Ralf Haller

President High-Tech Connect

Ralf is the founder of High-Tech Connect, a nonprofit focused on advocating for increased investments in high-tech to drive job creation and competitiveness in Switzerland and Europe. With nearly 30 years of global (US, Asia, Europe) experience in the high-tech industry, Ralf specializes in Sales, Marketing, IT, AI, and Data Science, and is highly skilled in developing go-to-market strategies. Holding master’s degrees in Electrical Engineering (KIT) and Data Science & Statistics (MIT), along with certifications in AI Product Management, Digital Marketing, and Digital Partnerships (INSEAD). Ralf is passionate about leveraging global networks to advance technology and create business opportunities. In addition to his professional work, Ralf lectures on digital marketing and data-driven strategies and mentors PhD researchers on startup development pro bono.

Expert Advisory

Our advisory team helps select the topics and speakers, ensuring that all content is valuable and highly relevant to you.

Benjamin Mejri

CEO at Evolution Security GmbH

Benjamin Kunz Mejri is a German cybersecurity researcher, penetration tester, and entrepreneur. He is the founder and CEO of Vulnerability Lab, one of the world’s largest platforms for responsible vulnerability disclosure, and of Evolution Security GmbH, a specialist firm for penetration testing and security assessments. Over the past two decades, he has uncovered and responsibly disclosed hundreds of critical zero-day vulnerabilities in products and services from Microsoft, Apple, PayPal, Skype, BMW, and many more. His discoveries have led to major security improvements in cloud services, banking systems, airports, and millions of IoT devices worldwide. Benjamin is a regular speaker at leading international conferences such as HITB, where he shares deep insights into cloud security, e-payment risks, identity and access flaws, and critical infrastructure protection. He is widely recognized for making highly technical issues accessible and for driving stronger cooperation between security researchers and vendors.

Prof. Dr. Aanjhan Ranganathan

Associate Professor at Northeastern University

Aanjhan is an associate professor (with tenure) in the Khoury College of Computer Sciences at Northeastern University in Boston, USA. He is also an affiliate faculty in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. His current research revolves around the security and privacy of wireless networks with a strong focus on autonomous cyber-physical systems and smart ecosystems. He has worked on a wide variety of topics including physical-layer security of wireless systems, secure localization and proximity verification, trusted computing architectures, and side-channels. He is a recipient of several awards including the outstanding dissertation award from ETH Zurich, regional winner of European Space Agency’s Satellite Navigation competition and the Cyber Award from Armasuisse (Switzerland’s Department of Defense). Prior to joining Northeastern, he was a senior researcher in the System Security group at ETH Zurich and has over 3 years of industry research experience as a senior engineer at Robert Bosch GmbH’s Car Multimedia Division “Blaupunkt” where he was involved in the development of embedded modules for top automotive manufacturers including Audi and Volkswagen. He holds an M.Sc with specialization in Electronics and Microelectronics from EPFL, Switzerland and a Ph.D in Computer Science from ETH Zurich, Switzerland.

#22 Cyber Knowledge Exchange

#22 - Event

What to Expect?

#22: Speakers

Who’s Invited?

#22: Event-agenda

Cyber Knowledge Exchange Theme

Expert Advisory

Expert Advisory