International Cyber Forum 2024

The forum aims to engage university students in addressing relevant and prospective tasks related to the socio-economic and informational development of the country, as well as to motivate them to enhance their professional competencies. The event is organized by Polotsk University in collaboration with ODO "Absolute Internet Systems" (ABIS) with the support of JSC "Kaspersky Lab".

Yury Romanouski, Rector of Euphrosyne Polotskaya state university of Polotsk: "We have been working systematically and purposefully towards this event. This is the first international cyber forum, a joint project of ABIS with the support of Kaspersky Lab and our university. Its organization underscores the importance of the tasks facing every organization, including universities, in the area of information resource protection.

Addressing cybersecurity issues is never straightforward. We have already seen this in practice. In today's world, information has become a key resource, and there is a real struggle for it. The hunt for information is financed far more than just the theft of cash. Information is the resource that manages other resources, and many are eager to connect to it.

Ensuring information and cybersecurity is a multifaceted task. It involves not only software solutions but also hardware. We collaborate with leaders in this field, such as Kaspersky Lab and representatives from ABIS, who offer ready-made solutions, including hardware.

However, the key element remains people. It is those who shape policies and manage resources that determine the level of information and cybersecurity overall. Training personnel is one of the topics of our forum. We discuss both software and hardware solutions, but we pay special attention to preparing specialists in cybersecurity.

Today, this specialty is particularly popular among students. Our graduates are in high demand by employers, and the demand for personnel exceeds our supply. We strive to build educational programs that take into account the needs of employers and the capabilities of our partners, such as ABIS and Kaspersky Lab".

As part of the "International Cyber Forum 2024," Director of ABIS Oleg Malevich, Rector Yury Romanouski and Official Representative of Kaspersky in Belarus Dmitry Kudrevich signed a memorandum of cooperation. This will serve as the foundation for long-term and productive collaboration between the university and the organizations. Cooperation with ABIS and Kaspersky will not only enhance the quality of education but also provide students with relevant knowledge and skills that are in demand in the job market.

Dmitry Kudrevich, the Official Representative of Kaspersky in Belarus, stated: "In the future, we see the need to counter new technologies based on artificial intelligence and machine learning. Currently, classic protection tools are being used, such as antivirus software, sandboxes, and scanners that identify vulnerabilities in infrastructure, among others. These tools have been outlined for us by the regulator, the Operational and Analytical Center, and under the order No. 130 of the Operational and Analytical Center, we are implementing a concept for building cybersecurity centers across the country based on existing Belarusian enterprises, government agencies, telecom operators, and others. In this way, we are strengthening our support and helping Belarusian businesses and the government to be more secure in the digital environment".

At the Forum, reports were presented on views, prospects, and solutions in the field of cybersecurity by leading specialists:

• Oleg Malievich, Director of ABIS, presented a report titled "Strategic Perspective: Prospects, Solutions, and Personnel."
• Dmitry Kudrevich, the official representative of Kaspersky in Belarus, discussed the impact of the manufacturer on the development of the information security industry in the context of Kaspersky's experience.
• Sergey Pashkovsky, an expert auditor in information security management systems, presented cybersecurity issues from the regulator's perspective.
• Aleksey Burachyonok, Vice-Rector, and Irina Burachyonok, Head of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Security, shared details about the training of highly qualified specialists in information security, cybersecurity, and information protection at Polotsk State University named after Euphrosyne of Polotsk.
• Ivan Rasskazov, an engineer at ABIS, presented a report titled "Simphony XDR: From Pilot Project to Innovative Protection"

The International Cybersecurity Tournament among students was held as part of the Forum. The highest level of knowledge and skills was shown by:

• Maxim Savitsky – 1st place
• Dmitry Bozhkov – 2nd place
• Evgeny Makarov – 3rd place