Cyber Con 2025

Cyber Con brings together over 200 cybersecurity leaders, innovators, and practitioners from across the South West and beyond. With the theme “The Future of Cybersecurity in a GenAI World,” this year’s conference explores how artificial intelligence is reshaping the way we defend, attack, and adapt in the digital age.

Expect a packed programme of:

• Keynotes from industry experts at BT, Immersive Labs and more.
• Technical deep-dives on AI-powered defence, deception technology and API security
• Panels on the future cyber workforce and skills needed in a GenAI-driven world.

Some Speakers include:
Toni-Ann Grant | Anthony Flemmer | Jonny Tyers | Ben Hopkins | Jesse Hamill-Stewart | Sridhar Adepu | Simon Shiu and many more.

Why attend?

• Gain fresh insight into the rapidly evolving AI and cyber landscape.
• Connect with peers, startups and global companies.
• Leave with practical tools and strategies to strengthen your cyber resilience.

Info: This talk begins by outlining the value of space and why it needs to be secure, followed by an introduction to vulnerabilities of space systems. It then highlights key steps to take for securing space assets and why multi-sector collaboration is so important.

Info: As AI accelerates development and teams ship faster than ever, traditional security can become a bottleneck that kills competitive advantage. This talk explores how forward-thinking technical leaders embed security into engineering workflows, turning it from a blocker into an accelerator. It includes a demonstration of threat modelling in action and practical tips for building security that scales with your codebase and proves business value.

Info: This session takes a fast-paced look at how artificial intelligence is shaping cybersecurity. It explores how AI can support security teams in detecting and protecting against threats, as well as the challenges of integrating machine-led approaches into critical environments.

Info: Cybercriminals are industrious, determined, and often highly capable. This talk explores how modern threat actors organise their operations, monetise malware, and collaborate across darknet marketplaces, forums, and Telegram groups. It also examines how artificial intelligence is lowering the barrier to entry for cybercrime, changing the tools available to attackers, and what this means for defenders.

Info: This talk explores how AI is transforming threat detection through the perspective of a Blue Team practitioner. Drawing on real-world SOC challenges, it examines how AI and automation can enhance detection engineering, reduce alert fatigue, and align with frameworks like MITRE ATT&CK. The session also highlights practical strategies for integrating AI into security operations, and the importance of resilience, explainability, and human oversight.

Info: Early careers matter. This panel explores the role of education in preparing the next generation of cyber professionals, with perspectives from those working directly with young people entering the field.

Info: Cyber incidents can affect organisations of any size or sector at any time, so it’s crucial to have a plan in place to respond, recover and continue operating. This session highlights current cyber threats and best practices in incident response, drawing on investigations in the South West and nationally recognised guidance. It also explores common pitfalls, practical questions to ask when building response plans, and free resources available to help organisations prepare.

Info: AI is becoming a valuable tool in cybersecurity, strengthening defences with automation and reducing human error. Yet these same advances expose vulnerabilities in voice recognition and biometric security. This talk explores how AI is being misused to bypass protections, the tools and data behind such scams, and real-world case studies showing the impact on victims, alongside practical steps individuals can take to protect themselves.

Info: Insights and experiences from Simon’s work on the UK Cyber Growth Action Plan, examining how research, industry, and government can collaborate to strengthen the sector and support long-term growth.

Info: A strategic overview of how the US, UK and China are approaching AI, highlighting what each nation is doing well, where they are falling behind, and the implications for UK businesses. The session explores how global differences in AI policy and investment shape the future of innovation, alongside the risks and opportunities organisations should prepare for now.

Info: As artificial intelligence reshapes the cybersecurity landscape, traditional approaches to threat detection and response must evolve. Anthony will unpack the essential components of a modern SIEM and SOC, showing how AI enhances log ingestion, correlation, and threat hunting while reducing noise and accelerating response. Looking ahead, he explores how predictive analytics and autonomous remediation will redefine how security teams operate.

Info: Modern endpoint security is increasingly complex as organisations manage distributed workforces, cloud applications, and sophisticated threats. Reverse proxies provide a powerful solution by creating control points, enforcing policies, and inspecting encrypted traffic to detect malicious activity. They also enable application-layer filtering, block attacks before they reach backend systems, and align with Zero Trust principles. Properly implemented, reverse proxies can significantly reduce malware infections and strengthen data loss prevention while simplifying policy management at scale.

Info: As software systems grow more complex and development cycles accelerate, securing them has never been more critical. DevSecOps integrates security into every stage of development, and AI is pushing this shift further. From AI-powered threat detection and automated remediation to smarter code scanning and anomaly detection, new tools are helping teams reduce false positives, identify unusual behaviours, and recommend secure code. The result is faster, smarter, and more adaptive security that supports both experienced engineers and those just starting out.

Info: Human manipulation and error remain among the biggest causes of cybersecurity failures worldwide. By building effective communication strategies and fostering a culture of awareness, organisations can reduce risk and empower people as their strongest line of defence. Gemma shares creative, practical approaches to inspire employees, avoid common pitfalls, and apply a simple framework for communications that make cyber awareness personal, engaging, and sustainable.

Info: An exploration of the fractional approach to scaling cyber and AI businesses globally. Cameron covers how to audit people, processes, and technology to shape effective sales and marketing strategies. Timed perfectly for leaders preparing their 2026 planning, this session offers a practical framework for sustainable growth.

Info: AI is not revolutionising social engineering, but it is exposing gaps in how individuals and organisations protect themselves. Barry highlights how threat actors are exploiting these weaknesses and concludes with practical steps we can all take today to strengthen defences against manipulation and deception.

Info: Deception technology is emerging as a key pillar of proactive defence for Critical National Infrastructure (CNI). By deploying high-fidelity decoys that mimic real OT and IT systems, defenders can lure attackers into controlled environments and capture their tactics without risking production assets. Sridhar introduces an AI-driven deception platform designed for CNI, sharing insights from a six-month energy sector case study that revealed attacker interest in power infrastructure and provided valuable intelligence for securing critical networks.

Host or Publisher TechSPARK