The importance of cybersecurity has increased significantly in many economic sectors, with clear social and cultural implications. The three partners in the agreement, which have an active and crucial role in the sector and already collaborate in various projects, thus promoting the connection between the production world and the system of university education and research, will in particular develop education and research initiatives to strengthen a system of international importance.
"This agreement is a further step forward in our path of collaboration with the productive and social sector of Trentino – said Flavio Deflorian, Rector of the University of Trento. In the area of cybersecurity, the University of Trento has many multidisciplinary skills to offer, which we are pleased to make available to local companies. Ensuring an appropriate level of cybersecurity at companies is in fact a very demanding challenge that we can meet if we work together with the other local actors involved in development and technological innovation". Paolo Giorgini, director of the University's Department of Information Engineering and Computer Science, explained: "The collaboration is our answer to the demand for support in the field of cybersecurity. The main objective of the monitoring centre, coordinated by Professor Bruno Crispo, is to make companies aware of the risks and to provide information on prevention measures and possible action in case of attacks. The Department of Information Engineering and Computer Science will provide expertise and know-how to develop and disseminate a culture of cybersecurity in Trentino."
"To govern the digital transition – underlined Francesco Profumo, president of Fondazione Bruno Kessler – we must build public confidence in new technologies. To do this, we must be able to securely use technologies but also to raise awareness of the risks associated with their use in users and professionals who provide services or manage digital infrastructures. Technologies evolve as quickly as security threats, that is why it has become essential to create skills to identify weaknesses, design mitigation actions and implement them to improve security not only in individual organizations but in the entire digital ecosystem in order to minimize the negative impact of multiple possible attacks. Creating a virtuous circle between research and the private sector, represented here by the University, FBK and Confindustria, is the key to systematically build these skills in Trentino. This agreement is an important step in this direction and lays the foundations for effective collaboration with national partners, such as the National Cybersecurity Agency (NCA), and European ones, such as ENISA, to enable users to use digital services with confidence in an increasingly interconnected world."
"The agreement – concluded Fausto Manzana, president of Confindustria Trento – defines the framework for a broader project, which also benefits from the contribution of the Postal Police, the Autonomous Province of Trento and Trentino Digitale. Confindustria Trento has signed technical and operational agreements with these partners, which concretely resolve the issue of the transfer of data and information useful to prepare the necessary defences to neutralize cyberattacks. Last but not least, this protocol contains, completes and strengthens the spirit of an alliance involving the most qualified cybersecurity specialists in Trentino".
The contents, opportunities and advantages of this alliance against cyberattacks will be presented at a public event on 18 January in Trento.