This October, the University of Salford will join forces with Ukraine’s Kyiv National University of Trade and Economics on an online cybersecurity and software engineering conference, amidst an increasingly sophisticated threat landscape.
The fourth international Challenges and Reality of the IT Space: Software Engineering and Cybersecurity Conference, will take place between the 23-24 October 2025. It will see researchers and industry come together with the shared goal of fostering international collaboration to address current and future challenges, as vulnerability to online attacks accelerates at rapid pace due to advances in technology. This year’s event will also have a bigger focus on leveraging AI (artificial intelligence) to drive sustainable digital transformation.
According to IBM Security, the global average cost of a data breach in 2024 was £3.7 million. To add to this, according to Darktrace, 74% of IT (information technology) security professionals say their organisations are suffering significant impact from AI-powered threats, while last year, over two-thirds of IT and security professionals worldwide had already tested AI capabilities for security, with 27 percent planning to do so.
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Dr Yun Chen, associate professor in business IT and subject head of digital business and information systems at the University of Salford Business School, said: “The digital landscape is changing considerably with new challenges presented on pretty much a daily basis. We’re seeing threats increase and technology evolve at rapid pace, making it critical for organisations to adopt a zero trust strategy, while ensuring they’re equipped to prevent and respond to attacks.
“By not innovating and leveraging the technologies that are out there, organisations could face crippling financial loss, huge fines and disruptions, in an already challenging environment. For this reason, we’re bringing together some of the leading voices from academia and industry to help address these very challenges, so organisations can ultimately futureproof themselves.”
Professor Volodymyr Tokar, Kyiv National University of Trade and Economics, added: “In today’s digital age, innovations such as artificial intelligence present both unprecedented opportunities and alarming threats. In authoritarian regimes, digital tools are too often weaponised, enabling mass surveillance, automated control and centralised databases that violate individual freedoms. This conference provides a critical space for scholars, technologists, and the public to come together to shape a future where technology empowers rather than oppresses.
“The only way to harness the true potential of information technology is through global cooperation. These exchanges have the power to inspire local change, empowering communities to transform the global digital landscape through innovative, practical solutions.”
Partnering with the hosts on the conference will be multiple institutions from other international markets, including: the Center for Cyber Intelligence and Security Innovations (Ukraine), the University of Customs and Finance (Ukraine), ITBIZ LLC (Ukraine), Poznan University of Economics and Business (Poland), La Salle University (US), the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, KROK University of Economics and Law (Ukraine), the Institute of Social and Economic Development (Ukraine) and the Scientific Center of Innovation Research (Estonia).
Yun continued: “This year we also have a big focus on spotlighting some amazing female pioneers in the industry, who will be speaking and highlighting the tremendous benefits a career in tech can provide. As a woman working in this fast-paced, dynamic sector, it’s an area I personally am incredibly passionate about.”
Some of the leading women speaking at this year’s event include, the University of Salford’s Professor Marie Griffiths, Kyiv National University of Trade and Economics’ Dr Natalia Teslenko and The University of Manchester’s Dr Meropi Tzanetakis.
The key themes for this year’s conference are: the latest innovations in cybersecurity systems, cyberdiplomacy in navigating security and sovereignty challenges, software engineering for enhanced security and privacy, and leveraging AI for sustainable digital transformation.
Yun concluded: “We are now inviting any academics with revolutionary new research, as well as industry experts doing impactful work in this space, to submit their papers and to register their interest in participating in the conference.”
Find out more and register here.
