About the Event

Handelsblatt Cybersecurity 2026 is the annual flagship conference on IT and information security for the German business community, held on 11 and 12 November 2026 at the Townhall of Handelsblatt Media Group on Toulouser Allee in Düsseldorf. Organised by Euroforum Deutschland GmbH in cooperation with Handelsblatt, the conference runs as a hybrid event, with both an in-person programme in Düsseldorf and a digital live-stream option. The 2026 edition is themed "AI Offense & Defense -- The Race Is On," reflecting the profound impact of frontier AI models on the cybersecurity landscape. The event brings together CISOs, IT security executives, government authority representatives, academic researchers, and start-up founders for two days of keynote presentations, panel discussions, and structured networking at one of Germany's most senior-level IT security forums.

Audience and Attendees

The event is designed for senior IT security and risk management executives from Germany's largest enterprises, public sector institutions, and critical infrastructure operators. Confirmed speakers for 2026 include Christoph Bernius, Group CISO of Commerzbank; Thomas Caspers, Vice President of the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI); Naby Diaw, CISO of Lufthansa; Prof. Dr. Gabi Dreo Rodosek, Chair of Communication Systems and Network Security at the Universität der Bundeswehr München; Daniel Fai, CISO of Procter and Gamble; Melanie Hendrickx, Head of Information Security and AI Governance at METRO; Jens Koch, Vice President of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV); Lars Kukuk, CISO of Bundesagentur für Arbeit; Michael Löttner, CISO of Deutsche Bahn; Nicole Matthöfer, President of the Cybersicherheitsagentur Baden-Württemberg; Dr. Markus Schmall, CISO of Covestro; and Prof. Dr. Haya Schulmann, Professor of Cybersecurity at Goethe University Frankfurt. The attendee community spans CISOs, IT risk managers, compliance officers, security architects, and public sector security leaders from across Germany.

Programme Structure

The two-day hybrid programme runs from 9:30am on 11 November through to 4:30pm on 12 November, with main stage keynotes, expert panel discussions, and audience dialogue sessions throughout both days. The in-person format at the Handelsblatt headquarters offers direct networking with speakers and peers during breaks and informal sessions. The digital participation option provides a live stream of all main stage content alongside an interactive platform with chat and networking tools. All approved content is made available on demand after the event for both in-person and digital participants. The programme brochure covering the full agenda and session structure becomes available from early August 2026 ahead of the event.

Main Topics

The 2026 agenda is anchored by the central theme of AI's dual role in cybersecurity -- as both an accelerant for attackers and a force multiplier for defenders. Key themes include the practical application of advanced and agentic AI models in offensive cyber operations including AI-generated malware, deepfakes, and automated attack campaigns; the use of AI for faster threat detection, incident response, and intelligent security analytics; cyber resilience as the foundational requirement for modern enterprises and public institutions; geopolitical dimensions of cybersecurity including the blurring boundary between digital attack and physical sabotage in the context of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine; hybrid warfare and the obsolescence of the traditional separation between internal and external security; ransomware as a persistent and escalating threat to German enterprises; digital sovereignty and Europe's strategic autonomy in cybersecurity; the regulatory framework including NIS2 Directive implementation and its implications for German companies and their supply chains; the evolving CISO role and board-level accountability for cybersecurity; and critical infrastructure protection across energy, transport, financial services, and public administration.

Closing Session

Handelsblatt Cybersecurity 2026 concludes on 12 November at 4:30pm at the Handelsblatt Townhall in Düsseldorf, bringing two days of senior-level debate on Germany's most pressing cybersecurity challenges to a close. The event's hybrid format ensures that both in-person attendees and digital participants leave with practical insights, strategic frameworks, and access to on-demand content from one of the German business community's most authoritative annual IT security forums.

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