GCSCC Joins Global Leaders at Geneva Cyber Week to Shape the Future of Cybersecurity
The GCSCC was thrilled to participate in the inaugural Geneva Cyber Week from the 12th - 16th of May. As a hub for global collaboration on cybersecurity capacity building, it was an exciting opportunity to engage with international partners, share insights, and contribute to meaningful discussions on digital resilience. Geneva Cyber Week brought together experts from around the world, fostering dialogue on emerging threats, capacity development, and innovative strategies. We attended a wide range of events throughout the week, each offering valuable perspectives and sparking insightful conversations on key cybersecurity challenges and solutions.
Addressing the AI-Cybersecurity Nexus: Priorities for National Capacity Building
While attending the GC3B as part of Geneva Cyber Week, the GCSCC had the privilege of hosting a dynamic and future-focused session on the evolving intersection of AI and cybersecurity capacity building (CCB). As the global community continues to refine how national cybersecurity capacity is benchmarked and strengthened, this session explored how emerging AI technologies are reshaping the risks countries face—and what must be done to ensure CCB efforts remain effective.
We were honoured to be joined by a distinguished panel of experts:
-
George Michaelides, Commissioner of Communications, Office of the Commissioner of Electronic Communications and Postal Regulation of Cyprus
-
Caroline Troein, Cross-Thematic Programme Officer, International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
-
Joanna Pawełek-Mendez, Ambassador for Cyber & Tech Affairs, Ministry of Digital Affairs, Poland
-
Masayuki Furukawa, Director, Office for STI & DX, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
Together, we discussed how the CCB community can better integrate AI-related risks into national and regional programs, and the importance of forward-thinking approaches to policy, regulation, and capability development. A key point of discussion was the GCSCC's AI Cybersecurity Readiness Metric for Nations, which aims to guide countries in identifying gaps and strengthening their resilience in an increasingly AI-driven digital landscape.
Results-based Approaches for Effective and Accountable Cyber Cooperation
Furthermore, we were pleased to moderate the session on “Results-Based Approaches for Effective and Accountable Cyber Capacity Building”, hosted by the Inter-American Development Bank. The session focused on the growing need to improve the measurement and accountability of cyber capacity building (CCB) efforts, particularly as investment and participation in this space expand globally.
Discussions highlighted methodologies for assessing the effectiveness of cyber initiatives, including the use of tools like the CMM. Emphasis was placed on the value of data-driven strategies, tailored indicators, and local ownership to ensure meaningful and sustainable impact. The session also explored how incentives and stronger metrics can help embed a culture of results across donors, governments, and implementing partners.
Celebrating 10 Years of the Global Forum for Cyber Expertise (GFCE)
Finally, while attending GC3B, the GCSCC was honoured to join the celebration of the Global Forum for Cyber Expertise’s 10-year anniversary. As one of the GFCE’s founding partners, this milestone marked a moment of reflection and appreciation for a decade of trusted collaboration and shared commitment to advancing cyber capacity building globally.
During the session, we recalled the very first GFCE meeting in The Hague, which laid the foundation for a truly unique multistakeholder community built on trust, openness, and practical impact. Through our partnership with the GFCE, we’ve been able to conduct research on effective CCB, collect in-country data, pilot the CMM, and ensure our findings reach a broad and influential global audience.
Our continued involvement in GFCE Working Groups and community events has enabled valuable knowledge exchange and mutual learning. Importantly, the GFCE has played a vital role in helping academic institutions like ours engage meaningfully in policy spaces—greatly enhancing the visibility and impact of our work. We thank the GFCE for its leadership over the past decade and look forward to continuing this important journey together.
During Geneva Cyber Week, the GCSCC had the pleasure of attending an important session on the issue of cyber inequity, hosted by the World Economic Forum Centre for Cybersecurity. We were grateful for the invitation to contribute to this timely and impactful discussion. Drawing on insights from the Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2025, the session explored significant disparities in cyber resilience across organisation sizes, sectors, and regions. For instance, while only 7% of large organisations feel inadequately prepared, 35% of small organisations share this concern. Regionally, just 15% of respondents in Europe and North America lack confidence in their countries’ ability to manage major cyber incidents, compared to 36% in Africa and 42% in Latin America.
Participants exchanged ideas on addressing these inequities through initiatives such as volunteer cybersecurity talent, support for SMEs, and context-specific policy development for emerging economies. The discussion reinforced the importance of public-private collaboration in making cybersecurity accessible and effective for all.
