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Recorded Future News will be providing live coverage from the Munich Cyber Security Conference (February 13 & 14) and Munich Security Conference (February 14 – 16). We will be updating this page with live coverage throughout the conferences with reporting from Alexander Martin, Daryna Antoniuk and Dina Temple-Raston. Check back soon for the latest stories, analysis and exclusive interviews.
Saturday, February 15
Estonian spy chief: ‘Hybrid schmybrid, what’s happening is attacks’
The head of Estonia’s Foreign Intelligence Service, which has played a key role since Russia invaded Ukraine, criticized the use of the term “hybrid attacks” when describing Russian activities.
“Hybrid schmybrid,” said Kaupo Rosin. “I think the word ‘hybrid’ is misleading and soft… What’s happening is attacks, cyberattacks, assassination plots, maybe in some parts it’s actually state-sponsored terrorism what is going on.”
Sweden’s PM on suspected cable sabotage: ‘We don’t believe random things suddenly happen quite often’
Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson echoed a point by his Danish counterpart that the region is “obviously not at war, but obviously not at peace either.”
“We are quite careful,” Kristersson said of the Swedish approach. “We don’t easily single out or attribute countries for doing hostile things against our cables, electricity cables or things like that. But equally, we don’t just believe in random things suddenly happening quite often.”
Zelensky calls to build ‘army of Europe’ to counter future Russian threats
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Europe to develop its own armed forces, warning that the continent must become more self-reliant in the face of potential threats from Russia. “We must build Europe’s armed forces so that the continent’s future depends solely on Europeans, and decisions about Europe are made in Europe,” he said.
Friday, February 14
Failed Ukraine would weaken both US and Europe, says EU chief von der Leyen
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s comments came after a series of mixed messages sent by the Trump administration about talks seeking to end the fighting in Ukraine. Von der Leyen didn’t dwell on the confusion, but instead emphasized that the European Union remains committed to finding an agreement that “works for all.”
Taiwan using AI to fight disinformation campaigns, former minister says
Taiwan’s first-ever minister of digital affairs, Audrey Tang, told an audience at the Munich Cyber Security Conference on Friday that the island nation is using AI to battle disinformation on social media. She said that the technology is helping officials pre-bunk Chinese influence operations targeting the island before they spread online.
India could play a key role in AI development, Infosys co-founder says
Indian billionaire and chairman of tech giant Infosys Limited Nandan Nilekani said that the country is poised to emerge as one of the biggest users and developers of artificial intelligence as it rapidly adapts to the digital world. The Indian government has made clear that it wants to deploy huge amounts of capital and resources to build its own large language models to compete with global firms.
Thursday, February 13
Intelligence agencies must explain what they do, says UK’s former cyber spy chief
Sir Jeremy Fleming — who headed the cyber and signals intelligence agency GCHQ from 2017 to 2023 — said he felt strongly that the spy agency’s “license to operate” had to be based on public understanding and trust. His comments came amid a growing scandal over the British government’s reported attempt to force Apple to provide the country’s authorities with access to encrypted iCloud accounts.
Ukraine struggles to counter Russian disinfo without US support, local cyber official says
The Trump administration’s freeze on foreign aid is a “significant threat” to efforts to counter Russian disinformation in Ukraine, says Natalia Tkachuk, head of cyber and information security at Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council. “We hope that American funding will be restored, perhaps through alternative mechanisms,” she told Recorded Future News.
Ukraine warns of growing AI use in Russian cyber-espionage operations
Russia is making is cyber-espionage operations more effective by using artificial intelligence to analyze exfiltrated data, Ukrainian security officials said. The tools allow Russian hackers to adjust campaigns on the fly and personalize attacks against important targets, they said.
Putting the human back into AI is key, former NSA Director Nakasone says
The U.S.’s former spy chief said it is critical for organizations to marry artificial intelligence with expertise that only humans can provide. “The side that is going to win is the side that can integrate AI as quickly as possible in what they do, and speed matters here,” he said. “And where does that come from? From people who think differently” who can make AI a force multiplier, not a replacement.
Police risk losing society’s trust in fight against cybercrime, warns Europol chief
Catherine De Bolle, head of Europol, defended law enforcement’s need to be able to lawfully access encrypted data amid controversy over one such attempt by the United Kingdom. But if agencies are able to scale up those powers, she said, “there is a risk of losing society’s trust in law enforcement and in state institutions at large.”
Check back for more updates…
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