Autumn Edition: „Cybersecurity at the Crossroads: AI Risks, OT security & testing, and Post-Quantum Challenges“

Date: September 1st, 2025

Place: Aula – Campus Alte Technik, Rechbauerstrasse 12, 8010 Graz

Time: 4.00 – 6.00 pm

We are launching a new series of Decrypting Cyber Security events beginning with an event collocated with the securityweek of the TU Graz.

Abstract event

Large Language Models (LLMs) have recently demonstrated remarkable abilities in tasks like text generation, summarization, translation, question answering, and coding assistance. They are now widely used in natural language processing for their capacity to understand complex linguistic patterns and generate context-aware responses. Despite these benefits, LLMs face significant security and privacy risks, such as jailbreaking, data poisoning, and information leakage, which can compromise personal data.These challenges are particularly pressing in sectors like transportation, education, and healthcare. This talk examines existing attacks, the severity of LLM vulnerabilities, possible defense strategies, and current areas of research.

A presentation on practical experiences and findings from conducting security tests in industrial facilities over recent years. Drawing from numerous assessments, we examine the fundamental differences between IT and OT security requirements and highlight why security testing activities in OT environments are essential in an era where cyber-attacks on such environments are becoming increasingly sophisticated and frequent.

As quantum computing advances, the cryptographic foundations of industrial and IoT systems face unprecedented challenges. This presentation explores the imperative shift toward Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC), emphasizing the urgency of crypto agility in embedded environments. It outlines the security implications of quantum threats, the evolving landscape of PQC standards and provides insights into the global regulatory push, practical implementation challenges, and the roadmap for secure, future-proof cryptographic systems.

The growing digitalisation and networking of operational technology (OT) has fundamentally changed the security landscape. Systems that were once protected by physical separation (air gap) are now increasingly exposed to cyberattacks. This presentation will examine the historical development of OT security measures, from isolated systems to modern, holistic security concepts, including targeted awareness training as a key component of contemporary OT security strategies.

Program

4.00-4.05 pm: Welcome | Michael Leopold, SILICON ALPS Cluster

4.05-4.25 pm:

„Security and Privacy Challenges of Large Language Models“ [Patrick Deininger, FH JOANNEUM]

4.30-4.50 pm:

„From Lab to Factory Floor: Insights and Highlights from OT Security Testing“ [Adrian Pinter | Lukas Krisper, SIEMENS AG]

4.55-5.15 pm:

„Crypto Agility for Industrial & IoT: Challenges and Opportunities when Migrating to Post Quantum Cryptography“ [Mario Lamberger, NXP Semiconductors]

5.20-5.40 pm:

„From air gap to awareness – the evolution of OT security measures in critical infrastructures“ [Heribert Vallant, JOANNEUM RESEARCH]

6.00-8.00 pm: Networking and Get2gether

Partners

Disclaimer

This event is in English.

By registering, you consent to the electronic processing and transmission of your data and to the sending of electronic mail for information and advertising purposes by the organisers.

At this event, photos and/or video recordings may be made in which you are recognisable and which could be used for the public relations work of the SILICON ALPS Cluster and by the above-mentioned event partners for an unlimited period of time. By participating in this event, you expressly agree to the photo and/or video recordings and consent to the distribution of the photo and/or video recordings for the above-mentioned purposes. You can revoke this declaration at any time. This cancellation applies to all future publications, but not to publications already made.