site.btaDefence Minister Zapryanov Addresses DIGILIENCE 2024

Speaking at the opening of the international scientific conference "Digital Transformation on Wednesday, Cyber Security and Resilience" (DIGILIENCE 2024), caretaker Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov said that threats are becoming more complex and intense and require better preparedness and adaptivity than ever before.

“We live in a world that is changing faster than ever, not only in technology, but also socially, economically and politically. Changes in defence and security are complex and in new areas such as cyberspace and information,” Zapryanov said.

The use of artificial intelligence in defence systems and processes can lead to faster and more accurate decisions, the minister said. Establishing ethical and regulatory guidelines is critical to ensure that artificial intelligence strengthens security without creating new risks. By governments, industry and academia working together, we can establish standards that ensure the safety and ethical use of AI in defence, he added.

“By investing in education and training, we are preparing our people to meet the challenges of today and those of tomorrow,” the Minister noted.

This is the fifth edition of the forum. Prof. Todor Tagarev from the Institute of Information and Communication Technologies said the conference will bring together representatives of five universities and seven research institutes. Representatives from the European Defence Agency and the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) will also participate.

Researchers from Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Kuwait, Norway, North Macedonia, Ukraine and the United States will also present papers, Tagarev said.