Between rolling green pastures and digital innovations: A review of DCONO 2023
The scenic community of Gais, a place where cows are an expected sight but where innovation might come as a surprise, was home to the inaugural Digital Conference Ostschweiz (DCONO). This event presented an intriguing blend of traditional charm and digital modernity, a fusion our team from GObugfree AG was delighted to be a part of.
The first edition of the Digital Conference Ostschweiz (DCONO) took place on June 15, 2023 - a day full of exciting insights and inspiring discussions. The conference brought into focus the timely and pertinent issues of cybercrime and artificial intelligence.
Christina Kistler, CCO at GObugfree, gave a clear and vivid presentation on the risks of cybercrime and the associated challenges for SMEs. She went on to show, however, that effective risk mitigation strategies do exist. Through measures such as crowd-based security testing (e.g., bug bounty programs), SMEs can reduce their risk of being attacked. Following her talk, Friendly Hacker Mauro Mattia Sbicego demonstrated how to protect against such attacks in an impressive live hack, offering practical IT security tips. Throughout the day, Mauro was literally overrun by attendees who wanted to know if their passwords had appeared in various leaks.
Wrapping up the morning program, renowned crisis communication expert Bettina Zimmermann spoke about the necessary steps when the worst-case scenario strikes. She emphasized the need for a positive error culture and provided valuable advice on dealing with cyberattacks.
Futurist Stephan Sigrist offered a glimpse into what lies ahead with artificial intelligence. He stressed the rapid pace of change in this area and underscored the focus on humans as central players in AI development. He maintained that AI, referred to as "Average Internet," should not replace humans, but rather assume a complementary role.
Prof. Marcel Salathé, Head of Digital Epidemiology at the EPFL Lausanne, introduced the concept of digital twins and their role in medicine. In a subsequent panel discussion, the topic of "Digital Twins" was examined from an economic perspective as well.
Beyond traditional topics, there was much to explore. Dölf Biasotto, council member of the Department of Construction and Economy, highlighted the increasing significance of the Internet of Things (IoT) and the role of digitalization in streamlining building permit procedures. He also underlined the trend towards environmentally friendly mobility, sharing his positive experiences with electric cars.
Andreas Schwizer, CEO of the St. Gallisch-Appenzellische Kraftwerke (SAK), underscored the importance of digitalization in the energy industry and spoke about SAK's role as a digital energy provider. The rapid development in IT and telecommunications was also discussed, emphasizing the importance of networking and knowledge exchange.
Graphic Recorder Gianni Fabiano was on hand at the DCONO, creating a hand-drawn overview of the conference as it unfolded.
We look forward to the next DCONO and are eager to see what new challenges and opportunities the future will bring. Until then, we remain active in ensuring the IT security of our customers.
Photos: https://www.leaderdigital.ch/news/galerien/digital-conference-ostschweiz-2023-348.html
Video «Digital Shaper Ostschweiz 2023»: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQ_LQZW2I_c
Report of Tele Ostschweiz: https://www.tvo-online.ch/aktuell/die-digitale-elite-der-ostschweiz-offline-vernetzt-152049139