it-sa in Nuremberg: Hub for European Cybersecurity

Data theft, cyberattacks, AI mishaps: Germany, Europe and the world receive such alarming news almost every week. As a result, cybersecurity has reached a new level. The same applies to it-sa (27 to 29 October in Nuremberg). Europe’s largest trade fair for IT security has now evolved into a hub for European cybersecurity.

Written by Reinhold Gebhart

Visitors walking through the entrance area of it-sa Expo&Congress in Nuremberg beneath a banner reading “Where Cyber Security Connects.”

In Berlin, 1.4 million sensitive data records end up on the dark web following a cyberattack on the Senate Administration. At US developer Anthropic, AI models break out during a test and infiltrate external computer systems and databases unnoticed.

In its Federal Cybercrime Situation Report for 2025, the German Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI) counts 334,000 registered cybercrime cases – that is more than 900 every day! The number of unreported cases is likely significantly higher, and the threat to companies, public authorities, and critical infrastructure is steadily increasing. As is the damage to the economy. According to the BMI, it now amounts to more than 200 billion euros, or around 4.5 percent of gross domestic product. And: Germany ranks third worldwide among attack targets.

Who’s who of international IT security experts

But the defensive side is also well positioned. “Stronger together against cyberattacks!” is the motto of the upcoming it-sa Expo&Congress in Nuremberg. The trade fair covers the full spectrum of products, services, and ideas in the field of cybersecurity. And it brings together the who’s who of international IT security experts and decision-makers in one place.

One of them is Prof. Dr. Marco Gercke, Director of the Cybercrime Research Institute based in Cologne. In his special keynote, he addresses a question that concerns companies and public institutions alike: in the interactive “Cyber Incident Simulation,” he uses a realistic scenario to demonstrate the dynamics of a cyberattack as well as the complex decision-making processes that must be managed under time pressure in a crisis.

Because the figures speak for themselves: 54 percent of cyberattacks in Europe target public administration, transport and traffic, digital infrastructure and services, the financial sector, and manufacturing; more than 80 percent of global phishing campaigns use AI-generated or AI-assisted content; 119 new vulnerabilities are disclosed every day (24 percent more than in the previous year). But: 64 percent of companies rely only on the required minimum when it comes to cyber resilience, and only one in five is very well prepared.

The Bitkom exhibition stand at it-sa in Nuremberg, with trade visitors talking at various information counters. — it-sa brings together international IT security experts and decision-makers to exchange ideas on current challenges.

Achieving greater cyber resilience together

However, the fact that the threat landscape continues to intensify does not mean that companies are defenseless in the face of these developments. What will be crucial is the consistent use of technological innovations and the intensification of the exchange of security-relevant information.

Prof. Dr. Norbert Pohlmann, Executive Board Member of the German IT Security Association (TeleTrusT), also points this out: “Innovations in the field of AI will have a major impact on attack methods and defense capabilities. AI can be used to detect vulnerabilities more effectively. The challenge is to close them promptly in order to reduce the attack surface and thus the risk of an attack. Another insight is that collaboration in the field of IT security has great leverage and should therefore be advanced. Effective collaboration in the field of IT security will be extremely relevant in the coming years in order to achieve greater cyber resilience together.”

This is precisely where it-sa comes in. From AI-supported attack detection and automated security processes to the cross-organizational exchange of threat information, new approaches are currently emerging to protect digital infrastructures more effectively and reduce cyber risks. This affects the full spectrum of IT security: AI security, critical infrastructure, identities and access rights (IAM), authentication (zero trust), protection of end devices (endpoint security) and operational technologies (OT security), as well as the EU requirements NIS2 and DORA.

Keeping pace with the times: Digital sovereignty in Europe as a goal

But the European aspect is crucial. Here, it-sa can excel both at the top – with the largest exhibitor spectrum in Europe – and across the board: in cross-border knowledge transfer in forums (2025: over 400 presentations) as well as in networking between trade visitors (2025: more than 28,000) and the experts at the stands (2025: almost 1,000). it-sa has achieved a coup with its new partner: the European Cyber Security Organisation (ECSO) is one of the central players in the European cybersecurity ecosystem.

Thimo Holst, Head of Brand Strategy at it-sa, puts it this way: “We bring together and offer the leading platform across all levels of cybersecurity – from IT experts to security strategists. it-sa is developing into the hub for European cybersecurity and is thus serving a highly prominent sign of the times: digital sovereignty in Europe.”

A busy exhibition hall at it-sa in Nuremberg, with numerous trade visitors moving between stands of IT security companies. — From AI-powered threat detection to new security strategies, it-sa showcases ways to strengthen cyber resilience.

NürnbergMesse as the "Home of Security"

it-sa is an important piece of the puzzle within the European security landscape. And it is part of NürnbergMesse’s security cluster, which also includes Enforce Tac and Perimeter Protection. Three events that bring together different aspects of security while pursuing a shared perspective: thinking about security holistically.

For Peter Ottmann, CEO of the NürnbergMesse Group, this is a good example of how opportunities arise: "Not through individual players, but through people who are willing to learn from one another and take responsibility together." In this sense, NürnbergMesse can rightly call itself the "Home of Security."

Author

Reinhold Gebhart

Online-Redaktion // Editor for Vincentz Network