Moldova Cyber Summit: Stronger Together

From national resilience to cyber-aware society: Turning vision into action

09:00–09:30 | Registration and welcome coffee

09:30–10:20 | Opening ceremony: Stronger Together

• Welcoming words by the Moderator of the Summit: Alexandru Gurdila

Opening remarks by: 

• Hannes Astok, Executive Director and Chairman of the Management Board, e-Governance Academy (eGA) 

• Michelle Iliev, Secretary of State (Digitalization), Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalization 

• Mate Csicsai, Deputy Head of Delegation, European Union Delegation to Moldova  

• Anatolie Golovco, Cybersecurity and Digital Transformation Expert in the Prime Minister’s Office 

• Ion Vintila, Deputy Director, Agency for Cybersecurity (ASC)  

• Victoria Muntean, Director, National Center for Personal Data Protection  

10:20–10:45 | Keynote: Enhancing security through partnerships 

This keynote examines how strategic partnerships strengthen Moldova’s cybersecurity posture and national resilience. The session will explore collaborative approaches to building robust defense mechanisms, sharing threat intelligence, and developing coordinated response capabilities across public and private sectors. Special attention will be given to how international partnership frameworks support Moldova’s efforts to enhance critical infrastructure protection, cyber defense capabilities, and crisis preparedness. The discussion will highlight practical examples of how partnerships translate into tangible security outcomes and sustainable capacity building in the evolving threat landscape. 

Speaker: Marina Stanescu, Political Officer of the NATO Liaison Office in Moldova 

10:45–12:00 | Panel discussion: Critical conversations on crisis management – regional, national and cross-border perspectives

This high-level panel explores how countries and organisations can prepare for and respond to large-scale cyber crises that transcend borders. The discussion will address the first critical moments of incident response, the legal and operational mechanisms for crisis coordination, and the role of international and regional cooperation. The session will also examine how public–private collaboration and EU-level instruments like the Cyber Solidarity Act can strengthen national and collective resilience in times of crisis.

Moderator: Lauri Kriisa, Head of the Legal Department, Estonian Information System Authority (RIA)

Panellists:

• Simona Spinaru, International Security Expert to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova
• Daniel Ionescu, Legal expert cybersecurity policy and standardization, DNSC
• Sergiu Postica, Strategy, Business Development and Regulatory Affairs Director, Orange

12:00–13:00 | Networking lunch

13:00–13:45 | Cyber diplomacy: Getting ahead of the curve in a fragmented cyber world

Threats in cyberspace are multiplying and evolving faster than ever. From cyber and hybrid attacks to information manipulation and interference, malicious actors exploit gaps in regulation, uneven institutional capacities, and the fragmentation of national and sectoral responses. Too often, cybersecurity, tech governance, hybrid threats, and disinformation are tackled in isolation — limiting the impact of even the best-intentioned initiatives. This session will explore how cross-sector and whole-of-government collaboration — at the policy, technical, and operational levels — can help anticipate emerging risks, build more resilient digital ecosystems, and strengthen accountability.

Moderator: Patryk Pawlak, Part-time Professor, European University Institute; Visiting scholar, Carnegie Europe

Panellists:

• Valeriu Mija, State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Moldova
• Tamara Tafra, Adviser in the Cabinet of Minister for Foreign and European Affairs, Croatia
• Ana Revenco, Director of Moldovan Center for Strategic Communication and Countering Disinformation (CSCCD) 

13:45–14:30 | Session on digital government services: Building trust through Secure-by-Design solutions

Moderator: Oleg Burba, Senior Expert in Digital Services, e-Governance Academy

Panellists:

• Dumitru Darea, Director of Agency for Digitalization in Justice and Court Administration
• Nicoleta Colomeet, Director of the Moldovan e-Governance Agency (AGE)

14:30–15:00 | Coffee break

15:00–15:05| Visual introduction featuring community initiatives, awareness campaigns, and human-centred approaches to cybersecurity.

15:05–15:20 | Keynote: How Estonia protects its citizens online?

Speaker: Maarja Punak, Police Captain at the Communication Bureau, Estonian Police and Border Guard Board

15:20–16:15 | Panel discussion: Cybersecurity’s shared responsibility – from media literacy to trust in society

This panel brings together experts from law enforcement, civil society, the private sector, and media to explore how cybersecurity and trust are built — not just through technology, but through people. The discussion will look at shared responsibility across sectors, the role of media literacy in strengthening societal resilience, and how effective communication and awareness can turn informed citizens into the first line of defence in cyberspace.

Moderator: Henrik Roonemaa, technology journalist and podcaster, Estonia

Panellists:

• Maarja Punak, Police Captain at the Communication Bureau, Estonian Police and Border Guard Board
• Rica Williams, Senior Expert, e-Governance Academy
• Irina Strajescu, Executive Director, Moldcell Foundation
• Victoria Bucataru, Administrator, Vocea Media SRL

16:15–16:20 | Day 1 synthesis & transition

• Alexandru Gurdila, Moderator of the Summit

16:30 | Departure to Brănești Winery https://winemd.ro

Organised transportation from Urban Business Center and back

17:30–21:00 | Seated dinner & networking

18:30–19:30 | Fireside chat: Leadership perspectives on Moldova’s cyber future

A candid, future-focused conversation with Moldova’s cybersecurity leadership on national priorities, strategic challenges, resource needs, and international partnerships – viewed through the lens of education, capacity building, and cyber exercise culture. The session explores how training pipelines, cyber ranges, and repeatable drills can turn strategy into sustained capability.

Moderator: Merle Maigre, Head of Cybersecurity Competence Center, e-Governance Academy

Featured Guests:

• Olga Cerbu, Cybersecurity Expert, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science, State University of Moldova
• Deniss Sõropjatov, Technical Pre-Sales Consultant, CybExer

20:00–20:30 | Thanking the beneficiaries for their collaboration and support throughout the project.

09:30–10:00 | Welcome back & morning coffee

10:00–10:05 | Day 2 opening & framework

• Alexandru Gurdila, Moderator of the Summit

10:05–10:10 | Visual representation of the Moldova Cybersecurity Rapid Assistance project

10:10–10:30 | Special Presentation: “Two phases, One mission: Progress, impact, and measurable results.

A focused overview of the Moldova Cybersecurity Rapid Assistance projects journey, highlighting key results from both phases. The presentation will showcase measurable outcomes, strengthened institutional capacity, improved infrastructure, policy and legislative progress, and the sustainability measures ensuring long-term resilience.

Presenter: Radu Serrano, Cybersecurity Expert, e-Governance Academy

10:30–11:30 | Panel Discussion: Whole-of-Ecosystem security and Europe’s digital resilience

This panel explores how Moldova and its partners can align with the evolving European Union cybersecurity framework, including the Directive on measures for a high common level of cybersecurity across the Union (NIS2), the Digital Operational Resilience Regulation for the financial sector and the Directive on the resilience of critical entities. The discussion will focus on how to translate legal obligations into real operational capability, what has been learned from implementing these instruments in EU Member States and what regulatory alignment in practice means for an EU candidate country. Panellists will also address how to strengthen institutional capacity, support operators of essential and important services, and embed cybersecurity as a core element of national resilience and digital transformation strategies.

Moderator: Epp Maaten, European Cybersecurity Policy Expert, Project Team Lead for Moldova Cybersecurity Rapid Assistance 1.0 project

Panellists:

• Toomas Vaks, Cybersecurity Expert, e-Governance Academy
• Anatolie Golovco, Cybersecurity and Digital Transformation Expert in the Prime Minister’s Office
• Cristina Pereteatcu, State Secretary, Ministry of Energy
• Eugeniu Belecciu, Head of the Operational Evaluation and Organizational Control Directorate within the Inspectorate for Operational Management, Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Moldova

11:30–12:30 | Networking lunch

12:30–12:35 | Video “Your Data, Your Rights: Insights from the 2025 Conference”

12:35–13:10 | A dialogue on strengthening trust through privacy and data protection

Speakers:

• Henrik Roonemaa, technology journalist and podcaster, Estonia
• Irina Strajescu, Executive Director of the Moldcell Foundation, Director of People and Communication at Moldcell, and Board Member of the Moldova Innovation Technology Park

13:10–13:30 | Hybrid threats and policy shields: Moldova’s resilience challenge

A strategic overview of how Moldova faces hybrid warfare: blending cyberattacks, disinformation, and illicit influence. The talk highlights state and civic responses, legal countermeasures, and the needed shift from reactive defense to systemic resilience in governance.

Speaker: Andrei Curăraru, Public Policy Analyst with a legal background, Co-founder of WatchDog.md

13:30–14:30 | Election security and democratic protection: Learning from experience

This session will focus on practical experiences safeguarding electoral processes, technical/operational challenges, coordination mechanisms, intersection of cybersecurity and democratic resilience.

Moderator: Taimar Peterkop, Senior Cybersecurity Expert, e-Governance Academy

Panellists:

• Priit Vinkel, Senior Expert, e-Governance Academy
• Beata Martin-Rozumiłowicz, International Election Security Expert
• Natalia Spinu, Director, European Institute of Political Studies of Moldova, Cybersecurity Expert, e-Governance Academy

14:30–14:40 | Conclusions and closing remarks

• Alexandru Gurdila, Moderator of the Summit