Meet Theódór Ragnar Gíslason, the keynote speaker of DrupalCon Barcelona 2024
Theódór Ragnar Gíslason will take the stage at the CCIB auditorium in Barcelona with his keynote session, 'Building Safer Digital Communities - The Mission of Defend Iceland.' Learn more about his journey and get a sneak peek into his talk.
Biography:
Theodor Ragnar Gislason is a seasoned leader in the field of technical cybersecurity, with a strong focus on offensive security research and community-driven innovation. Renowned globally for his expertise, Theodor has been a sought-after advisor by some of the world's largest companies, playing an important role in fortifying their defenses. His work in vulnerability research is distinguished by the discovery of multiple zero-day vulnerabilities, including in high-profile products like those of Apple. Theodor has also led numerous high-stakes security assessments and attack simulations, including a notable red team engagement against Dropbox, which was publicly acknowledged by them for the impact his work had in making the world a safer place.
Beyond his technical acumen, Theodor is a passionate advocate for positive transformation within the cybersecurity and developer communities. He was a co-founder of Adversary, acquired by Secure Code Warrior in 2020, a groundbreaking secure code development training platform that empowered developers to think like hackers. As a co-founder and the CTO of Syndis, Iceland's leading cybersecurity firm, Theodor continues to spearhead initiatives that strengthen the nation's cybersecurity posture as well as driving innovation within the company.
In his latest endeavor, Theodor founded Defend Iceland, a nationwide bug bounty platform that seeks to democratize the discovery of digital threats by encouraging the reporting of vulnerabilities across all organizations in Iceland, not just those with deep pockets or established security teams. Through Defend Iceland, Theodor aims to create a more inclusive and community-focused approach to cybersecurity, ensuring that all Icelandic organizations, regardless of size, have access to critical security insights. His vision is to build a safer, more resilient digital landscape by harnessing the collective power of the community so that everyone can contribute to a more healthy cybersecurity culture for our community.
Theodor's journey reflects his commitment to leveraging his deep technical expertise and entrepreneurial spirit to drive meaningful change. His work is a testament to the belief that true security is achieved not just through technology, but through a collaborative and inclusive community effort.
Talk Description:
In November 2023, Theódór Ragnar Gíslason, CTO and Head of Innovation at Syndis, an Icelandic cybersecurity firm, secured a €2.53M grant from the European Commission as part of the Digital Europe plan. This grant will fuel "Defend Iceland," a groundbreaking cybersecurity initiative designed to create a nationwide bug bounty platform with a communal reward system. But this isn’t just about Iceland—it’s about reimagining cybersecurity for the global stage.
"Defend Iceland" aims to revolutionize how we approach the discovery of digital threats by making responsible disclosure and bug bounties accessible to everyone, not just those with immense resources. The project will empower participating organizations, ethical hackers, security researchers, and even passionate hobbyists to become defenders and help strengthen Iceland’s digital infrastructure, with the hope and potential to replicate this model worldwide.
In his keynote, Theódór will take you on a personal journey that began in the aftermath of a life-changing accident thirty years ago —a moment from which his passion for hacking was sparked. He’ll share how this experience shaped his belief in the power of community-driven cyber resilience.
Join Theódór as he discusses the vision behind "Defend Iceland," the challenges of democratizing cybersecurity, and how a united community of socially responsible companies and ethical hackers can make our digital world safer for everyone. This is a call to action to build a global community where our cyber resilience is a shared responsibility.
Make sure not to miss the talk on On Wednesday, 25 September 2024, at 14:30. We look forward seeing you at DrupalCon Barcelona 2024!
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@Cybersec_ECCC @Cybersec_EU
