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.