The fourth edition of Balkan Cybersecurity Days 2026 kicked off today in Shkodër, bringing together cybersecurity professionals from public and private institutions across the Western Balkans and beyond to exchange views on current threats, policy developments, and regional cooperation in the field of cybersecurity.
The conference is organized by DCAF, FIRST, and the National Cyber Security Authority (AKSK), in cooperation with the Municipality of Shkodër and the Western Balkans Cyber Capacity Centre (WB3C).
In his opening remarks, the Acting Director General of the National Cyber Security Authority (AKSK), Saimir Kapllani, emphasized that cyberattacks know no borders and that malicious actors often target multiple countries in the region simultaneously. He underlined that when one country is attacked, others in the region may also be exposed to risk, highlighting the importance of regional cooperation.
The opening session also featured welcoming remarks by Nicholas Abbott, Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Albania, who described the event as an important platform for communication within the regional cybersecurity landscape.
The programme also included a keynote address by a representative of the EU Cybersecurity Strategy and Policy Division at the Italian National Cybersecurity Authority, who spoke about supply chain risks, quantum threats, and navigating today’s cybersecurity challenges.
The conference is organized within the framework of DCAF’s “Programme for Good Cybersecurity Governance in the Western Balkans,” supported by the United Kingdom Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).
