The conference series DIGILIENCE—focusing on Digital Transformation, Cyber Security, and Resilience—continues its mission of exploring the state of the art and future needs in securing ICT‑intensive processes, services, and systems. Following earlier editions in Sofia (2019), Varna (2020), Veliko Tarnovo (2021), and Plovdiv (2022), the fifth International Scientific Conference DIGILIENCE 2024 was held from 13 to 15 November 2024 at the Cybersecurity Laboratory (CyResLab) of Sofia Tech Park in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Supported by Bulgaria’s Minister of Defence Atanas Zapryanov and co‑organized by the Institute of Information and Communication Technologies (BAS), the European Software Institute & CyberRes Lab, and the Bulgarian Defence Institute “Prof. Tsvetan Lazarov,” the event welcomed over 40 accepted papers and seven keynote plenary sessions. Contributors included researchers from six Bulgarian universities, six national research institutes, and international bodies such as the European Defence Agency (EDA) and ENISA, from around 14 countries.
A Best Paper Award was given to Dr Boyan Mitrakiev (UNWE) for his work “The Need for Emotional Cues Analysis in OSINT in Countering Reflexive Control Information Warfare Campaigns”. Notable presentations included Maria Lachova‑Toshkova’s exploration of “Data, Privacy and Human‑Centered AI in Defense and Security Systems: Legal and Ethical Considerations” and geopolitical reflections by Prof Todor Tagarev, Tony Rutkowski (CIS), and Dr Nickolas Multari (Indiana University).
The thematic programme encompassed key areas relevant to both research and practice, including:
- Critical Digital Dependencies (infrastructure, supply‑chain, IoT/industrial, biomedical systems)
- Policy & Governance (standardisation, human‑centred AI, digital competencies)
- AI & ICT Solutions for Defense (threat intelligence, autonomous systems, cryptography, privacy‑preserving computing)
- Cognitive Influence & Warfare (deepfakes, disinformation, cyber‑hybrid resilience)
A co‑located workshop, DPISESIA 2024, focused on data processing and intelligent embedded systems.
Held in the vibrant setting of Sofia Tech Park’s Cybersecurity Lab, DIGILIENCE 2024 showcased Bulgaria’s leading R&D environment and its growing role as a cybersecurity innovation hub.