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Workshop on cybersecurity regulation for the telecommunications/ICT sector

Date and venue: Monday, 12 October 2026, 09:30 to 17:30 (Room K, ITU)

This workshop on cybersecurity regulation for the telecommunications/ICT sector will take place at ITU Headquarters (ITU Montbrillant building, Room K) in Geneva, Switzerland on Monday 12 October 2026. It will be held following the ITU-D Study Group 2 Question 3/2 meeting dedicated to Securing information and communication networks: Best practices for developing a culture of cybersecurity.

Background information

Question 3/2 of ITU-D Study Group 2 is organizing a full day open workshop on cybersecurity regulation in the telecommunications and ICT sector, bringing together a diverse range of stakeholders, including policymakers and regulators, industry representatives, academia, and other experts.

The workshop will provide a platform to explore key regulatory cybersecurity trends, exchange experiences and emerging practices, and discuss current challenges and opportunities in the evolving cybersecurity landscape in the context of the telecommunications/ICT sector.

Expected outcomes include the collection of case studies and good practices from different regions, the mapping of emerging trends and challenges, and the lessons learnt to support countries in strengthening cybersecurity regulatory frameworks for the telecommunications/ICT sector. The insights and outcomes generated through these discussions will directly inform the development of the first output report under the Question 3/2, in accordance with item (a) of the Question’s Terms of Reference, ensuring that the report reflects a broad range of perspectives and practical expertise.

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[09:30 - 09:45] OPENING SESSION

Welcome remarks

Overview of objectives, structure, and expected outcomes

Ms Vanessa Copetti Cravo, Co-Rapporteur for Question 3/2, Brazil
Ms Nicole Darabian, Co-Rapporteur for Question 3/2, United Kingdom

Interactive opening poll with the audience

Mr Aguiguethina Wilfrid Batako, Vice-Rapporteur for Question 3/2, Burkina Faso

[09:45 – 10:15] KEYNOTE PRESENTATION

Speaker:

Cybersecurity regulation in practice - institutional mandates, collaboration and operator obligations
Mr Ahmed Elraghy, Telecommunication Development Bureau, ITU
[Biography ] [Presentation]

[10:15 – 10:45] KEYNOTE SPEECH – ACADEMIC PERSPECTIVE

Presentation on the theme of cybersecurity regulation for the telecommunications and ICT sector: global trends and regulatory challenges

Moderator:

Speaker:

Cybersecurity & regulation: trends and challenges
Ms Solange Ghernaouti, Honorary Professor, University of Lausanne (Switzerland)
[Biography] [Presentation-English] [Presentation-French]

Key topics of discussion:

Evolution of cybersecurity regulation affecting telecom and ICT operators

Sector specific vs cross sector regulatory approaches

Risk based regulation and proportionality

Interaction between cybersecurity, data protection, and telecom regulation

Global trends and regulatory fragmentation

[10:45 – 11:00] Break

[11:00 – 11:45] PANEL 1, PART I: NATIONAL REGULATORY FRAMEWORKS FOR CYBERSECURITY IN TELECOM/ICTS

General theme: designing and implementing cybersecurity obligations for telecom and ICT operators - comparative policies and regulatory experiences

Moderator:

Speakers:

Mr Jeong Min Lee, Korea Internet & Security Agency, Korea (Republic of) [Biography]

Mr João Filipe Alves, Autoridade Nacional de Comunicações, Portugal [Biography]

[11:45 – 12:30] PANEL 1, PART II: NATIONAL REGULATORY FRAMEWORKS FOR CYBERSECURITY IN TELECOM/ICTS

General theme: designing and implementing cybersecurity obligations for telecom and ICT operators - comparative policies and regulatory experiences

Moderator:

Speakers:

Ms Zilungile Tunzi, Independent Communications Authority of South Africa, South Africa [Biography]
Ms Afnan AlRomi, Communications, Space & Technology Commission (KSA), Saudi Arabia [Biography]
Mr Mel Turner, Office of Communications (Ofcom), United Kingdom [Biography]

Expected representation from all six regions with policy makers/regulators covering:

Regulator implementing cybersecurity obligations under frameworks such as NIS2

Regulator applying cybersecurity obligations within telecom legislation or national cybersecurity law

Regulator with sector specific cybersecurity requirements for telecom networks

Regulator integrating cybersecurity into licensing, authorization regimes

Key topics of discussion:

Legal and institutional frameworks of cybersecurity regulation

Scope of regulated entities (telecom operators, ISPs, ICT service providers)

Security and resilience requirements

Incident notification and information sharing obligations

Coordination among regulators and national cybersecurity authorities

[12:30 – 14:30] Lunch break

[14:30 – 15:20] PANEL 2, PART I: GLOBAL AND REGIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS CYBERTHREAT LANDSCAPE – CYBERSECURITY VENDORS PERSPECTIVES

Moderator:

Speakers:

Mr Fabio Sammartino, Kaspersky [Biography]
Mr Alessandro Liotta, Fortinet [Biography]

Key topics of discussion:

Global and regional trends in the evolving cyberthreat landscape affecting telecom and ICT networks
Key cybersecurity risks and evolving attack patterns affecting telecommunications infrastructure and services
Impact of emerging technologies and evolving network architectures on the telecom cyberthreat landscape

[15:20 – 16:10] PANEL 2, PART II: PRIVATE SECTOR PERSPECTIVES ON CYBERSECURITY AND NETWORK RESILIENCE IN TELECOMS/ICTS

General theme: operational challenges, costs, and good practices for enhancing cybersecurity and resilience in the telecommunications and ICT sector

Moderator:

Speakers:

Ms Tamber Ray, NTCA - The Rural Broadband Association, United States [Biography]
Mr Marcelo Motta, Huawei [Biography]
Mr Rafael Lozano, TelCables Brasil by Angola Cables [Biography]
Mr Jaifar Al Mamari, Vodafone [Biography]

Key topics of discussion:

Key cybersecurity resilience challenges in telecom/ICT

Effectiveness of current regulatory frameworks

Compliance as investment on security

Supply chain risk management

Assurance models and testing

[16:10 – 16:20] Break

[16:20 – 17:10] PANEL 3 – SUPERVISION AND ENFORCEMENT OF CYBERSECURITY OBLIGATIONS IN TELECOMS/ICTS

General theme: supervisory practices and enforcement tools for cybersecurity compliance

Moderator:

Speakers:

Mr Nicolas Lempereur, Belgian Institute for Postal services and Telecommunications (BIPT), Belgium [Biography]
Mr Umar Sayed Ahmed, National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, Egypt [Biography]
Mr Marcus Vinicius Galletti Arrais, National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel), Brazil [Biography]
Mr Rashed Mohamed Khalifa, National Cyber Security Center, Bahrain [Biography]

Expected representation with regional balance, providing views on varying experiences:

Regulator emphasizing structured supervision and compliance reviews
Regulator with audit and inspection based supervision
Regulator working with entities on remediation plans and corrective actions
Regulators working collaboratively with regulated entities to meet obligations, models of self-regulation
Regulator resorting to enforcement action

Key topics of discussion:

Suite of supervisory powers, supervisory strategies/methodologies and governance models
Use of information gathering, audits, certifications, and technical assessments
Remediation action and enforcement measures
Cooperation with national cybersecurity agencies and other authorities
Regulatory challenges linked to emerging technologies (5G, cloud, IoT)

[17:10 – 17:30] CLOSING SESSION

Way forward

Ms Vanessa Copetti Cravo, Co-Rapporteur for Question 3/2, Brazil
Ms Nicole Darabian, Co-Rapporteur for Question 3/2, United Kingdom

Closing poll with the audience

Mr Aguiguethina Wilfrid Batako, Vice-Rapporteur for Question 3/2, Burkina Faso