Guillaume Tissier, Director of the International Cybersecurity Forum – EN

The forum, originally dedicated to cybercrime, was set up in Lille in 2007. “The forum was born in Lille, supported by the Nord-Pas-de-Calais gendarmerie (at the time). I discovered it in 2009 as a speaker on geopolitical issues”, recalls Guillaume Tissier. In 2013, after the Gendarmerie and private partners joined forces, the forum expanded to include cyber security.

When you consider that every 11 seconds there is a ransomware attack in the world, this gives you an idea of the importance of the subject…

While the event, which brings together the cybersecurity professional ecosystem, is based in Lille, it is becoming increasingly international in scope. And for that, its Lille location is a major asset. “We’re getting more and more visitors from Northern Europe, so it’s essential for us that the forum is held in a city that’s easily accessible and welcoming,” explains Guillaume Tissier.
The forum takes place over 3 days, and 65% of visitors stay for 2 days. “It is therefore important for the event to be held in a friendly, human-sized city that is pleasant to live in for our visitors, who are often quite young, and this is a recognised asset of the Lille European Metropolis. And let’s not forget the event and hotel infrastructures, which combine conferences with a trade fair.
“The format of the FIC is restrictive: we need a large space for exhibitors and multiple adjoining rooms for workshops and conferences. Lille Grand Palais lends itself perfectly to this,” stresses the organiser.

The Fic was born in Lille and has been running here for over 10 years, and according to Guillaume Tissier, it is flourishing here. “We have a great deal of support from the Region and the Metropolis, and the economic fabric is made up of both demand in terms of cybersecurity (retail, e-commerce, health, etc.) and supply, with leading-edge companies in these fields. The metropolis is also home to a large number of schools training the resources of tomorrow in places like Euratechnologies, which contribute to the development of the ecosystem. And let’s not forget the Regional Cybersecurity Campus which is opening its doors in Lille,” explains the forum director. “I can’t help but promote this region, which is so well equipped, welcoming and involved in this type of event,” he concludes.