Cybersecurity: A double win for FBK in research and innovation

From online banking and public administration platforms to everyday connected devices, digitalization offers new opportunities—along with new vulnerabilities. Cybersecurity has become one of the central challenges of today’s digital transformation, as protecting data, services, and infrastructure is essential for ensuring reliability and business continuity. It is no longer just a matter of preventing attacks; it is about creating an environment where people can adopt new technologies with confidence.

Andrea Bisegna and Laura Cristiano, from FBK’s Center for Cybersecurity (directed by Silvio Ranise), won the Best Pitch Award in the Research category at Trentino Digital Bridge 2026, bringing well-deserved attention to an issue of growing importance for individuals and companies alike. The event—organized by Confindustria Trento in collaboration with the University of Trento, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Fondazione Edmund Mach, and Fondazione HIT—took place on November 5 at the Teatro Sanbapolis in Trento. It brought together businesses, researchers, and students for a pitch competition focused on innovative projects, offering a platform to foster dialogue between research and industry while showcasing the region’s scientific expertise.

This achievement was complemented by a second honor at the Trentino Startup Valley 2026 Demo Day, the flagship event of the incubation and acceleration program led by Trentino Sviluppo in collaboration with HIT (Hub Innovazione Trentino). The project took first place and secured a €40,000 prize in the “Research Enhancement” category, introduced this year to help research-driven initiatives progress past the Proof of Concept (PoC) phase. This dual recognition underlines the immense potential for technology transfer in the field of cybersecurity.

Every time we log into an online service, we rely on systems designed to verify user identity and safeguard access. A misconfiguration or an undetected vulnerability can expose sensitive data and undermine trust in those services. That is why developing tools to test system security, identify weaknesses, and support proactive risk management is critical.

“The recent cyberattacks on refrigeration systems at several European grocery stores show how cybersecurity has real-world consequences that go far beyond data protection. Security is also essential to maintaining service continuity. That’s why investing in prevention—finding vulnerabilities before they can be exploited—is so critical,” notes Andrea Bisegna. However, technology is only part of the solution. Effective cybersecurity also requires risk awareness, proper user behavior, and tools that can be seamlessly integrated across different environments. “Digital security isn’t just a technical problem—it involves people, how they interact with services, and their trust in technology, starting with authentication procedures, which act as the first line of defense,” emphasizes Laura Cristiano. “One of our key challenges is building solutions that are not only secure, but also intuitive and easy to use.”

These twin awards recognize FBK’s expertise and research in an area where technological innovation, user-centered design, and industry collaboration meet real-world needs. In an increasingly interconnected world, cybersecurity is no longer just a shield—it is a foundational pillar for building trust and driving the adoption of new technologies.