Belfast cybersecurity firm to host Drone Summit for second year, sponsored by Royal Air Force

Belfast-based cybersecurity firm Angoka is to host its second UK & Ireland Drone Summit sponsored by KPMG and the Royal Air Force.

The summit will bring speakers from across Europe to discuss the evolution and revolution of drones, and the important role that cybersecurity plays in the accuracy and security of the communications between devices.

The conference, which will take place on November 20 in KPMG’s Belfast offices, will include a live security demonstration which will see a live hacking attempt to illustrate this landscape and how ANGOKA can mitigate for all eventualities using its secure communication technology.

Between keynote speakers and panel discussions, the summit will explore the cyber challenge for UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), technology drivers behind UAV advancements and the regulatory and social challenge for UAVs.

Shadi Razak, chief technology officer at Angoka, said: “We’re delighted that the UK & Ireland Drone Summit is returning. With the success of last year’s event, we saw the benefits to the industry in bringing great minds together to discuss how we can transform the regulatory, governance, security and safety challenges to opportunities that harness the good and mitigate the negative impact and foreseen risk of UAV technologies.

“Drones are allowing us to achieve more than ever before and continue to provide opportunities to businesses and the economy. Whilst use of drones is important, the risks of cyber is real, both commercially and physically.

“The conference is bringing together thought leaders and innovators to discuss the benefits, and also the downfalls, that come with UAVs, and how as an industry we can work together to ensure both physical and digital security.”

Angoka has a proven record of creating impenetrable security systems to protect driverless road vehicles and UAVs. The Belfast firm has partnered with a number of projects in the UK Research and Innovation’s Future Flight Challenge including Skyway in which air traffic corridors in the south of England have been designated for drones and unmanned aircraft. Angoka also supplies the hacker-proof security for automated, teleoperated and unmanned aircraft using these corridors. 

Speakers participating in Angoka’s UK & Ireland Drone Summit include KPMG’s chair, Global AAM and Future of Flight Community Chris Brown, Royal Airforce’s Air and Space Welfare Centre commandant air commadore Blythe Crawford CBE, Innovate UK’s Future Flight Challenge Innovation Lead Vicki Murdie, BT Group’s director of drones Dave Pankhurst, GSMA’s senior technical director, Smart Mobility Lead Barbara Pareglio and Civil Aviation Authority’s Emerging Policy Specialist for Future Safety and Innovation, Ed Fitzpatrick.