From Space to AI: Expanding the Cybersecurity Conversation with Cyber Unity | An RSAC Conference 2025 Conversation with Luigi Martino and Luca Tagliaretti | On Location Coverage with Sean Martin and Marco Ciappelli

At RSAC Conference 2025 in San Francisco, the message is clear: cybersecurity must be a shared endeavor—across nations, disciplines, and sectors. In this episode, Marco Ciappelli and Sean Martin welcome two distinguished voices from Italy who are helping shape this collective path forward: Luigi Martino, Director of the Center for Cybersecurity and International Relations Studies at the University of Florence, and Luca Tagliaretti, Executive Director of the European Cybersecurity Competence Centre (ECCC).

Cybersecurity as a Multinational, Multidimensional Effort

Luigi Martino, who also holds roles at the University of Bologna and Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi, underscores the growing global awareness that cybersecurity is no longer a niche concern—it’s embedded in everything, from space to artificial intelligence. He emphasizes that cyber cannot be treated in isolation and must be considered alongside advancements in quantum technologies, AI, and the systems that govern our modern society.

For Luca Tagliaretti, leading the EU’s newly autonomous cybersecurity body, this interconnected view plays out through policy and community-building. The ECCC’s role spans everything from shaping long-term cybersecurity strategies across Europe to investing in innovation and skilling up the current workforce. He describes this as a community-first mission—building cohesion not just across EU member states, but eventually through global alignment.

Regulation: Guardrail or Roadblock?

A major theme discussed is the role of regulation in fostering or hindering innovation. Both guests agree that thoughtful regulation—especially in AI—is not the enemy of progress. Rather, it can be a mechanism for building trust, ensuring ethical use, and creating market conditions where all players, not just the biggest, can thrive. Bureaucracy, not regulation itself, is called out as the more significant challenge—particularly when public institutions aren’t equipped to implement modern governance.

What They’re Taking Home from RSAC

Asked what they’ll bring back from the conference, Luca points to the “sense of unity”—the opportunity to build on shared knowledge and collaborate across borders. Luigi highlights the spirit of open innovation and trust that defines the RSAC community: a willingness to share, experiment, and move forward together.

Both perspectives offer a powerful reminder—cybersecurity isn’t just about defending systems, it’s about building connections.

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Guest:s 
Luigi Martino, Principal Research Scientist at Khalifa University and Head at the Center for Cyber Security and International Relations Studies | https://www.linkedin.com/in/luigi-martino-07515364/

Luca Tagliaretti, Executive Director at ECCC | https://www.linkedin.com/in/luca-tagliaretti-564a703/

Hosts:
Sean Martin, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine | Website: https://www.seanmartin.com

Marco Ciappelli, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine | Website: https://www.marcociappelli.com

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