Panel moderator

Cristian Tracci oversees ECSO’s strategic initiatives and outreach efforts across the European cybersecurity ecosystem, as well as ECSO’s international relations. He also leads the organisation’s work on cybersecurity public policy, closely monitoring and analysing developments at the EU level and beyond.

Before joining ECSO, Cristian worked on cybersecurity with European institutions, focusing on areas such as coordinated vulnerability disclosure, incident management, cyber threat intelligence, and the NIS2 Directive.

He holds a Master’s degree in International Security Policy from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA).

With over 28 years of hands-on cybersecurity expertise, I’ve dedicated my career to anticipating threats, dismantling vulnerabilities, and architecting digital defense strategies that stand the test of real-world attacks.

I started working in cybersecurity in 1997, long before it became a boardroom concern, driven by a hacker’s curiosity and a relentless drive to challenge systems before adversaries could.

In 2010, I founded Cyber Smart Defence, built on a clear conviction: that offensive expertise is the most powerful defensive strategy. Our mission was simple—“Let us hack you before they do.” Under my leadership, CSD quickly earned global recognition as a pioneer in ethical hacking and advanced penetration testing.

Today, Cyber Smart Defence is part of the Stefanini Group, a global technology powerhouse, and continues to deliver high-impact cybersecurity services to Fortune 500 clients across sectors.

I bring a rare combination of deep technical mastery and strategic business acumen, built through decades of direct threat engagement and global executive leadership.

My approach fuses entrepreneurial agility with disciplined execution, helping organizations proactively mitigate cyber risk, align security to business priorities, and gain resilience in an era of digital disruption.

Valentina Mauro is a Policy Manager at EU Strategy, where she advises clients on EU policy and regulatory developments in cybersecurity, data, and cloud. Her work primarily focuses on EU cybersecurity legislation for products, including the Cyber Resilience Act, and certification schemes. Before joining EU Strategy, she worked at the EU liaison office of a Rome-based think tank on digitalisation and artificial intelligence. She holds a Master’s degree in Global Security and Strategy and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Relations.