CYSAT arrives in Spain for the first time
Madrid will host the first edition of one of the leading international space cybersecurity conferences on 28 October, 2026.
On 28 October, Digitaliza Madrid (Calle Embajadores, 181) will host the first edition of CYSAT Madrid, the Spanish sister conference of CYSAT, the leading international event that has brought together space agencies, cybersecurity authorities, operators, manufacturers, startups, investors and researchers from around the world every year since 2021.
In the most recent edition of CYSAT, held in Paris in May 2026, Dulce Sánchez, Head of the Security and Certification Department at the Spanish Space Agency, set out the Agency's position: security should not be understood as a regulatory compliance burden or a brake on innovation, but as the essential foundation for industry growth, mission reliability and European strategic autonomy. The AEE has defined four lines of work: cybersecurity by design and from the procurement stage; coordination and governance within the NIS2 framework as the sector's point of contact; rapid information-sharing through the National Cyber-Incident Reporting Platform, in collaboration with the CCN, and through participation in the EU Space ISAC; and orbital security and sustainability.
At the European Space Agency (ESA) Ministerial Council in November 2025, Spain pledged €1.854 billion for the 2026–2030 period, 8.46% of the total, becoming ESA's fourth-largest contributor for the first time.
Building on this momentum, the Community of Madrid Cybersecurity Agency, together with the Digitaliza Madrid innovation hub, has confirmed it will host two events. The first, on 28 October, the Spanish chapter of CYSAT, and the second on 29 October — following the success of its previous edition — THE SIGN 2.0 Hackathon: CASCADE CTF (Capture the Flag), focused on critical infrastructure and produced by Cyber Unit Technologies, bringing together the next generation of cybersecurity talent to learn how to withstand cyberattacks through scenarios inspired by real incidents against critical infrastructure.
With these two events, Madrid continues the pan-European conversation on security, collaboration and innovation in international space cybersecurity.
CYSAT Madrid 2026 takes place as part of the official programme of Madrid Tech Week this October, one of Europe's largest technology festivals, and is organised by THE SIGN.MEDIA, an international ecosystem dedicated to talent and communication in space cybersecurity, together with RCC.Advisory as co-organiser and under the agreement signed with CYSEC, creator of the CYSAT series.
CYSAT Madrid has the institutional support of the Community of Madrid Cybersecurity Agency, the Spanish Space Agency and the Spanish Association of Defence, Security, Aeronautics and Space Technology Companies (TEDAE).
The theme of this first edition is *"Space sovereignty in practice: Spain's contribution to Europe's security"*. The full-day programme, running from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., is organised around four thematic pillars: strategy, governance and space defence; secure connectivity and critical orbital infrastructure; cyber resilience of space systems; and the new security paradigms for space and which emerging technologies will define space sovereignty over the next decade.
Confirmed speakers already include Juan Carlos Cortés, Director of the Spanish Space Agency (AEE); Massimo Mercati, Head of the Security Office at the European Space Agency (ESA); Frank Backes, President of Space ISAC, and Alberto Gutiérrez, President of TEDAE. Representatives from GMV, Integrasys, Thales Alenia Space España, Airbus, Sener and others will also take part, alongside senior figures from Spain's and the world's space and cybersecurity sectors.
"Today we depend on space for telecommunications, satellite connectivity, civil aviation and the critical infrastructure that sustains daily life. Protecting these systems is no longer a niche technical issue, but a matter of national security and sovereignty," says Alejandro Las Heras Vázquez, CEO of the Community of Madrid Cybersecurity Agency. "CYSAT is bringing together the leaders of global space cybersecurity: those who build the technology and those who protect it. On 28 October we are doing this from Madrid, to highlight the role of Spain and its technology ecosystem in protecting cyberspace."
About CYSAT
Launched in 2021 to raise awareness of vulnerabilities in the space industry, CYSAT has become the world's leading conference at the intersection of space and cybersecurity, with established editions in Paris and Singapore. Each year it brings together more than 1,500 participants, 100 speakers and 70 partner organisations around the development of common frameworks and best practices to protect space infrastructure.
Press contact
CYSAT Madrid Coordinator | THE SIGN.MEDIA
Coordinators of CYSAT Madrid — THE SIGN.MEDIA & RCC.Advisory
Inquiries regarding AEE's participation should be directed to its Communications Office: comunicacion@aee.gob.es