By David Badanes, Director of Cyber Programs and Partnerships, AES
This October brings Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a collaborative effort between the United States Government and the National Cybersecurity Alliance to raise cybersecurity awareness nationally and internationally. Started in 2004, this partnership has strived to help individuals and organizations protect themselves from the increasing threat of digital attacks. This year’s theme is “See Yourself in Cyber”, with the stated goal to focus on the ‘people’ part of cybersecurity.
Similarly, October is also the European Cybersecurity Month (ECSM) launched in 2012 by the EU Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) and supported by EU member states and civil society. Their 2022 campaign is called “Think Before U Click”, focusing on Phishing and Ransomware.
This focus on people-centricity aligns well with the work of the Charter of Trust. Founded in 2018 at the Munich Security Conference, the Charter of Trust is a unique initiative of leading global companies and organizations working together to make the digital world of tomorrow safer. The Charter’s member companies achieve this work by creating global standards that can be used to protect the data of individuals and companies and to prevent damage to people, companies, and critical infrastructure.
While the technology and infrastructure may change, it’s our perspective that the human element of cybersecurity was and is the most important. That’s why it’s embedded throughout our ten principles, including establishing clear ownership for cybersecurity, designing user-centric systems, and providing education and awareness. We are perhaps most encouraged by our Associated Partners, including the Cyber Readiness Institute that is providing free, online training to small and medium sized businesses to help their IT teams secure their infrastructure against common cyber vulnerabilities and train their employees about cyberattacks.
Throughout the month, we will highlight our partners work and top tips on cybersecurity –both at home and at work. We look forward to contributing to the robust conversation on how we can break through the noise to make a measurable impact in cyber awareness.
Stay tuned to this space and our Twitter account @charteroftrust for more. In the meantime, if you have ideas for our Charter or how to help create a culture of cybersecurity, feel free to drop us a line.
Stay Safe,
David,
Director of Cyber Programs and Partnerships, AES
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External Engagement
Advancing Regulatory Alignment at RSA Conference 2025
In the face of rising global cyber threats, over 50 CISOs have called for greater international alignment of cybersecurity regulations to strengthen defenses and reduce fragmentation. This message was echoed at RSAC 2025, where experts from the OECD, European Commission, academia, and industry emphasized the need for principle-based collaboration. The Charter of Trust, a long-time advocate for regulatory harmonization, continues to support coordinated, effective approaches that prioritize clarity over complexity.
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External Engagement
Richards Skalt takes over the Advocacy Workstream
We are delighted to welcome Richard Skalt, Advocacy Manager at TÜV SÜD, as the new Leader of the Advocacy Workstream at the Charter of Trust. Richard steps into the role following María del Pino González-Junco, who recently assumed the position of Chair of the Global External Engagement Working Group.
With a strong background in advocacy and a forward-looking vision, Richard brings renewed energy to our mission of shaping a secure digital future. As he puts it:
“My motivation is to preserve and build upon the strong foundation of advocacy activities we’ve developed over the past years. At the same time, I’m committed to ensuring we’re in a position to shape the policies that will define how our business model and operations evolve in the future – including the cybersecurity of products and systems, the use, deployment, and distribution of robust AI solutions, as well as cloud security and secure datacenters.”
In a world defined by accelerating digital transformation and increasingly complex regulatory challenges, principled leadership and effective collaboration are more vital than ever. Under Richard’s leadership, the Advocacy Workstream will continue to engage policymakers, raise public awareness, and strengthen education around key issues such as cybersecurity, AI governance, and secure digital infrastructures.
With a strong background in advocacy and a forward-looking vision, Richard brings renewed energy to our mission of shaping a secure digital future. As he puts it:
“My motivation is to preserve and build upon the strong foundation of advocacy activities we’ve developed over the past years. At the same time, I’m committed to ensuring we’re in a position to shape the policies that will define how our business model and operations evolve in the future – including the cybersecurity of products and systems, the use, deployment, and distribution of robust AI solutions, as well as cloud security and secure datacenters.”
In a world defined by accelerating digital transformation and increasingly complex regulatory challenges, principled leadership and effective collaboration are more vital than ever. Under Richard’s leadership, the Advocacy Workstream will continue to engage policymakers, raise public awareness, and strengthen education around key issues such as cybersecurity, AI governance, and secure digital infrastructures.
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External Engagement
New Chairwoman for the Global External Engagement Group
The Charter of Trust is proud to announce María del Pino González-Junco, Cybersecurity Alliances Manager at Siemens, as the new Chairwoman of the Global External Engagement Working Group. Her appointment marks a significant step forward in our shared mission to advance cybersecurity through strong international collaboration.
Pino’s election follows a dynamic Collaboration Week in Denmark, where Charter of Trust partners from around the world came together to align on strategy, strengthen partnerships, and reaffirm our commitment to a secure digital future. As a longstanding leader within the advocacy workstream, Pino has been instrumental in fostering open dialogue with key external stakeholders and promoting cybersecurity awareness across industries and institutions.
“A reliable digital world can only thrive if public and private institutions build trust and cyber-resilience together, share their expertise, and support society in this digital journey. Those are our goals at the Charter of Trust,” says Pino.
She takes over the role from Sumit Chanda, COO/CISO at Atos, who has guided the working group with vision and energy. We are pleased to share that Dr Chanda has since been elected Co-Chair of the Charter of Trust by the Board of Directors in February—ensuring his continued impact on the initiative’s strategic direction.
We extend our sincere thanks to Sumit for his outstanding leadership and warmly congratulate Pino on her new role.
Pino’s election follows a dynamic Collaboration Week in Denmark, where Charter of Trust partners from around the world came together to align on strategy, strengthen partnerships, and reaffirm our commitment to a secure digital future. As a longstanding leader within the advocacy workstream, Pino has been instrumental in fostering open dialogue with key external stakeholders and promoting cybersecurity awareness across industries and institutions.
“A reliable digital world can only thrive if public and private institutions build trust and cyber-resilience together, share their expertise, and support society in this digital journey. Those are our goals at the Charter of Trust,” says Pino.
She takes over the role from Sumit Chanda, COO/CISO at Atos, who has guided the working group with vision and energy. We are pleased to share that Dr Chanda has since been elected Co-Chair of the Charter of Trust by the Board of Directors in February—ensuring his continued impact on the initiative’s strategic direction.
We extend our sincere thanks to Sumit for his outstanding leadership and warmly congratulate Pino on her new role.
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April 24, 2025
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