Cybersecurity meets safety: Discussion about the risks of networked systems at the Cybersecurity Meetup Munich

26 February 2026

At the Cybersecurity Meetup Munich in February 2026, experts from industry and research discussed the growing importance of combining safety and cybersecurity – especially in complex and safety-critical systems such as space travel. The focus was on different understandings of risk, the challenges of networked systems, and the shift in cybersecurity from a “nice-to-have” to a fundamental requirement for modern technologies.

On February 24, 2026, Airbus and infodas hosted the Cybersecurity Meetup Munich, which focused on the increasing interconnection between functional safety and IT security (cybersecurity). An introductory presentation by Prof. Dr. Chiara Manfletti (Head of the Department of Aerospace and Geodesy) on space activities at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and the particular challenges of safety-critical systems was followed by a panel discussion with experts from industry and research.

Two worlds with growing overlap

A key topic was the insufficient integration of safety and cybersecurity approaches to date. Prof. Chiara Manfletti emphasized that both areas have largely been considered separately up to now, even though greater integration is necessary. Data integrity in particular is recognized as crucial, but has not yet been addressed consistently. There are differences between the engineering perspective on systems and the requirements of end users.

Dr. Tobias Kiesling (Head of Cyber Technical Office, Airbus Protect) also pointed out that modern systems are increasingly interconnected, but the challenges posed by this interconnectivity have not yet been sufficiently addressed. A common understanding of risks has hardly been established to date. Regulation and standards could help to create a uniform basis here.

Andreas Krüger (Founder & CEO, Laokoon Security) highlighted the fundamental differences between the disciplines: While functional safety aims to protect the environment from possible system malfunctions, cybersecurity is designed to protect systems from a dynamic and potentially hostile environment.

Different perspectives on risk

The discussion made it clear that although both areas work with the concept of risk, they attach different meanings to it. Andreas Krüger emphasized that threat modeling is becoming increasingly important for systematically identifying cyber risks. Manufacturers in particular are often still in the early stages here and first need to develop an understanding of the concept.
The shift from cybersecurity as a “nice-to-have” to a mandatory requirement was also discussed. Prof. Dr. Chiara Manfletti described this change as an ongoing process in which it is crucial to consider security requirements early on in the development phase. Kiesling added that this requires a fundamental change in mindset – away from isolated risk assessments and toward integrated security analyses.

Networked systems – networked risks

Another focus was on the risks posed by complex system landscapes. According to Dr. Tobias Kiesling, this is ultimately a classic engineering task: systems and their interactions must be modeled and analyzed step by step. Instead of trying to grasp the entire complexity at once, it makes sense to start with individual scenarios and points of attack and derive insights from them.
Prof. Dr. Chiara Manfletti emphasized that increasing complexity and convergence of technologies are a continuous cycle. Attackers are constantly evolving their activities - a situation that requires constant vigilance.

Focus on regulation and certification

Regulatory developments such as the NIS 2 Directive were also discussed. Andreas Krüger noted that many organizations continue to be strongly compliance-driven. At the same time, however, there is a noticeable trend toward more motivated security measures. Companies are increasingly understanding how important confidentiality, integrity, and availability are at the architectural level.

In certified systems, security is highly dependent on context. Andreas Krüger made it clear that, in principle, any system can be compromised given enough time. Often, the actual attack surface is not in the certified core system itself, but in interfaces or network access points. 

Following the discussion, representatives from academia, industry, and small and medium-sized enterprises took the opportunity to network. Prof. Dr. Corinna Schmitt presented FI CODE's activities in the field of cybersecurity as well as the activities of her SeCoSys group in the areas of secure multi-domain operations, aeronautics, and secure decentralized data storage.  She also promoted the outgoing initiatives of the NCC-DE (National Coordination Center for Cybersecurity Germany) to strengthen the German cybersecurity community and gathered valuable information about research in the field of aeronautics.

The meetup clearly showed that the integration of safety and cybersecurity approaches is one of the central challenges of modern technical systems. Especially in highly critical areas such as space travel, a joint risk assessment is becoming increasingly indispensable.

Additional Links

• Event Information: https://security-network-munich.org/cybersecurity-meetup-munich-february-2026-edition-airbus/
• Department of Aerospace and Geodesy: https://www.asg.ed.tum.de/asg/
• National Coordination Center for Cybersecurity Germany (NCC-DE) https://www.nkcs.bund.de/en
• SeCoSys research group: https://www.unibw.de/secosys

^{Photos: © RI CODE / Corinna Schmitt}