Closing

Closing

Speakers: Sochima Okoye, Organizer, fwd:cloudsec

Conference: fwd:cloudsec Europe 2025

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiRgv9hnas4

Overview

Sochima Okoye, a member of the fwd:cloudsec Europe organizing committee and security consultant in the UK, delivered the closing remarks for the second annual fwd:cloudsec Europe conference held in Berlin. The closing session celebrated the event's growth to approximately 300 attendees (up from the previous year), acknowledged the contributions of speakers, sponsors, scholarship recipients, volunteers, and the organizing committee, and reinforced the community-driven ethos that defines fwd:cloudsec as a specialist cloud security conference.

Background

▶ Watch: Scholarship program announcement — four recipients selected from double the a... (0:30)

fwd:cloudsec Europe is in its second year, having established itself as a focused cloud security research conference that intentionally maintains a smaller, more intimate atmosphere compared to large industry events. The conference is organized by a volunteer committee including chair Kareem, along with Chris, Kristoff, Nick, Ben, Victor, and Okoye, supported by events company Rising Media. The conference received 105 CFP submissions for its program, and notably had to activate three out of four alternate speakers due to last-minute changes—a testament to both the unpredictability of conference planning and the quality of the backup speaker pool.

Key Findings

▶ Watch: Three out of four alternate speakers activated at short notice — praised for ... (2:00)

The closing highlighted several operational achievements: the scholarship program doubled its applicant pool from the previous year, selecting four recipients (Hannah, Matilda, Mache, and Saga). The conference maintained its character as a venue where attendees can directly engage with speakers and researchers—a deliberate contrast to larger conferences where hallway conversations with presenters are difficult. The Birds of a Feather sessions generated engaging discussion on emerging cloud security topics throughout the two-day event.

Technical Deep Dive

▶ Watch: Call for feedback and sponsors to sustain the conference for a third year and... (3:00)

No technical content was presented in the closing session.

Demo / Proof of Concept

▶ Watch: Thank you to all speakers and acknowledgment of 105 CFP submissions reviewed ... (4:00)

No demo was presented in the closing session.

Defensive Implications

▶ Watch: Full sponsor roll call — Datadog, Intruder, Trace Bit, Upwind, Wiz, Google Cl... (5:00)

Okoye emphasized that the conference's value extends beyond individual talks to the community connections formed in hallway conversations, and encouraged attendees to bring insights back to their teams and organizations. The call for speaker feedback and conference improvement suggestions reflects a commitment to iterating on the event's quality.

Key Takeaways

• fwd:cloudsec Europe grew to ~300 attendees in its second year, maintaining a specialist focus on cutting-edge cloud security research
• 105 CFP submissions were reviewed to build the two-day program, indicating strong community interest in presenting research
• Three alternate speakers activated at short notice delivered impressive talks, demonstrating the depth of the cloud security research community
• The scholarship program doubled its applicant pool, expanding access to the cloud security community
• Sponsors are essential to keeping the conference accessible — organizations interested in supporting cloud security research are encouraged to sponsor future events

About the Speaker(s)

Sochima Okoye is a security consultant based in the UK and a member of the fwd:cloudsec Europe organizing committee. She manages the conference's scholarship program and contributes to event planning throughout the year alongside the volunteer organizing team.