Security in the digital age

Call for Papers: 

Digital infrastructure, comprising hardware and software that enables the transfer of information and digital services, significantly enhances daily life for individuals, businesses, and societies. It also drives the digitalization of essential infrastructures, such as electricity, water, logistics, and security. However, this advancement brings new risks to human rights and the environment. Carbon emissions, water use, and the extraction of raw materials for data centers can harm the environment and may infringe upon the emerging right to a healthy environment. Additionally, security threats to critical infrastructures like ports and power grids can affect fundamental rights, such as access to water or energy.

Security is a broad concept encompassing multiple dimensions. Security addresses both the individual and collective level: it involves the protection of individual human rights, such as the right to health, the right to data protection and privacy, and the protection of the critical infrastructure, such as harbors or power grids whose vulnerabilities to attacks can impact individuals and businesses. Cybersecurity, Data protection, Critical infrastructure security, Environmental security are just few examples of how to secure the digital infrastructure in the digital age. These dimensions of security are addressed through legislation and policy, as well as through awareness-raising, public and private partnerships, and technical innovation. 

This multifaceted nature of security in the digital age calls for bringing together knowledge from different perspectives to further secure the digital infrastructure and research possible harms from different fundamental rights perspectives. Therefore, the aim of the conference is to discuss and provide theoretical and technical solutions on the following topic: “The issue of security in the digital age”. During this conference, we want to establish an interdisciplinary discussion that embraces different but highly interconnected areas of security, through the lens of the role that the security of digital infrastructure plays in protecting human rights. Furthermore, we aim to open up a new interdisciplinary dialogue among academia and societal stakeholders. 

The conference welcomes and encourages contributions from a variety of methods and methodologies. In particular, we encourage contributions that build upon the theoretical and empirical aspects of the following subjects: 

• The role of cybersecurity in protecting fundamental rights like the right to security, the right to access essential services, and the right to health; 
• The relationship between cybersecurity and the rights to privacy and data protection; 
• The legal framework on the protection of the critical infrastructure and its impact on fundamental rights; 
• Sector specific challenges in securing the digital infrastructure; 
• The role of governmental and non-governmental bodies in protecting the digital infrastructure; 
• The use of new technologies to secure the digital infrastructure; 
• Environmental security and digital infrastructure

Submission 

Prospective contributors are invited to submit their abstract (500 words maximum) with a provisional title to digitalization@law.eur.nl with the subject line “Abstract Security in the Digital Age” by 10 February 2025. Abstracts may be accompanied by a brief running bio of no more than 150 words. In the selection of papers, preference will be given to the author(s) who clearly elaborated on one or more aspects of security in the digital age.

Registration

Participation in the conference is free of charge but registration is required. Registration for non-speakers should be addressed to digitalization@law.eur.nl with the subject line “Registration Security in the Digital Age” by 10 April 2025.

Financial aid 

There will be limited funds available to cover accommodation costs for one night. Subject to later confirmation, there may be limited funds for covering part of the travel costs for the selected participants.