CARO Workshop 2026 Innsbruck, Austria

Join for a truly extraordinary evening above the clouds! At 2,200 meters, the Seegrube sets the stage for the highest drinks reception ever held during a CARO Workshop. Take in the stunning panoramic views of the surrounding Alps, enjoy curated drinks and regional delicacies, and connect with fellow attendees in an unforgettable mountain setting. This is more than just a reception — it’s a moment to remember.

• Meeting Point 1: 17:35 – Lobby Hotel Grauer Bär

• Meeting Point 2: 17:50 – Cable Car Station

  • Cable Car leaves at 18.00, 18.15 and 18.30, don’t be late!

• 08:00 – 09:00 Registration
• 09:00 Opening remarks – Righard Zwienenberg
• 09:05 Welcome by AV-Comparatives
• 09:10 KEYNOTE Looking back on 40 years of anti virus experience, Christoph Fischer, BFK

• 10:00 How macOS Malware Outsmarts Apple’s Security, Andrei Lapusneanu, Bitdefender

• 10:30 BREAK

• 10:55 Unmasking AI-Themed Malvertising Targeting Social Media Users, Jaromír Hořejší, Check Point

• 11:40 APT’s playing with Roblox and Minecraft (amongst other sector specific platforms), Godert Jan van Manen, Lucas Onderwijs

• 12:05 No Payload For You: Inside Sidewinder’s Selective Exploitation Strategy, Eliad Kimhy, Acronis

• 12:30 LUNCH

• 13:30 Threats and COM interfaces, Vanja Svajcer, Cisco Talos

• 14:15 The Rise of the AI-Orchestrator: New Modus Operandi of Cyber Adversaries, Amit Weigman, Check Point Software

• 15:00 BREAK

• 15:25 Decrypting AI-Powered™ and Recycled Ransomware – Facepalms Included, Ladislav Zezula, Samuel Vojtáš, GEN Digital

• 16:10 The Hunter Becomes the Hunted, Gabor Szappanos, Sophos

• 16:55 Closing remarks – Tommi Uhlemann, AV-Comparatives

• 17:00 END

Bring Your Groove – Instruments Welcome (or Use Ours!)

Join us at Jimmy’s for a lively night of music, food, drinks, and spontaneous jam sessions! Enjoy live performances and an open stage where you can play along — whether you bring your own instrument or borrow one from the house band’s collection. From guitars and keyboards to percussion and more, everything you need is ready and waiting. Great tunes, tasty bites, and good vibes guaranteed. Let’s make some noise and memories together — CARO style!

• 09:30 Registration
• 10:00 WELCOME – Righard Zwienenberg
• 10:05 KEYNOTE – Cybercrime on the ground: Observations of experiences from the digital frontlines, Marijn Schuurbiers, EUROPOL
• 10:50 The dark prescription: inside the infrastructure of illegal online pharmacies, Lubos Bever, Gen Digital
• 11:15 BREAK
• 11:40 Evasion by Design: How APT Operations Slip Past Defenses, Marius Baciu, Bitdefender
• 12:05 LLMpot: Exploring the Open Frontier – A Study of Local AI Accessibility and Potential for Misuse, Marco Preuß, Costin Raiu, Independent Researchers
• 12:30 LUNCH
• 13:30 DeceptiveDevelopment and North Korean IT workers: from primitive crypto theft to sophisticated AI-based deception, Matej Havranek, SentinelOne, Peter Kalnai, ESET
• 14:15 Attic Shinobi: Persistent Listening for Adversary Fingerprints, Rintaro Koike, Masaya Motoda, NTT Security Holdings
• 15:00 BREAK
• 15:25 Cyber Kill Chain 2026. The good, the bad and the worst, Josep Albors, Ontinet
• 16:10 TBA
• 16:55 Closing remarks – Righard Zwienenberg
• 17:00 Closing thanks by AV-Comparatives
• 17:05 END