Utimaco at the AFCEA 2026 in Bonn. Our Key Takeaways

AFCEA 2026 in Bonn made one thing especially clear to us this year: the conversations around cybersecurity have changed. It is no longer just about individual products, certifications, or exclusively the latest technical features. Rather, there is a growing sense that security is now understood as a key strategic component of governmental capability and resilience.

Why AFCEA Matters

For Utimaco, these kinds of conversations are exactly what make the event so valuable every year. AFCEA is one of the few places where government agencies, the German Armed Forces, KRITIS (critical infrastructure) operators, and industry come together so intensively. This is the exact reason, why Utimaco team returns to the event year after year. 

AFCEA is not simply a trade fair for us. It is an annual meeting point where we discuss challenges together, develop ideas further, and gain new perspectives.

Often, the most exciting ideas emerge during conversations at the booth or between two keynotes. Interested parties share their specific use cases, openly discuss current challenges or future requirements with us and this is often where entirely new ideas begin to develop.

Especially in the public and defense sectors, this direct exchange is extremely valuable. Many projects operate in highly sensitive environments where security, practical usability, and long-term stability are equally important.

It quickly becomes clear that many organizations face very similar challenges. IT landscapes are becoming more complex, threats are evolving more rapidly, and regulatory requirements continue to increase at the same time.

This is precisely why cryptography has remained central to organizational cybersecurity as it is about protecting sensitive information so that only authorized individuals can access it and above all, about securely managing the keys required to do so.

Find out more about Utimaco’s General Purpose HSM here.

Security Begins with Trust

One thing we found particularly interesting at AFCEA was that many conversations were no longer focused solely on “traditional IT security,” but increasingly on trust and control. 

• Who manages sensitive data?
• Where are cryptographic keys stored?
• Who has access to them — who should have access, and who should not?
• And how can organizations remain independent and operational in the long term?

In the public sector, these questions play an enormous role. Government agencies and operators of critical infrastructure want to know exactly how their sensitive information is protected and who retains control over it.

With its HSM solutions, Utimaco supports precisely this approach. Hardware Security Modules ensure that cryptographic keys are stored and processed with the highest level of security. For many organizations, they form the foundation of their security architecture.

At AFCEA, it became clear just how relevant this topic is — not only for traditional data centers, but also for cloud environments, digital identities, and secure communication platforms.

Particularly in the defense sector, awareness has always been especially strong that digital sovereignty is nearly impossible without control over cryptographic processes.

Achieving data sovereignty in the Microsoft Azure environment. Check out this webinar here.

Reducing Complexity Instead of Creating New Silos

Another topic that repeatedly came up in discussions was complexity.

Today, many organizations work with a wide variety of systems, platforms, and security solutions. As a result, structures often become difficult to manage in day-to-day operations.

This quickly becomes a challenge, especially when it comes to encryption. Different systems use different keys, processes, and responsibilities.

That is why centralized key management is becoming increasingly important. With the Enterprise Secure Key Management System (ESKM), Utimaco helps organizations make this complexity more manageable.

Find out more about Utimaco’s ESKM solution here.

Instead of maintaining numerous isolated solutions, cryptographic processes can be centrally controlled.

And that was another major theme at AFCEA: security today must not only be strong, it must also remain practical. IT decision-makers are looking for solutions that integrate into existing infrastructures, simplify processes, provide transparency, and at the same time fulfill certification and compliance requirements.
 

Because ultimately, even the best security solution is of little use if it becomes too complicated in everyday operations or is bypassed for the sake of convenience.

Collaboration Is Becoming Increasingly Important

Another thing that became very clear at AFCEA: modern security concepts are rarely developed in isolation anymore.

Collaborative partnerships are becoming increasingly important.

That is why we particularly value the close exchange with our partners and shared customers every year. Many exciting discussions once again took place this year together with companies such as genua and NEXUS Group, both of which provide important building blocks for secure and sovereign infrastructures in their respective fields.

Joint solutions such as the HP SureStation demonstrate particularly well how modern security architectures are designed today: integrated, trustworthy, and practical at the same time. Especially in highly secure government and defense environments, the interaction between different security components is playing an increasingly important role.

These are exactly the kinds of conversations that make events like AFCEA so valuable — because they are not just about showcasing products, but about discussing real-world requirements and suitable solution approaches together.

Security Must Support Everyday Work

Another aspect that we found particularly interesting this year was how much more practical and operational the conversations had become.

There was less focus on theoretical future scenarios and more focus on concrete day-to-day challenges. Mobile workplaces, hybrid infrastructures, and decentralized deployment scenarios are currently major concerns for many organizations.

Data encryption on endpoint devices also continues to play an important role. With DiskEncrypt, Utimaco offers a solution specifically developed for highly secure environments.

Particularly in government and defense sectors, it is crucial that sensitive information remains protected even if a device is lost or falls into the wrong hands.

Here too, AFCEA made it clear that security solutions today must function as seamlessly as possible. Users expect solutions that provide reliable protection without unnecessarily complicating workflows.

And that is often the real challenge: balancing security and usability.

Closing Thoughts 

For us, AFCEA 2026 was above all a very honest exchange about the current challenges facing the public and defense sectors.
We clearly notice that many organizations are thinking much more long-term today than they were just a few years ago. Security is no longer viewed as a one-time project, but as an ongoing process.

And that is exactly why trusted partnerships are becoming increasingly important. Every year, we greatly appreciate the many open conversations, direct exchanges, and diverse perspectives. Because in the end, the best solutions are created together with customers, partners, and users alike.

About the Author

Agnes Porombka

Account Manager Public Sector