As part of its ongoing commitment to raising cybersecurity awareness, Levi9 once again marked Cybersecurity Month with its signature event, Secure9.
Held from September 29 to October 3, Secure9 2025 brought together more than 700 participants, combining technical insights, personal stories, and mindful activities under this year’s theme: “Inhale. Exhale. Secure.”
The event served as both a learning experience and a reminder that security isn’t just about technology, it’s about awareness, calm thinking, and shared responsibility.
Exploring the Human Side of Cybersecurity
Secure9 2025 featured a lineup of one external speaker and three Levi9 cybersecurity enthusiasts who shared their expertise and experiences from different corners of the company.
Through four thought-provoking sessions, participants explored how awareness, adaptability, and creativity can strengthen digital resilience.
Thinking Like a Hacker
The week opened with Matthias Held, Technical Program Manager, whose session “Go Hack Yourself! Why It Is Important to Think Like a Hacker” set the tone for the entire event.
His message was clear and simple: “Hack yourself before someone else does.” Matthias reminded us that companies must test their own systems proactively – discovering and fixing vulnerabilities before anyone else can exploit them.
By learning to think like a hacker, we not only reduce risk but also accelerate growth by solving problems before they become threats.
The Age of AI and New Challenges
From mindset, the focus moved to the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence.
Ihor Kozlov, Data & ML Engineer at Levi9 Ukraine, took the stage with his session “Jailbreaking Large Language Models Across Their Lifecycle.” He explained how AI has changed the cybersecurity landscape by lowering the barriers for complex attacks.
“AI is democratizing hacking, and criminals are already taking notes.” Ihor shared.
Building resilient AI systems requires thinking holistically about the entire machine learning lifecycle, combining robust threat modeling, continuous testing, and layered defense strategies that extend far beyond simple output filtering.
Continuing the AI conversation, Igor Janković, Tech Lead at Levi9 Serbia, explored the growing risk of prompt injection attacks in his talk “Prompt Injection: The Hidden Threat in AI Conversations.”
“New technologies evolve faster than our ability to control them,” Igor noted.
Generative AI brings amazing innovation, but also new risks. Staying secure means staying open, curious, and ready to adapt, every single day.
Together, their sessions painted a clear picture: AI opens new horizons for development, but it also demands new ways of thinking about security.
Preparing for the Worst with Optimism
Closing the technical sessions, Alin George Costea, Software Developer & Architect at Levi9 Romania, delivered a powerful message in his talk “Hope for the Best but Prepare for the Worst – Threat Modeling in Software Systems.”
Quoting Benjamin Franklin – “By failing to prepare, you’re preparing to fail” – Alin reminded everyone that security planning doesn’t have to be a chore. “Don’t assume people won’t enjoy threat modeling,” he said.
Turn it into a game, make it collaborative, and you’ll see how quickly it becomes part of your culture. Security isn’t optional – you either pay for it now or pay much more later.
His engaging approach wrapped up the speaker sessions with a dose of realism, optimism, and inspiration, the perfect bridge to the event’s grand finale.
CTF9: Collaboration in Action
As always, the Secure9 week concluded with the legendary CTF9 – Capture The Flag competition.
This year, 45 hackers from Levi9, alumni, and partners joined forces to solve real-world security challenges in categories like web, crypto, and reverse engineering.
The atmosphere was charged with teamwork and excitement, and the competition was fierce.
Milić Vuletić, Cyber Security Lead and CTF9 organizer, shared:
“The energy was fantastic. Every team scored points and solved challenges across all categories. What makes me proud is seeing familiar names returning each year – it shows we’re building a strong, passionate community that grows with every edition.”
The winning teams proved that curiosity and collaboration remain the strongest defenses in cybersecurity:
🥇 We Only Want Your Cookies – Mirko Tomić, Dunja Maksimović, Kosta Aćimović
🥈 skined – Igor Janković
🥉 RealMenDontHTTPS (v2.0.2.5) – Mihai-Alexandru Bița, Ionuț Ovidiu Galatanu, Stefan Ignatescu
Mindful Moments Across Borders
As part of the Secure9 promotion, our offices hosted a series of mindful and engaging gatherings that combined learning, relaxation, and connection. In Serbia, colleagues joined Happy Hours and mindful lunches, enjoyed healthy food, and took part in quick mindfulness activities and discussions led by our Information Security Officers, Vladislava Stanivuković and Veljko Karadžić, exploring how to “stay mindful, not mindless” when facing security incidents.
Meanwhile, in Romania, the Secure9 Retreat Day offered a full experience of mindfulness, learning, and hands-on inspiration – from morning stretching and meditation, to a Lunch & Learn session with levi niners Radu Ciocan and Cristian Zaharia, who shared valuable lessons from real hacking cases, and finally, a calming yoga and Tibetan singing bowl session to wrap up the day. Across all locations, the message was clear: well-being and security go hand in hand – a calm, focused mind is often the strongest defense.
With its blend of learning, reflection, and connection, Secure9 2025 once again showed that cybersecurity at Levi9 is more than a skill, it’s a culture.
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