Seminars 2026

The Background: The CRA Threat

Cybersecurity in entertainment technology is no longer a future concern; it is an imminent legal reality. The European Union’s Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) introduces mandatory cybersecurity requirements for all hardware and software products with digital elements.

For the entertainment technology sector, this means the era of "open by default" networks is ending. To maintain CE marking and the right to sell within the EU, manufacturers must prove their products are "secure by design" via a formal CRA Risk Assessment.

However, there is a massive cultural clash between enterprise IT security and live event production. Attempting to force heavy, data centre style encryption onto stage lighting networks threatens to destroy the real-time control models (DMX / sACN / Art-Net) that the industry relies upon.

The Seminar: What Will Be Discussed?

In this session, Wayne Howell, will unpack this rapidly shifting landscape. We will separate the legal realities of the CRA from the IT panic, and discuss exactly what manufacturers need to do to pass a risk assessment without breaking their equipment's performance.

Topics covered will include:

• The CRA Timeline: What the legislation actually mandates, when the deadlines hit, and how to conduct a proportionate threat analysis for live events.
• The IT vs. Entertainment Clash: Why traditional enterprise security models fail on a dark stage at 2 AM, and where we must draw the line between digital and physical security.
• The Launch of Sig-Net™: An introduction to the new, free-to-use communication framework launched at the recent PLASA European PlugFest.
• Pragmatic Solutions: How Sig-Net secures DMX, RDM, Timecode, and firmware updates using lightweight HMAC signatures and intelligent multicast, providing a CRA-defensible lifeline for the industry.

Who is this session for?

This is a critical session for product developers, CTOs, and R&D managers navigating legal compliance and product roadmaps. It is equally highly recommended for touring technicians, system integrators, and venue managers who will be responsible for deploying and managing these secure infrastructures in the real world.

This seminar is free to attend with a show entry badge. Seminars operate on a walk-in basis, so be sure to arrive in good time as seats are first-come-first-served.