Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler, renowned terrorism expert and Senior Director of the Counter Extremism Project, analyzed the current threat posed by international terrorism. In his keynote speech, he referred to nine attempted attacks in the recent past and identified three key challenges: First, the geopolitical situation, marked by conflicts such as those in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as disinformation campaigns. Secondly, technological developments, with terrorists increasingly resorting to modern technologies and artificial intelligence – for example, to plan attacks or manufacture explosive devices. Thirdly, the legal situation, which, according to Schindler, needs to be fundamentally overhauled in order to effectively counter the current threats.

"'Was it embarrassing? Absolutely,' said Hans-Jakob Schindler, senior director of the Counter Extremism Project. 'But was it a security threat to the Olympics and its participants? Absolutely not.'

'They’ve done a fairly good job at making sure that everyone at the Games was safe,' he said."