Fernanda Bonacho, lecturer at the School of Communication and Media Studies (ESCS), researcher at LIACOM, and holder of the UNESCO Chair in Communication, Media and Information Literacy and Citizenship, took part in the 12th edition of C-Days, Portugal's leading national conference dedicated to cybersecurity, organised by the National Cybersecurity Centre (CNCS).

The event took place from 16 to 18 June at the Alfândega Porto Congress Centre, bringing together experts, policymakers, researchers and professionals to discuss the current challenges facing cybersecurity in Portugal.

On the final day of the conference, Fernanda Bonacho was a keynote speaker in the plenary session on communication as a public responsibility. In her presentation, she highlighted the role of the media and digital platforms in shaping public perceptions of risk, arguing that communication should foster an informed understanding of the challenges facing society without unnecessarily amplifying perceptions of threat.

The ESCS lecturer also emphasised the importance of media and information literacy as an essential competence for responsible civic participation in the digital environment. "Media and information literacy is one of the few tools that strengthens individual autonomy, builds trust without censorship, and safeguards democracy without restricting freedom," she said.

According to the researcher, addressing cybersecurity requires an approach that goes beyond technical considerations, encompassing the responsibility of the media, the quality of information, and the active role of citizens in promoting trust, prevention, and democratic resilience.

As part of the conference programme, Fernanda Bonacho also joined the panel discussion "Digital Technologies and Mental Health", where she explored the impact of the digital environment on citizens' well-being alongside Elsa Caetano (National Cybersecurity Centre), Vânia Bastos (Portuguese Institute for Sport and Youth) and Natália Pestana (Probranca and coordinator of the Web4Kids project).

The 2026 edition of C-Days focused on the evolution of Portugal's approach to cybersecurity, reflecting on the challenges arising from the implementation of the new Legal Framework for Cybersecurity and its impact across different sectors of society.

Photograph by the Centro Nacional de Cibersegurança