Agenda

Welcome to Cyber Defenders!

Join the CISO of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as they explore the unique cybersecurity challenges facing the healthcare sector. This session will focus on protecting sensitive health data, addressing the risks of ransomware, and securing the increasingly digital and remote healthcare workforce against evolving cyber threats.

La Monte Yarborough

Chief Information Security Officer
Department of Health and Human Services

In the face of escalating cyber threats and the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI), government organizations are under increasing pressure to safeguard their critical infrastructure and data. This session will provide a comprehensive overview of the latest cyber threats targeting government entities and explore the implications of AI on both defensive and offensive capabilities.

Key Topics:

• The Evolving Threat Landscape: Examining the latest cyber attack techniques, trends, and emerging threats that pose significant risks to government organizations.

• The Role of AI in Cybersecurity: Discussing how AI is being leveraged by both attackers and defenders, including its potential benefits and drawbacks.

• Defenses and Shortcomings: Analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of current cybersecurity defenses, with a particular focus on the impact of AI on these systems.

• Google Cloud's Solutions: Exploring how Google Cloud is helping government organizations address critical security gaps and mitigate the risks posed by AI-driven threats.

Join us for this timely session to gain valuable insights into the evolving cyber threat landscape and learn how to effectively protect your government organization in the age of AI.

Tim Appleby

SLED and Strategic Solutions Sr. Practice Lead
Mandiant - Google Public Sector

West Colie, Assistant Director for Enhanced Cybersecurity at the GAO, will delve into the Government Accountability Office's critical role in assessing and improving cybersecurity measures across federal agencies. Discover how the GAO identifies vulnerabilities and enforces compliance to bolster national cyber defense.

West Coile

Assistant Director for Enhanced Cybersecurity
Government Accountability Office

Threats are evolving at an unprecedented pace and merely defending against imminent attack is no longer enough. This talk dives into the concept of cyber resilience, exploring how individuals, organizations and societies can not only withstand cyber disruptions, but evolve their systems concurrent with the threat to ensure critical systems remain survivable, robust and operational. You'll understand why cyber resilience is the key to thriving in today's digital landscape and how you can implement it to safeguard your future.

Mark Roman

Executive Director of Cyber Technologies
ManTech

Kwadwo Burgee, Acting Section Chief of Federal Partnerships at CISA, will provide insights into the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's efforts to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities within federal systems, as well as the need for cybersecurity policy measures. Explore how CISA's proactive measures enhance the security of the nation's critical infrastructure.

Kwadwo Burgee

Acting Section Chief, Federal Partnerships
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency

In today’s digital age, the importance of prioritizing security cannot be overstated. The concept of “Security First-Design” emphasizes the integration of robust security measures at every stage of technology development and deployment.

This session discusses the principles of security first, including proactive threat detection, comprehensive risk assessments, and the implementation of secure development practices, and benefits of a security-centric culture, such as enhanced resilience against attacks and improved compliance with regulatory standards.

Adopting a security first mindset, agencies can protect sensitive data, maintain user trust, and mitigate the risks associated with cyber threats. You don’t have to do it alone – learn how your supplies can partner with you to improve your security posture.

Vandy Rodrigues

Field Chief Information Security Officer
Oracle Cloud

Hear from Puesh Kumar, Director of the Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER) at the DOE, on safeguarding the nation's energy grid. This session will cover CESER's initiatives to protect critical energy infrastructure from cyber threats and ensure rapid response to cyber emergencies.

Puesh Kumar

Director, Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security and Emergency Response (CESER)
Department of Energy

In lieu of the larger IT landscape and the evolving threat matrix, the organizational data becomes an agencies most critical asset; the crown jewels vaulted deep within the castle. Protecting this data often becomes the last line of defense in a long series of fortifications. This session will focus on offering a brief survey of the means and methods for safeguarding and protecting data in an age of rapid technological advancement, AI and ever shifting attack vectors.

Darrell Griffith

Account Technology Specialist, US Public Sector
NetApp

In this session, the CISO of the Department of Labor will discuss strategies for protecting the vast amounts of workforce data managed by the agency. Learn how the Department is addressing cybersecurity challenges related to legacy systems, securing remote work environments, and ensuring the privacy of sensitive employee information.

Paul Blahusch

Chief Information Security Officer
Department of Labor