Cyber Defenders Workshop 2024

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.