CyberSmart 2024: Cybersecurity Excellence in Government

This event qualifies for .3 CEUs

This event qualifies for 3 CPEs

This event qualifies for 3 CLPs

The premise of Moore’s law is that the speed and capability of computers can be expected to double every two years. Unspoken but implied is that new technologies will be introduced at a similar clip – along with new, sometimes unforeseen, challenges.

Cybersecurity professionals know all about Moore’s law. For instance, the past 18 months has brought artificial intelligence (AI) into the mainstream, introducing plenty of both opportunity and risk. The White House released Executive Order 14110 in October 2023 on the “safe, secure, and trustworthy development and use” of AI, followed in March of this year with an Office of Management and Budget memo providing guidance on improving governance and managing the risks of AI.

State governments are not leaving all the heavy lifting to federal agencies on this, however. Almost all states are considering legislation governing AI and protecting their residents from possible harm – but one recent report finds this hodgepodge approach can lead to gaps and confusion and create new risks.

Learning Objectives:

Review the types of security risks that utilization of AI may create, for instance, whether spoofing an established identity can be facilitated
Outline the availability of tools to assist in cybersecurity measures aimed at addressing AI vulnerabilities
Evaluate the recommendations and requirements of federal policies and the most common objectives of proposed state laws and regulations

Speaker and Presenter Information

Check-in & Welcome:

12:00 noon - 12:59 pm
Welcome! Register or check in with our FedInsider team.

Jane Norris, Moderator & Contributing Editor, FedInsider

Jane Norris
Contributing Editor,
FedInsider

Session 1: Opportunities & Challenges of Artificial Intelligence for Governments
1:00 pm - 1:55 pm

Artificial Intelligence is one of the most-discussed topics of 2024. What can the public sector learn from the private sector as we grapple with using AI in increasingly broad and innovative ways. Why has AI become an emerging public policy priority? AI can pose unique security challenges - our panel will discuss how agencies use it, who is responsible for determining its purpose and function, and the practical steps to take to better secure the growing use of genAI in an agency.

Chris Bunton

Chief Information Officer,

Texas Department of Agriculture

Larry Moore, CISO, Texas Division of Emergency Management

Larry Moore
Chief Information Security Officer,
Texas Division of Emergency Mgmt.

Gabe Perez, Vice President, Systems Engineering, US Public Sector West, Fortinet

Gabe Perez
Vice President, Systems Engineering,
U.S. Public Sector West, Fortinet

Session 2: Identity Management is Critical
2:00 pm - 2:55 pm

The advent of AI means that it is becoming easier than ever to steal or spoof someone's identity - which usually is the first step in a cyber attack. This makes identity credentialing and access management more important than ever. Our panel will discuss the ways that AI can threaten existing identity management controls and the steps agencies can take to mitigate those risks.

Dave Hinchman, Director, Information Technology & Cybersecurity Team, U.S. GAO

Dave Hinchman
Director, IT & CS Team,
U.S. GAO

Christine Conklin, Cloud Computing Engineer, Information Technology Services Department, City of San Antonio

Christine Conklin
Cloud Computing Engineer, IT Services
Department, City of San Antonio

Santina Saxby

Information Systems Security Manager,

Texas Army National Guard

Katie McCrosky

Senior Director, Enablement

Delinea

Jeff Soctt

Solutions Architect,

Intercede

Session 3: Zero Trust - the Cornerstone for AI & Identity Management
3:00 pm - 3:55 pm

The Zero Trust premise is straightforward: trust nothing, verify everything. To achieve that goal, ZT requires strict access controls, comprehensive visibility into systems, and continuous monitoring of both traffic and user behavior across those systems. By putting a Zero Trust architecture in place, agencies can build protections against both AI-generated and identity-based threats. This panel will discuss the kinds of threats that Zero Trust can counter, whatever their source.

Nick Russo, Vice President of Sales, Americas, Skyhigh Solutions

Nick Russo
Vice President of Sales, Americas,
Skyhigh Security

Bart Lauwers, Security Operations Manager, City of Austin

Bart Lauwers
Cybersecurity Officer, Security Operations
City of Austin

Ernesto Ballesteros, Cybersecurity State Coordinator for Texas, CISA Region 6

Ernesto Ballesteros
Cybersecurity State Coordinator
for Texas, CISA Region 6

Chris Jensen, Public Sector Business Development, Tenable

Chris Jensen
Public Sector Business
Development, Tenable

Networking Reception:
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Join us for a Networking reception afterward! There will be a variety of delicious fare & drinks. This is a unique and amazing opportunity to network with your State, local and industry peers.

Relevant Government Agencies

Air Force, Army, Navy & Marine Corps, Intelligence Agencies, DOD & Military, Office of the President (includes OMB), Dept of Agriculture, Dept of Commerce, Dept of Education, Dept of Energy, Dept of Health & Human Services, Dept of Homeland Security, Dept of Housing & Urban Development, Dept of the Interior, Dept of Justice, Dept of Labor, Dept of State, Dept of Transportation, Dept of Treasury, Dept of Veterans Affairs, EPA, GSA, USPS, SSA, NASA, Other Federal Agencies, Legislative Agencies (GAO, GPO, LOC, etc.), Judicial Branch Agencies, State Government, County Government, City Government, Municipal Government, CIA, FEMA, Office of Personnel Management, Coast Guard, National Institutes of Health, FAA, Census Bureau, USAID, National Guard Association, EEOC, Federal Government, State & Local Government, FDA, Foreign Governments/Agencies, NSA, FCC