Sneak Peek: 2020 Fal.Con for Public Sector Virtual Cybersecurity Conference

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Although the global COVID-19 pandemic has required the cancellation of many events this year, the CrowdStrike® 2020 Fal.Con for Public Sector conference is moving forward as an exciting, free online event — and it’s easier than ever to participate. Now in its second year, the conference will be held on Wednesday, June 24 at 11:00 a.m. ET. Sign up now on our 2020 Fal.Con for Public Sector Virtual Cybersecurity Conference registration page.

We’re making this event as timely and rewarding as possible, and we’ve arranged a stellar lineup of compelling keynote addresses and in-depth sessions created exclusively for public sector security professionals. Attendees will hear real-world experiences of leading security experts on topics such as artificial intelligence (AI), ransomware and the cybersecurity threat landscape in the wake of COVID-19. You’ll also learn best practices that can help your security team take a more proactive stance against today’s cyber threats. 

Why Attend?

Now more than ever, public sector organizations are being targeted in increasingly stealthy and innovative cyberattacks from both nation-state and eCrime adversaries. This situation has been exacerbated by the rapid move to a remote workforce that public sector organizations have had to make as a result of the pandemic. The massive transition to employees working from home, on both government-owned equipment and personal computers, has increased the attack surface, further testing the already-burdened security teams. This conference will provide crucial information and guidance on best practices that can help your organization ensure optimal security across all of your employees, no matter where they are. 

The following are some of the speakers and sessions planned for this event:

Don’t Miss These Keynote Speakers

Shawn Henry, CrowdStrike CSO and President, CrowdStrike Services
“Crisis Management: Leadership During Challenging Times”

Criminals and adversarial governments are working harder than ever to steal our national and economic secrets, pilfer funds, influence public perception, instill confusion and unsettle civil discourse. We are well past the time for stronger policies and better and stronger relationships —  and the time for everyone to come together for the common good is now. In this talk, Shawn will explain how both the government and private sector can collaborate to protect our enterprises, elections, and economy and disrupt the overwhelming threats we face in our digital world.

Adam Meyers, CrowdStrike SVP of Intelligence
“State of the Threat: A Global Intelligence Perspective”

As the world works to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus, cyber adversaries are only working harder — opportunistically trying to take advantage of global disruption with this new cyberattack vector. In this session, Adam will provide an overview of today’s cyber threat landscape and the threats his team has observed targeting the public sector in the past year. He will also examine the threats, such as ransomware, that might affect government agencies the most in the year ahead.

There will also be keynotes by distinguished cybersecurity leaders from notable federal and state government agencies:

Quiessence Phillips, Deputy CISO and Head of Threat Management, City of New York “How to Prepare for, Respond to, and Withstand a Cyberattack”

Bryan Ware, Assistant Director for Cybersecurity, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

Focus on What Matters Most to You in These Sessions 

Choose from a variety of panel presentations and learning sessions that can help you develop effective strategies, enhance your cybersecurity readiness and better equip your organization to face the ever-evolving threat landscape.  

Time (ET)  Session Presenters
12:35 – 1:05 p.m.  Working Smarter: Leverage AI to Make Informed Decisions

Governments want to take advantage of their vast data sets with new breakthroughs in AI that can help organizations make decisions at unprecedented speeds. This panel of experts will discuss how their organizations are using AI and machine learning and will share best practices. Learn more.

Moderator: Michael Sentonas, CTO, CrowdStrike

Lauren Knausenberger
Chief Innovation Officer, USAF
12:35 – 1:05 p.m. Under Siege: How Local Governments Can Avoid the Ransomware Outbreak

For state and local governments, the damage caused by ransomware has been unrelenting and unprecedented. Cities large and small have been impacted by attacks that disrupt services and drain money from already-tight budgets.This panel of experts will offer tips on avoiding an attack and what security teams have learned in the aftermath of incidents. Learn more.

Moderator: Thomas Etheridge, SVP of Services, CrowdStrike

Michael Geraghty
CISO, State of New Jersey

Deborah Blyth
CISO, State of Colorado
 
Joseph Daniels
CIO, Illinois State Treasurer
12:35 – 1:05 p.m. COVID-19: How the Global Pandemic Changed Cybersecurity and the World Forever

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced organizations around the world to face an exponential increase in their remote workforce, and adversaries have been taking advantage of this situation, causing dramatic spikes in phishing, eCrime and targeted intrusions. This seasoned panel of government and industry experts will discuss best practices and explore methods for securing these new and evolving threat vectors. Learn more.

Moderator: Jerry Dixon, CISO, CrowdStrike

Adam Hickey
Deputy Assistant Attorney General, NSD, DOJ

Tonya Ugoretz
Deputy Assistant Director, Cyber Division, FBI
 
Ervan Rodgers
CIO and Assistant Director, State of Ohio
1:05 – 1:35 p.m.

 

The Inevitable Cloud Migration: A Critical Enabler for Endpoint Security in Government Agencies

As organizations continue to migrate essential services and applications to the cloud, embracing a security-first approach to cloud adoption is paramount. This discussion will highlight ways the cloud enhances the ability to detect, prevent and respond to attacks far beyond the capabilities of legacy security architectures. Learn more.

Moderator: Elia Zaitsev, CTO of the Americas, CrowdStrike

Danny Connelly
Acting Deputy CISO, CDC
1:05 – 1:35 p.m. Protecting Our Nation’s Election Infrastructure in 2020

Elections blend together an array of technical, logistical and governance challenges. Nation-state adversaries have sought political intelligence and used a variety of methods to attempt to influence election results globally. In this panel, some of the nation’s foremost experts will discuss the evolving threat environment and ways to strengthen security ahead of the 2020 U.S. elections. Learn more.

Moderator: Rob Sheldon, Head of Technology Strategy, Public Sector, CrowdStrike

Maurice Turner
Sr. Advisor to the Executive Director, U.S. Election Assistance Commission

Matt Masterson
Sr. Cybersecurity Advisor, CISA

Maria Barsallo Lynch
Executive Director, Defending Digital Democracy Project (D3P), Harvard’s Belfer Center
1:05 – 1:35 p.m. Supply Chain Security: It Only Takes One Weak Link
Federal agencies are only as secure as the contractors they employ and the software and applications they implement, and adversaries are targeting second- and third-tier subcontractors in order to move up the supply chain. In this session, federal officials will discuss the latest efforts to secure the supply chain and share the ongoing challenges they face. Learn more.Moderator: Curt Aubley, Sr. Director, Public Sector Strategy and Solutions, CrowdStrike
Bob Kolasky
Director, National Risk Management Center, CISA

Joyce Corell
Assistant Director, Supply Chain Directorate, National Counterintelligence and Security Center

Justin DePalmo
CISO, General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems
1:05 – 1:35 p.m. Future of Education: Building the Optimal Student Experience Safely and Securely
The pandemic has caused universities across the country to switch to distance learning in a matter of days. As schools mull over what the future holds for in-person instruction, universities are evaluating how to boost academic freedom and student experience without compromising privacy or security. In this session, higher education tech experts will highlight their wins — and talk about the challenges — of their move to distance learning, as well as look ahead to what’s next. Learn more.Moderator: Otavio Freire, President, CTO and Co-Founder, SafeGuard Cyber
Aaron Baillio
CISO, University of Oklahoma

Tina Thorstenson
Deputy CIO and CISO, Arizona State University

Join CrowdStrike Partner Tech Talks

The conference will also feature Tech Talks from CrowdStrike’s platinum sponsor partners addressing how integrations with the CrowdStrike Falcon®® platform are meeting the unique cybersecurity needs of public sector customers. Some of the CrowdStrike Partner Tech Talks planned include the following:

  • Election Security — Amazon Web Services (AWS)
    Presenters: Michael Jackson, Leader, Public Health and U.S. Elections, Amazon Web Services, and Michael South, Americas Regional Leader for Public Sector Security and Compliance, Amazon Web Services

In addition to the partners listed above, there will be Tech Talks from Netskope and Proofpoint.

Register Now — It’s Free! 

Join us online on Wednesday, June 24 at 11 a.m. ET for this valuable virtual event. You’ll gain a wealth of knowledge and tools that can help you optimize your organization’s security posture and defend against today’s most sophisticated cyber adversaries. Register today by visiting the Fal.Con for Public Sector registration page and completing the form. 

And don’t forget to be part of the conversation on social media using #FalConPublicSector. We look forward to your participation!

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