Cyber Civil Defense Summit: Central 2026

The Cyber Civil Defense Summit: Central is one of three regional summits designed to foster regional collaboration and strengthen community cyber defense. It endeavors to join forces across cyber defenders, academics, volunteers, and public servants to showcase replicable models of regional cyber defense and fortify regional cyber defense. Participants will share best practices on regional cyber defense programs, with a spotlight on how host states champion collective defense, and examples of other successful state cyber initiatives across the area, such as regional Security Operations Centers (SOCs), state civilian cyber corps, cyber volunteering programs, sector-based shared services (such as water, energy, and healthcare Managed Security Service Providers), and Information Sharing and Analysis Centers (ISACs). These highly participatory, full-day summits will feature a keynote, panels, and workshop-style discussions focused on the unique regional challenges of community-wide cyber defense and how local leaders can build ecosystems to advance this critical work. The summit brings together a community of cyber defenders, academics, and policymakers with the shared mission of protecting our most vulnerable public infrastructure against cybersecurity threats, including community organizations like hospitals, cities, school districts, and nonprofits. Summits will also discuss how best to create and strengthen local cyber workforce development pipelines, crucial to the success of sustainable cyberdefense.