March 9-11 Cyber Defense Event Features CISOs From Across Nation

WASHINGTON: #5G--AI, finding cyber enemies, and critical infrastructure are among the cyber topics being explored at the 3rd Billington State and Local CyberSecurity Summit, taking place March 9-11, 2026, in Washington, D.C. The event brings together top state, local, and federal government officials and experts to share best practices, enhance current cyber operations, and bolster future defenses.

“Shoring up our cyber defenses at all levels of government is imperative to protecting the U.S. and its allies. Our State and Local Summit will explore a variety of cyber threats to our nation so that every level can prepare. Experts from federal, state, and local governments will share insights and strategies related to exposing cyber threats,” explained Troy Schneider, President, Billington CyberSecurity.

More than 1,000 government officials, tech leaders, and academia will be participating in Billington’s State and Local Summit and sharing ways to enhance the cybersecurity of the states, counties, cities, and municipalities that comprise the U.S. and the critical infrastructure sectors. Highlights include fireside conversations with federal officials about national cyber priorities and how these translate into real-world impacts. Also, the head of Texas Cyber Command will discuss how they are developing a statewide cyber organization to better defend state and local systems. Other select sessions include:

• Mar 10: Understanding Today's Cybersecurity Adversaries – This panel of public and private sector experts explores how cyber adversaries are taking advantage of a climate that is more digitally connected and dependent upon smarter, automated, and geo-dispersed functions.

• Mar 10: Getting Data Ready for AI – This panel will discuss the key steps in AI data preparation and why they are essential to effectively preparing data for use by AI systems.

• Mar 10: Protecting Software Supply Chains – Panelists examine the growing challenges of securing the software supply chain, discussing recent threats, emerging regulations, and best practices for ensuring transparency, trust, and resilience across the technology ecosystem.

• Mar 11: State of Cyber in Secondary Education – This session explores the current state of cybersecurity in secondary schools, where limited resources and growing digital dependence create unique challenges. Leaders will discuss recent incidents, evolving threats, and effective strategies for safeguarding student data, learning platforms, and administrative systems.

• Mar 11: Addressing Cloud Security Threats – Bad actors continue to find new vulnerabilities in the way that organizations are leveraging cloud technology. This panel of experts will explore learnings in terms of persistent cloud attack methodologies and how to mitigate them.

Cyber leaders from Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and more will be speaking during the three day event, including:

• J.R. Sloan, State CIO, State of Arizona
• John Godfrey, CISO, Kansas Information Security Office, State of Kansas
• (Ret.) Admiral TJ White, Chief, Texas Cyber Command
• Tony Sauerhoff, Chief, AI and Innovation Officer, State of Texas
• Bruce Coffing, CISO, City of Chicago, Illinois
• Michael Geraghty, CISO and Director, State of New Jersey
• John Israel, State Chief Information Security Officer, State of Minnesota
• James Saunders, CISO, State of Maryland
• Daniel Langley, CISO, State of Oklahoma
• Michael Watson, CISO, State of Virginia

The exhibit hall offers networking opportunities with sponsors, speakers, and attendees. Additionally, Billington CyberSecurity is partnering with GovRAMP to host the 2026 GovRAMP Symposium on March 9 immediately prior to the summit. Government and industry leaders are encouraged to register and attend all three days. The summit is presented by more than three dozen sponsors, led by: Cisco, Cohere, and GDIT.

The summit takes place at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center at 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC. All sessions are open to credentialed working press except the workshops that follow Chatham House Rules. These are indicated on the agenda. Press and attendees should register for both the summit and symposium at: https://statelocal.billingtoncybersummit.com/register. Tickets range in price depending on type of business. Press is free.

About Billington CyberSecurity

Founded in 2010, Billington CyberSecurity is the leading cyber education company for executives, hosting high-caliber summits and workshops that explore key cyber issues that advance the cybersecurity of the U.S. government, its allied partners, and critical infrastructure. These events convene seniormost government officials and industry partners, highlighted by its signature conference-the annual Billington CyberSecurity Summit held each fall. https://billingtoncybersecurity.com/

Fonte: Business Wire