Acclaimed Author, Google VP, Military Leadership to Speak at AFA CyberFutures Conference

ARLINGTON, Va., March 2, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Google Vice President Vinton Cerf, two former presidential advisors and FBI Assistant Director Gordon Snow will join an eclectic group of speakers at the Air Force Association's inaugural CyberFutures Conference and Technology Exposition, to be held March 31 -  April 1, at the Gaylord National Hotel in National Harbor, Maryland, just minutes from downtown D.C.

AFA's CyberFutures Conference boasts some of the nation's top IT and cyber leaders from industry, government and the military. Speakers will share their thoughts and strategies for managing the pronounced new challenges the cyber domain presents to every organization. Attendees will learn about the risks and vulnerabilities associated with operating in a cyber world full of hackers and technological complexities, as well as how to mitigate those risks.

Richard A. Clarke, author of a #1 New York Times bestseller and the 2010 novel Cyber War, will be among the conference's speakers. Having served the last three presidents as a senior White House advisor, Clarke is an internationally-recognized expert on security, including homeland security, national security, cyber security and counterterrorism.

Melissa Hathaway, a senior advisor at Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center, served as Director of the Joint Interagency Cyber Task Force in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence under the Bush Administration. Under the Obama Administration, Hathaway was named the Acting Senior Director for Cyberspace in the National Security Council.

Vinton Cerf is the vice president and Chief Internet Evangelist for Google. Widely known as a "Father of the Internet," he is the co-designer with Robert Kahn of the basic architecture of the Internet.

Gordon Snow is the assistant director in charge of the FBI's Cyber-crime Division. As part of the FBI's top cyber division, Snow is on the front lines of federal efforts to prevent cyber crime, espionage and potential online terrorist activity.

In a panel discussion, military leadership from different branches will discuss challenges associated with defending the military network.

For a full list of speakers, go here.

As part of CyberFutures, AFA has teamed up with RecruitMilitary to produce a career fair on April 1, where leading aerospace/defense firms will recruit for cyber tech openings. The career fair will be free, and open to all - veterans and non-veterans - who are interested in careers in cyber technology and related fields.

In conjunction with the conference, CyberPatriot III, AFA's national high school cyber defense competition, will be conducting its championship round for this year's challenge. After six exciting months of preliminary rounds, the competition will culminate on April 1 with an award banquet for top winners in each division.

Register now at http://registration.afa.org/events/cb2011reghome.aspx!

AFA is a 501(c)(3), nonprofit organization promoting public understanding of aerospace power and the pivotal role it plays in national security. AFA has more than 200 chapters nationally and internationally representing 125,000 members. Visit AFA at http://www.AFA.org.

SOURCE Air Force Association