Cyber Leaders Unite to Strengthen Public Private Collaboration and Champion Next Generation of Cybersecurity Workforce

NightDragon, Billington Cybersecurity, The Cyber Guild and Carahsoft launch Coalition at upcoming RSA Conference to drive community, engagement, and advance cybersecurity awareness.

SAN FRANCISCO, April 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- NightDragon, Billington CyberSecurity, The Cyber Guild and Carahsoft announce their joint commitment to empowering the next generation of cyber leaders with the launch of a new industry Coalition committed to building a stronger, more educated, and resilient cybersecurity workforce to defend organizations and our national security against today's biggest cyber threats.

"This coalition represents what cybersecurity needs right now—alignment between capital, community, capability, and cause," said Dave DeWalt, Founder and CEO of NightDragon. "By uniting our platforms and voices, we can break down silos and create new onramps for individuals to step into the exciting, high-impact world of cyber."

The Coalition lays out several goals, showcasing the organizations' shared commitments towards advancing the cybersecurity workforce:

• Raise Awareness and Engagement: Host educational forums, workforce summits, and public-facing events to spotlight critical issues in cybersecurity and inspire broader participation in the field.
• Bridge the Cyber Talent Gap: Support initiatives and platforms designed to develop, upskill, train, and mentor the next generation of cyber professionals.
• Foster Belonging and Community: Create spaces—virtual and in-person—for cybersecurity professionals to connect, grow, and lead.
• Strengthen Public-Private Partnership: Facilitate strategic collaboration between government, industry, and academia to improve national cyber resilience and accelerate innovation.

This Coalition will kick off with a series of activations surrounding RSA Conference 2025, including at Carahsoft's RSA Public Sector Day on April 28, the Billington CyberSecurity Breakfast and the NightDragon Innovation Summit on April 29, 2025. These efforts will be supported by workforce-focused programs and community-building events in the Washington D.C. area later this year.

Throughout the year, the coalition partners will collaborate to deliver a series of impactful community events and strategic activations, including:

• Investing and go-to-market support for Emerging Cyber Education Companies – As a venture capital firm, NightDragon invests in the cyber education sector, as evident in its investment and go-to-market efforts (supported by Carahsoft) in ThriveDX. 
• NightDragon Innovation Summit 2025 – April 29, 2025 – The NightDragon Innovation Summit 2025, held annually during the RSA Conference, convenes 600+ CISOs, executives, government leaders, and innovators for a day of bold ideas, strategic dialogue, and collaborative action.
• Cyber Guild Quarterly Virtual Employer Roundtable – May 15, 2025 – The Cyber Guild's Employer Roundtable is an innovative sequence of free virtual events for business, technical and people leaders across any industry or sector who are invested in driving impactful inclusive workforce practices. The next event will focus on OT security skills and talent.
• Cyber Guild Cyber Connect – May 29, 2025 - Free career-building and networking event in Arlington, Va. designed to connect government and military professionals to premier cyber employers in the private sector.
• Carahsoft's Transition Support Seminar – June 6, 2025 - A free day-long event focused on illuminating career paths, such as those in cybersecurity, to transitioning military and civilian intelligence professionals.
• Cyber Guild Professional Protégé Mentor Program – Summer 2025 – A best-in-class program delivered over 11 months to advancing protégé careers or facilitate a career transition. Next cohort will open summer 2025.
• 16^th Annual Billington CyberSecurity Summit – September 9-12, 2025 – The leading government cybersecurity summit in Washington DC with 3,000+ attendees and 200+ top speakers. Learn more here.
• Carahsoft Cyber Leaders Exchange – October 1-2, 2025 – A two-day, virtual event focused on illuminating the efforts across Government to strengthen Federal cyber capabilities.
• Uniting Women in Cyber (UWIC) Conference – October 9, 2025 – The premier conference in DMV for cybersecurity leaders, professionals, and aspiring practitioners. Learn more here.
• Billington State and Local CyberSecurity Summit – Early 2026 - The 3nd annual Summit will bring together top federal, state, local, and tribal government officials along with industry experts to share best practices, learn from one another, enhance current cyber operations and bolster future defenses.
• Funding Sponsorships for Cybersecurity College Students and Monthly Training Cohorts – Ongoing – Activation of partner ecosystem help fund cybersecurity tuitions for community college students, deliver cybersecurity training and cohort-based support programs, and mobilizing extensive network to facilitate student employment placement. NightDragon partner NextGen Cyber Talent also conducts monthly cohorts to educate and train students in cybersecurity, risk, and compliance domains, as well as place them in internships or full-time job opportunities. Learn more about the college funding program or cohort program.
• Carahsoft Cyber Workforce Development Resource Hub – A series of educational webinars, white papers, case studies and solutions briefs by Carahsoft vendor partners and leading cybersecurity training companies. Learn more here.

"For over a decade, Billington Cybersecurity has been a convener of public-private dialogue in cybersecurity," said Thomas K. Billington, CEO and Founder of Billington CyberSecurity. "We are excited to be part of this coalition, which expands our mission and reach to address workforce at scale."

"The Cyber Guild Foundation's purpose is to build a more sustainable cybersecurity ecosystem. Our mission has always been about building community to break down barriers, build bridges, and bring people into the cyber fold," said Debbie Sallis, Founding Executive Director of The Cyber Guild. "This Coalition of mission-driven cyber organizations allows us to scale those efforts to support a more capable and confident cyber workforce."

"Carahsoft is proud to support this coalition and amplify its mission by connecting leading cybersecurity solutions with the government and education sectors," said Craig P. Abod, President of Carahsoft. "We look forward to supporting events, training programs, and engagement efforts that build a safer, smarter cyber future."

For more information or to get involved, please contact [email protected].

About NightDragon
NightDragon is an investment and advisory firm focused on growth and late-stage investments within the cybersecurity, safety, security and privacy industries. Its platform and vast industry network provide unparalleled threat insights, deal flow, market leverage and operating expertise to drive portfolio company growth and increase shareholder value. Founded by Dave DeWalt, the NightDragon team has more than 25 years of operational and market expertise leading technology companies such as Documentum, EMC, Siebel Systems (Oracle), McAfee, Mandiant, Avast and FireEye. Read more about NightDragon at www.nightdragon.com.

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. Learn more at https://billingtoncybersecurity.com/.

About The Cyber Guild
The Cyber Guild Foundation exists to unify the most essential component of the cybersecurity dynamic – the people! With a vision for a more secure world where people are empowered to connect through technology, the Cyber Guild is shaping an inclusive cybersecurity workforce by activating leaders, and advancing women through education and community building. The Cyber Guild Foundation is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) Public Charity. Learn more at https://thecyberguild.org/ 

About Carahsoft
Carahsoft Technology Corp. is The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider, supporting Public Sector organizations across Federal, State and Local Government agencies and Education and Healthcare markets. As the Master Government Aggregator^® for our vendor partners, we deliver solutions for Cybersecurity, MultiCloud, DevSecOps, Artificial Intelligence, Customer Experience and Engagement, Open Source and more. Working with resellers, systems integrators and consultants, our sales and marketing teams provide industry leading IT products, services and training through hundreds of contract vehicles. Visit us at www.carahsoft.com. 

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Sarah Kuranda Vallone

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SOURCE NightDragon