DHS, Military Leadership and "Father of the Internet" to Discuss Cyber Security at AFA's CyberFutures Conference

ARLINGTON, Va., March 15, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- How do we build resilient cyber systems from the ground up? What are the emerging cyber security threats facing military operations? What trends in cyber attacks should I be watching out for? Learn about the many challenges the new domain of cyber space brings to different sectors and organizations 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.

Senior government leaders worry if they are organized for the imperatives of mission success. Agencies critically dependent on mission systems with Internet connectivity worry that they are vulnerable to denial of service. Defense activities face the challenge of balancing B2B access with rigid security requirements. And industry tries to fine tune its capabilities with the needs of a customer set while trying to remain a step ahead of cyber intruders and technology that "ages" in 18-month cycles.

AFA's CyberFutures Conference boasts top information security experts from industry, academia, government and the military who will discuss the risks and vulnerabilities associated with operating in a cyber world full of hackers, bad actors, and technological complexities, and how to mitigate those risks.

Confirmed speakers include:

• Lt Gen William Lord, Chief, Warfighting Integration and Chief Information Officer
• Maj Gen Edward Bolton, Director, Cyber and Space Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force
• Dr. Vinton Cerf, Chief Technology Advocate for Google
• Dr. Martin Libicki, RAND Corporation
• Richard Clarke, author of Cyber War
• Melissa Hathaway, Senior Adviser to Project MINERVA based at the Harvard Kennedy School
• Greg Schaffer, Assistant Secretary of Cyber Security Communication for Department of Homeland Security
• Winn Schwartau, Chairman of the Board to Mobile Active Defense
• Gordon Snow, Assistant Director of the FBI's Cyber Division

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