The 16th Annual Billington CyberSecurity Summit will gather the highest concentration of U.S. and allied cyber leadership from September 9–12, 2025, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC. This year’s theme, Cyber and AI Frontiers: Strategies for a Secure and Smarter Government, underscores the dual imperative of defending critical networks from ever-evolving adversaries while harnessing artificial intelligence to strengthen defenses and governance. With more than 3,000 attendees, 250+ government and industry speakers, and over 50 sessions, the summit continues its tradition of being one of the premier convenings for cybersecurity executives and policymakers.
Sean Cairncross, the newly appointed White House National Cyber Director, will set the tone with opening remarks on September 9 at 8:50 a.m., outlining the administration’s strategic vision for cyber defense. His address will touch on staying ahead of adversaries, scaling U.S. Government talent and technology, and deepening proactive collaboration with the private sector to safeguard Americans’ digital lives. His leadership comes at a time when adversary capabilities, from quantum computing threats to state-backed live-fire cyber exercises, are testing the resilience of legacy systems and the agility of modern defenses.
The roster of speakers reflects the summit’s broad scope, cutting across intelligence, defense, policy, and allied collaboration. From General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to Jennifer Link, CISO of the CIA, and Katherine Arrington, acting CIO at the Department of Defense, U.S. officials will be joined by key allied leaders such as Lieutenant General Michelle McGuinness of Australia’s Department of Home Affairs, Richard Horne, CEO of the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre, and Maj. Gen. Karol Molenda of the Polish Cyber Defense Forces. Representation also extends to Ukraine’s Security Service, Canada’s Cyber Centre, and the Australian Signals Directorate, emphasizing the summit’s role as a multilateral dialogue on collective cyber resilience.
The agenda highlights the breadth of urgent issues at the cyber frontier. Day one includes sessions on Cyber Threat Intelligence, new cloud attack vectors, and the race to transition to quantum-resistant computing. Later days will delve into advanced hacker methodologies, AI in identity security, campaigning in the cyber battlespace, and the state of U.S. cyber infrastructure. Energy grid protection, border security, and the future of AI will round out the discussions. A handful of sessions will be held under the Chatham House Rule, limiting press access but encouraging candid exchange among participants.
Since its founding in 2010, Billington CyberSecurity has positioned itself as a leading educational platform for executives and policymakers. The summit, supported this year by lead underwriters Amazon Web Services, CISCO, and Leidos, blends high-level thought leadership with practical exposure through over 150 vendor booths, demonstrations, and networking receptions. As AI reshapes both attack surfaces and defense strategies, the 2025 summit offers a timely forum for forging strategies that secure government networks, protect critical infrastructure, and reinforce transatlantic and Indo-Pacific cyber alliances.
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