In the heart of Washington, D.C., the Ronald Reagan Building is poised to become a nexus of cybersecurity discourse from March 10 to 12, 2025. The 2nd Annual Billington State and Local CyberSecurity Summit will assemble a distinguished cohort of cyber leaders from across the nation. This gathering includes Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) from states such as Florida, California, Texas, Maryland, Kansas, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, and North Dakota, alongside city representatives from Chicago and Dallas. Federal experts from the Department of Defense (DOD), National Security Agency (NSA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the National Guard will also lend their insights. Their collective mission is to fortify the cybersecurity frameworks that protect our states and municipalities against an evolving landscape of cyber threats.
The summit anticipates the participation of nearly 1,000 individuals, encompassing government officials, technology leaders, and academic scholars. Over the course of 25 sessions, more than 36 cyber leaders will delve into pressing topics such as ransomware, artificial intelligence (AI), risks associated with China, cybercriminal activities, challenges of legacy systems, the implementation of Zero Trust architectures, and the security of the energy grid. Notable speakers include Amanda Crawford, Executive Director and CIO of Texas; Vitaliy Panych, CISO of California; Jeremy Rodgers, CISO of Florida; Tony Sauerhoff, CISO of Texas; Katie Savage, Secretary of the Department of IT for Maryland; Michael Watson, CISO of Virginia; Bruce Coffing, CISO of Chicago; Dr. Brian Gardner, Interim CIO of Dallas; Michael Geraghty, CISO and Director of New Jersey; Colin Ahern, Chief Cyber Officer of New York; Michael Gregg, CISO of North Dakota; JR Sloan, CIO of Arizona; Miguel Penaranda of Wyoming; Jeff Maxon, CITO of Kansas; and Hemant Jain, CISO of Indiana. Their diverse perspectives will provide attendees with a comprehensive understanding of the current cybersecurity challenges and strategies to address them.
An integral component of this year’s summit is the collaboration with StateRAMP, which has recently rebranded to GovRAMP to better reflect its mission of unifying cybersecurity standards across all levels of government. On March 10, preceding the main summit, the 2025 GovRAMP Symposium on Cybersecurity Framework Harmonization will take place at the same venue. This half-day event, scheduled from 12:00 PM to 4:30 PM EST, aims to address the critical challenge of harmonizing various cybersecurity frameworks. Attendees will have the opportunity to gain actionable insights into legislative and regulatory efforts, explore the role of public-private partnerships in advancing harmonization, and engage in discussions to shape the future of cybersecurity through collaborative efforts. Esteemed speakers such as Ryan Murray, Deputy Director and CISO of Arizona; JR Sloan, CIO of Arizona; Josh Leiling, Assistant Director of IT & Cybersecurity at the U.S. Government Accountability Office; Tony Sauerhoff, CISO of Texas; and Teri Takai, Chief Programs Officer at the Center for Digital Government, will share their expertise on advancing unified standards for the public good.
The convergence of these events underscores a pivotal moment in the realm of cybersecurity. State and local governments, along with the critical infrastructure they support, are increasingly targeted by sophisticated cyber-attacks. The summit and symposium provide a platform for leaders to discuss pressing issues and explore solutions tailored to the unique challenges faced by state and local government entities. The events are supported by over three dozen sponsors, including prominent organizations such as Armis, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Carahsoft Technology Corp., and NightDragon, reflecting a robust commitment from the private sector to bolster public cybersecurity initiatives.
As cyber threats continue to escalate in complexity and frequency, gatherings like the Billington State and Local CyberSecurity Summit and the GovRAMP Symposium play an essential role in fostering collaboration, sharing knowledge, and developing strategies to protect our nation’s digital infrastructure. The insights and partnerships forged during these events will undoubtedly contribute to a more resilient and secure cyber environment for all.