General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will deliver a headline Fireside Chat at the 16th Annual Billington CyberSecurity Summit, to be held from September 9–12, 2025, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC. His session is expected to offer critical insight into the nation’s evolving cyber threat environment, the role of emerging technologies in national defense, and the increasing importance of coordinated partnerships across domestic agencies, international allies, and the private sector. As the President’s top military advisor, General Caine’s perspectives will likely frame much of the discussion around cyber deterrence and digital resilience during this year’s summit.
The event, organized by Billington CyberSecurity, is expected to draw over 3,500 attendees and will feature more than 250 speakers from across the cybersecurity spectrum. The summit is regarded as one of the foremost gatherings for senior-level government, military, commercial, and academic leaders focused on the global cyber mission. Thomas K. Billington, CEO and Founder of the organizing firm, underscored the importance of General Caine’s participation, describing it as an opportunity for attendees to hear “deep insights about the 21st-century threat” from the highest levels of national defense.
The agenda includes more than 50 sessions—panels, breakout groups, and high-level discussions—designed to explore both the strategic and technical dimensions of cyber defense. Topics are expected to range from zero trust architecture to offensive cyber capabilities, supply chain security, quantum risk, and multi-domain information warfare. Among the other featured speakers are Katherine Arrington of the DoD CIO office, Jennifer Link of the CIA, Jane Rathbun of the U.S. Navy, and cyber leaders from the U.K., Australia, and NATO-aligned partners. The summit’s international scope and the inclusion of diverse organizational perspectives reflect a growing recognition that cyber conflict does not respect borders and must be addressed collaboratively.
Backed by lead sponsors including Amazon Web Services, Cisco, and Leidos, the summit also offers over 150 vendor booths featuring live demonstrations of next-generation tools designed for real-time threat detection, encrypted communications, and AI-powered defense automation. Networking events, including leadership luncheons and evening receptions, aim to encourage collaboration across the often fragmented cyber landscape, linking innovators with policymakers and military leaders.
As cyber threats from nation-states and criminal actors alike continue to rise in frequency and sophistication, this year’s Billington Summit represents both a barometer and a response to the challenges ahead. With General Caine anchoring the conversation, the event positions itself not just as a gathering of minds, but as a working arena for securing the digital future.