Appalachia Cyber Summit launches free virtual registration
First-ever event set for March 30 in Prestonsburg, registration also free for those who attend in person
PRESTONSBURG, Ky. — Because of an overwhelming response, organizers of the first-ever Appalachia Cyber Summit have launched a virtual option for attendees.
The one-day event is scheduled for Monday, March 30, 2020 at the Mountain Arts Center in Prestonsburg. It is sponsored by Amazon Web Services and presented by Shaping Our Appalachian Region, Inc. (SOAR), the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. (EKCEP), the Southeast Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, Eastern Telephone and Technologies, and FOUR18 Intelligence.
Virtual registration for the Cyber Summit is free, as it is for those who wish to attend in person.
Those interested in registering can do so at https://www.thereisafuture.org/cybersummit.
The summit is aimed to provide support and resources to small- to mid-size businesses, local and county governments, school districts, and non-profit and civic organizations.
“As we rolled out registration, we received numerous requests from people throughout the region and from other states to offer a platform for people to attend virtually,” said Joshua Ball, associate executive director of SOAR. “Through our partners, we have assembled an agenda of local, state, and national leaders around the issue of cybersecurity, and we have ample time to discuss local solutions to problems cyber threats.
One such effort is a pilot training program launched by EKCEP. In September 2019, EKCEP partnered with FOUR18 Intelligence Corporation (a Virginia-based corporation broadly
engaged in developing unique cybersecurity skills, intelligence and analysis solutions, and challenging insufficiencies and inefficiencies in the digital economy) and Cover6 Solutions (a Virginia-based Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business that delivers information security solutions and cybersecurity training) to create a pipeline of workers trained in cybersecurity.
Those in the training received expert-led instruction and earned industry-recognized certifications (CompTIA Network+ and Security+) as well as gained hands-on experience with a professional-grade analyst toolkit, simulation projects and case studies during an immersive work-study experience.
Members of that training cohort will be part of a panel discussion at the Cyber Summit.
The agenda will be split into two sessions – The Challenges Facing Us and the Opportunity to Leverage Local Resources to Combat CyberSecurity. Speakers and topics include:
CyberSecurity 101 | Mark Jaster, Founder and CEO of FOUR18 Intelligence Corporation
Case Studies | CyberSecurity Breaches Don’t Discriminate | They Are Happening Here and Everywhere
CyberSecurity Breach | A Local Perspective | Pike County Deputy Judge-Executive Reggie Hickman and Attorney Glenn Martin Hammond
Panel Discussion Highlighting a Local Training Collaborative with EKCEP and FOUR18 Intelligence Corporation
Introduction to Amazon Web Services | Melissa Rowe
Kentucky’s Approach to CyberSecurity Threats and Awareness Efforts | Kentucky Chief Information Security Officer David Carter
Panel Discussion on Local Solutions to Global CyberSecurity Challenges | Dr. Hermano De Queiroz, assistant professor of computer information sciences at the University of the Cumberlands; Darrell Maynard, CEO of Eastern Telephone and Technologies; Tyrone Wilson, Founder and CEO of Cover6 Solutions; and Mark Jaster, founder and CEO of FOUR18 Intelligence Corporation
For more information, contact Joshua Ball, associate executive director of SOAR, at joshua@soar-ky.org or by phone at (606) 766-1160.
