Name: California Cybersecurity Education Summit 2026
Start: 2026-10-08T08:00
Location: Sheraton Grand Sacramento

Overview

Resilience, Innovation, and Cyber Readiness for the Golden State.

The California Cybersecurity Education Summit is where the state’s top public-sector minds unite to lead the charge against cyber threats. Designed for government executives, IT security professionals, and education leaders, this high-impact event delivers cutting-edge insights, strategic collaboration, and real-world solutions tailored to California’s complex cybersecurity landscape. From protecting sensitive data to building resilient infrastructure, attendees will explore what’s next, and what’s necessary, to safeguard the systems that power the Golden State. If you're serious about defending the public sector in one of the world's most targeted markets, this is where you need to be.

A message from our Keynote Speaker

Speakers

Tarah Wheeler

Cybersecurity Expert, White Hat Hacker

Tarah Wheeler is an information security executive, AI researcher specializing in natural language processing, social data scientist in international conflict, author, and poker player. She is Chief Security Officer at TPO Group, a cybersecurity consulting firm focused on nation-state incident response, critical infrastructure, and cyber risk. She is a member of the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Board of Directors, where she chairs the Audit Committee, serves on the Governance Committee, and founded the annual EFF DEF CON Poker Tournament. She serves on the Strategic Advisory Committee of the Common Good Cyber Fund.

David Ahn

Chief Architect and Vice President, Intelligence, Centripetal

Currently the Chief Architect and VP at Centripetal, Ahn is a technology innovator in informatics, security and privacy. He has been awarded patents in both cybersecurity and healthcare which served as foundations for the growth of his endeavors. Prior to joining Centripetal, he held leadership roles at two technology-transfer startups that commercialized breakthrough research into successful outcomes.

Rob Callaghan

Principal Technical Evangelist, Wasabi Technologies

Rob Callaghan is a technology evangelist with deep expertise in cloud object storage, data protection, cyber resilience, and AI data infrastructure. At Wasabi, he helps customers and partners understand how secure, scalable, and cost-predictable cloud storage supports the full AI data lifecycle—from data ingest and preparation to model training, inference, long-term retention, and recovery. Rob is known for translating complex technical concepts into practical business value, with a focus on secure architecture, resilient data strategies, and real-world outcomes. An experienced speaker and industry advocate, he brings a sharp, field-informed perspective to the intersection of AI, storage, and data security. Connect with Rob to explore how Wasabi can help organizations build more secure, AI-ready data environments.

Bill Carter

Director of SLED Capture, Public Sector, Fortinet

Bill Carter is a dynamic cybersecurity leader with a passion for securing the digital world and educating others on the evolving threat landscape. Currently serving as a public sector cybersecurity strategist at Fortinet, Bill previously protected Ohio’s 12 million citizens as the Chief Information Security Officer for the Department of Commerce and Deputy Chief Information Security Officer for the State, overseeing security strategies across 80+ agencies.
With a career spanning additional roles as Field CTO, Senior Systems Engineer, and Technical Consultant, he brings deep expertise in cybersecurity strategy, infrastructure, and risk management.
A hands-on technologist and sought-after public speaker, Bill holds a master’s degree in Cybersecurity and multiple industry certifications, including CISSP, SecurityX, and all MITRE credentials. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Cybersecurity, and an active member of the Ohio Cyber Reserve and the FBI’s InfraGard. Beyond his professional pursuits, Bill is dedicated to philanthropy in serving as CEO for an80,000-person strong non-profit organization.

John Clay

Vice President, Threat Intelligence, Trend Micro

Jon Clay has worked in the cybersecurity space for over 30 years. Jon uses his industry experience to educate and share insights on all TrendAI externally published threat research and intelligence. He delivers webinars, writes blogs, and engages customers and the general public on the state of cybersecurity around the world. An accomplished public speaker, Jon has delivered hundreds of speaking sessions globally. He focuses on the threat landscape, cybercriminal undergrounds, the attack lifecycle, and the use of advanced detection technologies in protecting against today’s sophisticated threats. Within TrendAI, Jon has held roles as sales engineer, sales engineering manager, training manager, product marketing manager, and director of global threat communications before becoming Vice President, Threat Intelligence.

Adam Ford

Chief Technical Officer, SLED, Zscaler

With over 20 years of experience, Adam has dedicated his career to ensuring that information systems and data are protected and available to meet the unique needs of government organizations. Currently serving as the Chief Technologist at Zscaler, a leading cybersecurity company, Adam plays a crucial role in helping state and local government organizations securely transform their systems. As a respected leader in the public sector market, his expertise and guidance are instrumental in ensuring that the systems that keep government running are not only efficient but also protected from cyber threats.
Prior to Zscaler, Adam served as Chief Information Security Officer for the State of Illinois. In this role, he had responsibility for cybersecurity for various agencies, boards and commissions under the Governor. During his tenure the State of Illinois modernized and grew its security practice to protect systems and data that drive critical services to Illinois residents.
In addition to serving State Agencies, Adam oversaw State and Local security partnership and collaboration efforts including operation of the Illinois Election Cyber Navigator program in coordination with the Illinois State Board of Elections and the Illinois State Police.
Adam joined the Office of the CISO as Security Engineering Manager in 2017 and also served as Deputy CISO prior to becoming CISO. Before coming to security, he spent more than 15 years in data center and wide area network engineering and architecture roles with the Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology and the Illinois State Police.
Adam was named the 2023 NASCIO Thomas M. Jarrett State Cybersecurity Leadership Award winner in 2023 and received a 2023 StateScoop 50 State Leadership of the Year Award.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Illinois College and a Master of Science in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance from Western Governors University.

Neal Gallucci

Senior Manager, Solution Consulting, Socure 

Neal is a driven leader focusing on major digital transformation that constantly challenges the norms of the public sector. Neal has a wide variety of experience in identity and access management, identity verification, criminal/fraud investigations, technical architecture, project management, change management, and steady state operations.
At Socure, Neal is the Head of Public Sector Solutions Consulting within Socure where he is responsible for providing fully inclusive oversight and guidance of Socure’s industry leading product suite and integration into Government systems. 
In Neal's previous public position, he built and led the digital identity platform for one of the largest states. In this role Neal accomplished major digital transformations migrating the State’s existing identity system to a cloud identity system, implementing Single Sign On to thousands of applications (Unemployment, BMV, Medicaid, etc) including MFA and identity verification services. Additionally, Neal led the User Experience/Website platform with over 150+ government websites, and the digital platform for State’s coronavirus pandemic response. At Socure, Neal continues to lead all of Socure's major projects as a dedicated advisor to the State's business and implementation teams.

Danny Jump

Senior Principal Product Manager, Edge Security, Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Shobha Mallarapu

President and CEO, Anvaya Solutions, Inc

Shobha Mallarapu is a seasoned technology leader and cybersecurity expert with over 20 years of experience helping state, local, and educational agencies protect critical infrastructure and sensitive public data. After a decade at Intel Corporation, she founded Anvaya Solutions, Inc. in 2007, a multi- award-winning cybersecurity firm that has proudly safeguarded about a billion records.
Anvaya Solutions delivers elite, end-to-end security services, including risk assessments, penetration testing, policy development, incident management, and vulnerability mitigation. With an M.S. in Electronics Engineering, 11 U.S. patents, and PMP and CISA credentials, Shobha combines her technical expertise with executive leadership to seamlessly bridge complex technology, compliance, and enterprise business strategy.
A graduate of the FBI Citizens Academy, InfraGard member, and recipient of numerous awards, Shobha empowers public and private sector executives and IT leaders to navigate emerging threats and build resilient public defense systems with confidence.

Jay Nath

Director, OpenAI

Aaron Smith

Head of Threat Hunting, Tanium

Aaron Smith is Head of Threat Hunting at Tanium, responsible for HuntIQ, the company's embedded threat hunting practice serving customers globally. He has more than 25 years in cybersecurity and information technology, with prior service as a United States Air Force officer, a Department of Defense civilian, and a federal contractor supporting operations in Europe, the Middle East, and the United States. He is a frequent speaker on security operations, detection engineering, and applied AI in the SOC.

Dr. Colin Soutar

Managing Director, Deloitte

Dr. Colin Soutar is a Managing Director in Deloitte and is based out of Arlington, VA. Colin is the Deloitte US and global leader for quantum cyber readiness. In 2013, he helped NIST to develop the Cybersecurity Framework and has since helped many leading private and public sector organizations implement it. Colin has also supported clients and NIST programs in the areas of IoT, biometric technologies, trusted identities, and privacy engineering. Prior to his current role, Colin served for more than 10 years as Chief Technology Officer for a Canadian-based biometric and trusted identity public company. Following his PhD studies in physics in Dundee, Scotland, he began his working career with a two-year post-doctorate fellowship at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, developing pattern recognition techniques for autonomous rendezvous and capture operations.

Kile Weir

Specialist Solutions Engineer, AHEAD

Kile Weir, CISSP, is one of AHEAD’s national leads for AI security governance and secure SASE/SSE architectures. With more than 20 years in enterprise security, he has held engineering, architecture, and leadership roles at Symantec, Proofpoint, Menlo Security, and Zscaler. Today, he helps enterprise and public-sector organizations across the Western U.S. govern AI securely and distinguish meaningful security capabilities from marketing claims.
Kile develops vendor-evaluation frameworks that connect the OWASP LLM, Agentic, and Agentic Skills Top 10s to the compliance requirements security leaders already navigate, including the NIST AI Risk Management Framework, ISO/IEC 42001, and the EU AI Act. MITRE ATLAS provides the underlying threat model. He also advises AHEAD’s enterprise and public-sector clients in a field CISO/CTO role.

Nathan Willigar

Chief Security Advisor, Microsoft

Mr. Willigar serves as Microsoft’s Customer Security Advisor for the State, Local, and Education sector, where he advises CISOs, CIOs, and executive leaders on security strategy, helping align Microsoft’s vision and solutions to customer needs while building trusted relationships.
Previously, he was the Chief Information Security Officer for the State of Maine, overseeing the security of the State’s IT infrastructure. Over more than six years, he strengthened Maine’s cybersecurity posture by maturing its security program, protecting citizen data, and supporting agency missions through tailored IT solutions. He collaborated closely with state and federal partners to identify threats, mitigate risk, and enhance enterprise-wide security capabilities.
Mr. Willigar served on the Maine Cyber Security Advisory Council and MS-ISAC. He holds a CISM, an MBA from Thomas College, a BA from Husson College, and completed the FBI CISO Academy.

Thursday, October 8
8:00 am Pacific	Registration and Morning Refreshments in the Exhibit Area Magnolia Room, Grand Nave Foyer, and 2nd Floor
9:00 am Pacific	Welcome and Opening Remarks Camellia/Gardenia
9:15 am Pacific	Keynote – Hacking the Hackers: Strategies for Building Cyber Resilient Organizations Camellia/Gardenia As cyber threats grow more sophisticated, organizations must stay ahead to protect their data, operations, and reputation. This session offers a glimpse into a hacker’s mindset, revealing both common and lesser-known threats. Attendees will learn practical strategies to strengthen system defenses, reduce vulnerabilities, and foster resilience. The session also explores the human side of cybersecurity, emphasizing the ways in which leaders can empower their people to play their role in upholding the organization’s cyber defense strategy. Tarah Wheeler, Cybersecurity Expert, White Hat Hacker
10:15 am Pacific	General Session Camellia/Gardenia
11:00 am Pacific	Networking Break in Exhibit Area Magnolia Room, Grand Nave Foyer, and 2nd Floor
11:30 am Pacific	Concurrent Sessions The Future of Security Operations: Building the AI-Enabled SOC Tofanelli Artificial intelligence is reshaping how security operations teams detect threats, investigate incidents, and respond at machine speed. As organizations adopt AI-assisted workflows, automation, and orchestration, security leaders are redefining the role of analysts while building resilience against increasingly sophisticated attacks. This session explores how agencies are modernizing security operations and preparing for the next generation of cyber defense. Bill Carter, Field Chief Information Security Officer, Fortinet Aaron Smith, Head of Threat Hunting, Tanium Vivian Yan, Deputy Chief Security Officer, Franchise Tax Board, State of California Inside Cyber Dawn: Building Better Cyber Exercises Bataglieri Cyber exercises help organizations prepare for more than technical incidents. They strengthen coordination, test decision-making, and build confidence before a real event occurs. Drawing on lessons from California's Cyber Dawn exercise, panelists will discuss practical approaches to designing meaningful exercises, engaging executive leadership, improving cross-functional collaboration, and turning after-action findings into stronger incident preparedness. Moderator: Matt Nicholls, Cybersecurity Risk Officer, California State Transportation Agency Wesley Belleman, Cyber Warfare Operator, California Air National Guard Matthew Ivler, Senior Strategic Planner, Governor's Office of Emergency Services, State of California Jeremy Espiritu, Cybersecurity Training Coordinator, Governor's Office of Emergency Services, State of California Who Goes There? Building Trust in the AI Workflow Bondi AI agents are beginning to perform tasks on behalf of users, creating new challenges around identity, trust, visibility, and control. As we prepare for a future where people and AI agents work side by side, security leaders must establish trusted identities, define appropriate access, and develop the guardrails needed to securely manage this new digital workforce. Hear strategies for adopting AI agents while strengthening Zero Trust and preparing for concepts like Know Your Agent (KYA). Moderator: Faith DeuPree, Security Policy and Compliance Manager, Employment Development Department, State of California Neal Gallucci, Head of Public Sector Solutions Consulting, Socure Adam German, Agency Information Security Officer, Department of Health and Human Services Building a Statewide Roadmap and Framework for Cybersecurity Workforce in the AI Era Beavis Cybersecurity professionals are being asked to develop new technical capabilities while strengthening communication, leadership, strategic thinking, and the preparation process. Organizations are rethinking workforce development, career pipelines and pathways, succession planning, and continuous learning to prepare employees for rapidly changing applied and emerging technologies. Hear how leaders are building a roadmap and framework for security teams that can adapt, grow, and thrive as AI transforms the profession. Keith Clement, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Criminology, California State University, Fresno Mitchell Navarette, Cybersecurity Training Coordinator, Cal-CSIC, Governor's Office of Emergency Services, State of California Post-Quantum Readiness: Where Do You Start? Compagno Advances in quantum computing are prompting organizations to begin preparing for a future where today's encryption standards may no longer provide the same level of protection. While standards, guidance, and timelines continue to evolve, agencies can take practical steps today to assess cryptographic dependencies, prioritize risks, and begin planning long-term readiness. We'll discuss post-quantum preparedness, helping organizations understand where to start, what to prioritize, and how to adapt for what's ahead. Moderator: Gerard Laygui, Cyber Operations Branch Chief, Governor's Office of Emergency Services, State of California Tolgay Kizilelma, Chief Compliance Officer, State Transportation Agency, State of California Christopher Kyle, Security Architect, Franchise Tax Board, State of California Nathan Willigar, Customer Security Officer, Microsoft Data Minimization: A Foundation for Secure AI Carr As organizations adopt AI, understanding what data should be collected, retained, shared, and made accessible to AI systems has become a critical part of cybersecurity and privacy. Panelists will discuss practical approaches to data minimization, privacy-by-design, AI governance, protecting sensitive information, and establishing appropriate access and controls around the data that powers AI. The conversation will also explore resources available to help agencies reduce risk, strengthen the foundation for secure AI adoption, and support continued innovation. Moderator: Jennifer Elliott, Agency Information Security Officer, Environmental Protection Agency, State of California Melanie Ortega, Chief Privacy Officer, Franchise Tax Board, State of California Tushar Pattani, Statewide Privacy Program Manager, California Department of Technology
12:30 pm Pacific	Lunch Camellia/Gardenia
1:30 pm Pacific	Bits & Bytes – The Cyber Career Journey Camellia/Gardenia Behind every cybersecurity professional is a unique story. Join this informal conversation as panelists share how they entered the profession, the challenges they overcame, the lessons they learned, and the advice they would give to others building careers in cybersecurity. Designed to inspire and encourage, this session celebrates the many paths that lead to meaningful careers in cybersecurity. Jennifer Elliott, Agency Information Security Officer, Environmental Protection Agency, State of California Albert Lam, Agency Chief Information Security Officer (Acting), Health and Human Services Agency, State of California Bradley Ponce, Chief Information Security Officer, Governor's Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation, State of California
1:50 pm Pacific	Short Break
2:10 pm Pacific	Concurrent Sessions On the Front Lines: A Cyber Threat Briefing Tofanelli The cyber threat landscape continues to change as threat actors adapt their tactics, exploit new opportunities, and target organizations in different ways. This session provides a current threat briefing from leaders on the front lines, on notable campaigns and evolving risks while discussing what they mean for government organizations and their cybersecurity strategies. Jon Clay, Vice President, Threat Intelligence, Trend Micro Erik Freeland, Director, Field Engineering, Halcyon Does It Add Up? The AI Investment Equation Bataglieri AI is reshaping cybersecurity, but successful adoption requires more than selecting the right technology. Organizations are evaluating deployment models, infrastructure, licensing, operational and financial considerations as they determine where to start. Leaders will share their approach to key investment decisions, and the tradeoffs that security leaders are navigating as AI becomes part of everyday cybersecurity operations. Rob Callaghan, Principal Technical Evangelist, Wasabi Technologies Nithya Krishna, Agency Information Security Officer, Labor and Workforce Development Agency, State of California Jay Nath, Director, OpenAI Cal-Secure 2.0: Building the Next Generation of Cyber Resilience Bondi Cybersecurity is evolving from a compliance exercise to a continuous enterprise capability. As agencies begin implementing Cal-Secure 2.0, leaders are rethinking governance, workforce, technology, partnerships, and risk management to build stronger, more resilient organizations. This session explores how agencies are adapting their strategies to meet today's threats while preparing for tomorrow's challenges. Moderator: Thea Man, Chief Information Security Officer, Office of Data and Innovation, State of California The Visibility Challenge: Know What You're Protecting Beavis Effective cybersecurity starts with understanding your environment. As we manage increasingly complex applications, software dependencies, cloud services, third-party providers, and connected systems, maintaining an accurate inventory of enterprise assets has become essential to identifying vulnerabilities and managing risk. Panelists will discuss their approaches to reducing organizational blind spots, understanding software dependencies, improving attack surface visibility, and building the foundation for more effective vulnerability management and cyber defense. David Ahn, Chief Architect and Vice President, Intelligence, Centripetal Ken Kojima, Chief Information Security Officer, Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, State of California Gerard Laygui, Cyber Operations Branch Chief, Governor's Office of Emergency Services, State of California Colin Soutar, Managing Director, Deloitte Governing Security in the AI Era: GRC Under the Microscope Compagno As AI and emerging technologies reshape cybersecurity, Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) programs must evolve alongside them. This session will explore adapting governance frameworks, managing enterprise risk, enhancing privacy protections, and applying appropriate controls across the AI lifecycle. Panelists will discuss how organizations are modernizing GRC to support innovation while maintaining accountability and trust. Moderator: Robert Mayorga, Chief Information Security Officer, Franchise Tax Board, State of California Kory Fesliyan, Statewide Risk Program Manager, California Department of Technology Shobha Mallarapu, President and CEO, Anvaya Solutions, Inc Bradley Ponce, Chief Information Security Officer, Governor's Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation, State of California Kile Weir, Specialist Solutions Engineer, AHEAD Afternoon Concurrent Session Carr Description pending
3:10 pm Pacific	Networking Break in Exhibit Area Magnolia Room, Grand Nave Foyer, and 2nd Floor
3:40 pm Pacific	Closing session: Hype or Not? A Cyber Reality Check Camellia/Gardenia AI agents. Post-quantum cryptography. Passwordless authentication. Autonomous security operations. Which trends deserve the attention they're getting, and which still have something to prove? In this interactive closing session, cybersecurity leaders and the audience will weigh in on today's hottest topics, sparking lively debate, practical insights, and a few surprises along the way. Danny Jump, Senior Principal Product Manager, Edge Security, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Ken Kojima, Chief Information Security Officer, Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, State of California Logan Lemming, Solutions Consulting Leader, Palo Alto Networks Thea Man, Chief Information Security Officer, Office of Data and Innovation, State of California
4:25 pm Pacific	Networking Reception in the Exhibit Area Magnolia Room, Grand Nave Foyer, and 2nd Floor Network with your colleagues and discuss technology solutions with the event exhibitors.
5:10 pm Pacific	End of Conference Conference times, agenda, and speakers are subject to change.

Sheraton Grand Sacramento

1230 J Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 447-1700

Get Directions To
Sheraton Grand Sacramento

Advisory Board

Government Representatives

Keith Clement
Professor
California State University, Fresno

Jennifer Elliott
Agency Information Security Officer
Environmental Protection Agency
State of Californa

Jeremy Espiritu
Cybersecurity Training Coordinator
Governor's Office of Emergency Services
State of California

Ryan Fogleman
Information Security Officer
Departmental Information Security Office, California Department of Technology
State of California

Matthew Forsberg
Statewide Cyber Defence Manager
Department of Technology
State of California

John Hanafee
Advisory Services Program Chief
Department of Technology
State of California

Monica Hernandez
Deputy Director, Communications & Stakeholder Relations
Department of Technology
State of California

Payam Hojjat
State of California Cyber Risk and Governance Chief
Department of Technology
State of California

Lloyd Indig
Chief Information Security Officer
Department of Justice
State of California

Tolgay Kizilelma
Chief Compliance Officer
State Transportation Agency
State of California

Ken Kojima
Agency Information Security Officer
Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
State of California

Albert Lam
Cyber Defense Advisor
Health and Human Services Agency
State of California

Gerard Laygui
Cyber Operations Branch Chief
Governor's Office of Emergency Services
State of California

Thea Man
Chief Information Security Officer
Office of Data and Innovation
State of California

Robert Mayorga
Chief Security Officer
Franchise Tax Board
State of California

Dionna Mustybrook
Agency Information Security Officer
Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency
State of California

Mitchell Navarette
Cybersecurity Training Coordinator
Office of Emergency Services
State of California

Matt Nicholls
Cybersecurity Risk Officer
State Transportation Agency
State of California

Vitaliy Panych
State Chief Information Security Officer
Department of Technology
State of California

Daniel Pere
Chief Information Security Officer
State Controller's Office
State of California

Dylan Pletcher
Chief Information Security Officer
State Teachers' Retirement System
State of California

Bradley Ponce
Chief Information Security Officer
Governor's Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation
State of California

Amy Rodriguez
Chief, Stakeholder Relations
Department of Technology
State of California

Matt Sage
CALCSIC Commander
Governor's Office of Emergency Services
State of California

Sam Turner
Information Security Officer
Department of General Services
State of California

Vivian Yan
Deputy Chief Security Officer
Franchise Tax Board
State of California

Industry Representatives

David Affonso
Account Executive
Horizon3.ai

Jon Clay
Vice President
Threat Intelligence
Trend Micro Inc.

Joel Grein
Director of Sales
Tanium

Miriam Ingenito
Account Relations Director
KPMG

Kyle Larick
Regional Director
Zscaler

Logan Lemming
Solutions Consulting Manager
Palo Alto Networks

Shobha Mallarapu
President & CEO
Anvaya Solutions, Inc.

Debi Mohanty
Managing Director
Deloitte

Darrell Monette
Major Account Manager
Fortinet

Vaishali Patel
Account Executive - SLED
Halcyon

Richard Raines
Security Specialist
Ahead

Roger Schotsal
Cyber Security Account Executive
Google

Shelley Silvas
Client Executive
BlueVoyant

Jennifer Simic Rucker
Regional Director
Microsoft

Chul Yim
Sales Director, SLED West
SLED West
Socure

Made Possible by Our Corporate Sponsors

Registration Information / Contact Us

Event Date: October 8, 2026

Open to Public Sector only.

Registration - Free

If you represent a Private Sector organization and are interested in Sponsorship Opportunities, please contact Heather Earney.

This event is open to all individuals who meet the eligibility criteria, without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, age, disability, or any other protected class. We are committed to fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment for all participants.

Contact Information

Need help registering, or have general event questions? Contact:

Tabbie Pegoda
Government Technology
A division of e.Republic
Phone: (916) 932-1411
E-mail: tpegoda@erepublic.com

Already a sponsor, but need a hand? Reach out to:

Mireya Gaton
Government Technology
A division of e.Republic
Phone:(916) 296-2617
E-Mail: mgaton@erepublic.com

Want to sponsor and stand out? Reach out to explore opportunities!

Heather Earney
Government Technology
A division of e.Republic
Phone: (916) 365-2308
E-mail: heather.earney@erepublic.com

View Full Site

California Cybersecurity Education Summit 2026

Overview

A message from our Keynote Speaker

Speakers

Tarah Wheeler

Cybersecurity Expert, White Hat Hacker

David Ahn

Chief Architect and Vice President, Intelligence, Centripetal

Rob Callaghan

Principal Technical Evangelist, Wasabi Technologies

Bill Carter

Director of SLED Capture, Public Sector, Fortinet

John Clay

Vice President, Threat Intelligence, Trend Micro

Adam Ford

Chief Technical Officer, SLED, Zscaler

Neal Gallucci

Senior Manager, Solution Consulting, Socure

Danny Jump

Senior Principal Product Manager, Edge Security, Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Shobha Mallarapu

President and CEO, Anvaya Solutions, Inc

Jay Nath

Director, OpenAI

Aaron Smith

Head of Threat Hunting, Tanium

Dr. Colin Soutar

Managing Director, Deloitte

Kile Weir

Specialist Solutions Engineer, AHEAD

Nathan Willigar

Chief Security Advisor, Microsoft

Agenda

Thursday, October 8

8:00 am Pacific

Registration and Morning Refreshments in the Exhibit Area

Magnolia Room, Grand Nave Foyer, and 2nd Floor

9:00 am Pacific

Welcome and Opening Remarks

Camellia/Gardenia

9:15 am Pacific

Keynote – Hacking the Hackers: Strategies for Building Cyber Resilient Organizations

Camellia/Gardenia

10:15 am Pacific

General Session

Camellia/Gardenia

11:00 am Pacific

Networking Break in Exhibit Area

Magnolia Room, Grand Nave Foyer, and 2nd Floor

11:30 am Pacific

Concurrent Sessions

The Future of Security Operations: Building the AI-Enabled SOC

Tofanelli

Inside Cyber Dawn: Building Better Cyber Exercises

Bataglieri

Who Goes There? Building Trust in the AI Workflow

Bondi

Building a Statewide Roadmap and Framework for Cybersecurity Workforce in the AI Era

Beavis

Post-Quantum Readiness: Where Do You Start?

Compagno

Data Minimization: A Foundation for Secure AI

Carr

12:30 pm Pacific

Lunch

Camellia/Gardenia

1:30 pm Pacific

Bits & Bytes – The Cyber Career Journey

Camellia/Gardenia

1:50 pm Pacific

Short Break

2:10 pm Pacific

Concurrent Sessions

On the Front Lines: A Cyber Threat Briefing

Tofanelli

Does It Add Up? The AI Investment Equation

Bataglieri

Cal-Secure 2.0: Building the Next Generation of Cyber Resilience

Bondi

The Visibility Challenge: Know What You're Protecting

Senior Manager, Solution Consulting, Socure 