Registration and Morning Refreshments in the Exhibit Area

Welcome and Opening Remarks

Jason Walker, Chief Information Security Officer, Florida Digital Service

Resilience Over Reaction: Securing the Public Sector in an Era of Relentless Cyber Pressure

Public sector organizations face relentless cyber pressure, and ransomware remains one of the clearest examples of how quickly disruption can become a crisis. This keynote uses a real-world LockBit ransomware attack to explain how these incidents happen, what the response looks like, and what it takes to recover. Attendees will gain practical strategies for improving ransomware readiness, strengthening identity and access controls, reducing operational disruption, and building the resilience needed to protect public trust and keep critical services moving.

Zach Lewis, Author, Former CIO and CISO

Networking Break in the Exhibit Area

Concurrent Sessions

AI Policies That Enable Innovation Without Increasing Risk

As employees rapidly adopt generative AI and low-code tools, agencies must balance innovation with control. This session explores how organizations are developing AI usage policies, managing employee-created applications, and establishing governance frameworks that support innovation without introducing unnecessary risk. Attendees will leave with practical approaches to enable AI responsibly while maintaining compliance and security.

Moderator: Shon Bynum, Senior Officer of Information Security and Intelligent Automation for the State Board of Administration, Florida Prepaid College Board

Todd Bayley, Chief Information Officer, Information Technology Department, Pasco County

Matthew Bowman, Information Security Analyst, Northwest Regional Data Center

JoAnna Hand, Director of Emerging Technology, Department of Transportation, State of Florida

Why Cyber Hygiene Still Beats Advanced Threats

Despite evolving threats, most breaches still trace back to gaps in basic cybersecurity practices. This session highlights how vulnerability management, patching, endpoint protection, and monitoring continue to deliver the greatest risk reduction. Attendees will gain actionable insights to strengthen foundational controls, improve operational discipline, and maximize existing security investments.

Moderator: Daniel Rae, Information Security Analyst, Florida Digital Service

Brian Abbondanza, Chief Information Security Officer, Office of Information Technology Services, Department of Children and Families, State of Florida

Stephanie Tanner, Information Security Manager, Department of Transportation, State of Florida

Pulling Back the Curtain on AI Vendors and Hidden Risk

AI is rapidly being embedded into enterprise tools, but not all solutions are created equal. This session examines how agencies evaluate AI vendors, assess data exposure risks, and demand transparency in decision-making processes. Attendees will learn how to strengthen procurement strategies and confidently adopt AI technologies without compromising security or accountability.

Ian Browne, IT Administrator, Alachua County Library District

Robin Jordan, Deputy Chief Information Officer, Division of Technology, Department of Business and Professional Regulation, State of Florida

Cyber Challenge Arena Public Sector Capture-the-Flag Competition (Ongoing)

A live, hands-on cybersecurity competition running throughout the day. Participants will test their skills across threat detection, incident response, and vulnerability analysis in a realistic environment. Open to all experience levels, this interactive experience promotes collaboration, practical learning, and peer engagement.

Lunch

General Session – Defending Florida Government: Modern Cyber Threats, Governance, and Response

Cyber threats targeting government systems are increasing in frequency, complexity, and impact. From ransomware and supply chain compromise to insider risk and data exposure, agencies must evolve from reactive security postures to continuous cyber defense. This session examines how Florida government leaders are modernizing cybersecurity governance and response strategies. Topics include threat detection and response, identity security, data protection, resilience planning, and the alignment of security operations with enterprise risk. Attendees will gain practical insight into building cyber programs designed for today’s adversaries, not yesterday’s controls.

Moderator: Jessica Lanese, CISSP, PMP, CSM, FCCM, Cybersecurity Program Manager, Office of the State Chief Information Security Officer, State of Florida

Mike Duffey, FBI NA 290, Special Agent in Charge, Cyber Crimes Technology & Telecommunications Division, Department of Law Enforcement, State of Florida

Caleb Murphy, Cyber Operations Manager, Florida Digital Service

Jason Walker, Chief Information Security Officer, Florida Digital Service

Short Break

Please proceed to the concurrent sessions.

Concurrent Sessions

Fraud in the Age of AI: Defending Against Deepfakes and Social Engineering

AI-powered scams, including deepfakes and voice cloning, are rapidly becoming more sophisticated and impactful. This session explores emerging fraud trends and how agencies are adapting detection, identity verification, and user awareness strategies. Attendees will gain practical tools to protect both their organizations and the citizens they serve.

Moderator: Phil Bertolini, Chief Delivery Officer, Government Technology

Brian Abbondanza, Chief Information Security Officer, Office of Information Technology Services, Department of Children and Families, State of Florida

When the Cloud Fails: Building Resilience Beyond the SLA

Cloud adoption has transformed government operations, but outages and vendor disruptions remain a reality. This session explores how agencies are strengthening continuity planning, validating recovery strategies, and preparing for third-party failures. Attendees will gain practical approaches to ensure resilience when cloud services don’t perform as expected.

Moderator: Shana Brunson, Section Manager, Supporting Technology Team

Office of Information Technology, Application Services, Department of Transportation, State of Florida

Joshua Singletary, Network Support Specialist IV, ISP, IT Network & Telecom, Department of Revenue, State of Florida

Steve Troxel, ASG Field Chief Technology Office

Closing the Exploit Window with Automation That Actually Reduces Risk

The time between vulnerability discovery and exploitation continues to shrink. This session examines how organizations are using automation, risk-based prioritization, and autonomous remediation to accelerate response times. Attendees will learn how to safely scale security operations while reducing the burden on overstretched teams.

Moderator: Amber Burns, Deputy Director of Financial and Support Services, Division of Retirement, State of Florida

Andy Hanks, Executive Government Strategist, Tanium

Cyber Challenge Arena Public Sector Capture-the-Flag Competition (Ongoing)

The afternoon session builds on earlier challenges with advanced scenarios in threat hunting, incident response, and defensive operations. Participants will deepen their technical skills while continuing to collaborate and compete in a dynamic learning environment.

Networking Break in the Exhibit Area

General Session – The Cyber Workforce Crisis: Winning the Talent War in Public Sector

As demand for cybersecurity talent grows, public sector organizations must rethink how they attract, develop, and retain skilled professionals. This session explores workforce development strategies, partnerships with education institutions, and modern approaches to career growth and retention. Attendees will gain actionable ideas to strengthen their talent pipeline and build resilient teams for the future.

Moderator: Amber Tyson, Cybersecurity Community Operations Lead, Florida Digital Service

Richard Evans, PhD, IT Policy Coordinator, Executive Office of the Governor, Office of Policy and Budget, State of Florida

Ryan May, Chief Information Security Officer, Florida Lottery

Bobby Sprinkle, Chief Technology Officer, Florida State University

Networking Reception in the Exhibit Area

Network with your colleagues and discuss technology solutions with the event exhibitors.

End of Conference

Conference times, agenda, and speakers are subject to change.