Links to Other Tracks:
Notes: Schedule subject to change. ⚡︎ indicates "lightning talks" (15 minute slot to share ideas but no Q&A).
Track MC. Cyber Warfare Officer in the US Army Reserves, Senior TPM Manager - Cybersecurity Technical Program Management at Microsoft, and President of the MCPA National Capital Region (NCR) Chapter. https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmattjmorris/
Deputy Track MC. Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association DC Chapter Senior Vice President. https://www.linkedin.com/in/tpines/
Founder/CEO of SEMPRE.ai, former Senior Director for Strategic Planning at the National Security Council, former Senior Advisor on China to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, author of books like Stealth War, and MCPA Advisor. https://www.linkedin.com/in/rspalding/
In 1995, Hackers introduced the world to the DaVinci virus—capable of sinking oil tankers by manipulating ship ballast systems. Nearly 30 years later, are we any safer? The maritime industry is the backbone of global trade and national security, yet cyber threats continue to evolve at an alarming pace. This session dives into the state of maritime cybersecurity, exploring innovations, persistent vulnerabilities, and the growing stakes of digital warfare at sea. Join us as we navigate the intersection of technology, security, and resilience—because in today’s cyber battleground, winning together is the only way to stay afloat.
Founder/Principal of Preparedness, Operations, Resiliency, and Training Solutions (PORTS) LLC, former US Cyber Command J7, former Commander of the First Coast Guard District, and MCPA Advisor. https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnwmauger/
Google Distributed Cloud Senior Product Manager, former Army Officer serving at Army Cyber Command (ARCYBER), and fireside moderator. https://www.linkedin.com/in/tjbanasik/
This panel is organized by the Technology Advancement Center or TAC (formerly know as the Maryland Innovation and Security Institute or MISI) which has facilities that include TheLink (formerly known as DreamPort).
Panel Moderator. Chairman of the TAC Advisory Board, Special Advisor at Virsec, Senior Advisor of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission 2.0, and Chair of the Advisory Board at the National Cyber Group. https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipniedermair/
Former Deputy Director of National Intelligence (DNI), former Sergeant at Arms of the US Senate, and MCPA Advisor. https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-gibson-aa4570184/
Executive Vice President of the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA), former Strategic Initiatives Chief at USCYBERCOM, and MCPA Advisor. https://www.linkedin.com/in/guy-walsh-8b480023/
Chief Technology Officer at HP Federal and Retired Navy Captain. https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommy-gardner-16b2b/
Senior Advisor and Strategist at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) creator. https://www.linkedin.com/in/allanafriedman/
Software supply chain attacks—like SolarWinds—exposed the DoD’s need for transparency, and Software Bills of Materials (SBOMs) are the answer. In this 25-minute CORE track session, NetRise CEO Thomas Pace, a former Marine Corps cyberspace leader, reveals how to operationalize SBOMs within the DoD. Learn practical steps to source, generate, and assess SBOM quality, plus use cases for risk assessment, vuln management, and compliance. Discover how binary analysis uncovers hidden risks in compiled code—beyond source-level SBOMs—empowering smarter security decisions. Tailored for military cyber pros, this talk delivers actionable insights to strengthen DoD networks, aligning with CISA and EO 14028 mandates. Join us at HammerCon 2025 to see why SBOMs are key to winning the software security fight—together.
CEO & Co-Founder of NetRise and Marine Corps Veteran. https://www.linkedin.com/in/pacethomas/
Maintaining global hegemony requires constant effort, along many lines, especially in times of strategic competition. In the current condition, state-sponsored cyber aggression on critical assets is putting the US's ability to project military power, social cohesion, prosperity, a free and open Internet, and geopolitical stability in peril. This talk is about optimal use of cyberpower projection.
Fireside Host. Executive Director of the US Cyberspace Solarium Commission I & II, and MCPA Advisor. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-montgomery-b8932810/
CEO, CTO, and Founder of Nemesis Global and Technical Team Member of the NATO Science & Technology Organization. https://www.linkedin.com/in/gentrylane/
AI is radically transforming the cyber threat landscape, but we are still using manual security processes to fight automated attacks. That’s like bringing a knife to a gunfight. If we're serious about leading the global AI race, we must invest in our security practitioners. This means giving our security professionals the advanced tools and institutional backing they need to not just respond to threats, but to establish American leadership in AI evaluation and deployment.
Dreadnode’s mission is to advance the state of offensive security by enabling more effective evaluation, testing, and deployment of models. This work relies heavily on the talent of world-class AI security researchers and data scientists, who understand that to effectively match the speed and scale of the cyber threat landscape, AI systems need to be resilient.
We are rapidly approaching a time where people will trust AI systems to perform offensive tasks autonomously. Join us for a presentation on the roadmap towards resilient AI systems and the policy frameworks that can enable thoughtful AI innovation and adoption.
Head of Policy at Dreadnode, former technical advisor to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) AI Cyber Challenge (AIxCC), and inagural MCPA Fellow. https://www.linkedin.com/in/dariabahrami/
Chief Technology Officer for Peraton’s Cyber Mission Sector. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrey-berlet-77a08824/
Founder and CEO of Fathom5 and former Director of the Center for Cyber Warfare (CCW) at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS). https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacstaples/
First Cyber Colonel in the US Army, Co-Founder of the Army Cyber Institute (ACI), and MCPA Chief Evangelist. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcvega-cyber-colonel/
