Cybersecurity Expert to Keynote DHS S&T Cybersecurity and Innovation Showcase

For Immediate Release
Contact: DHS S&T Press Office, (202) 254-2385

WASHINGTON—American Internet pioneer and security expert Vint Cerf will be a keynote speaker for the 2019 S&T Cybersecurity and Innovation Showcase on January 10, 2019 at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park in Washington, D.C.

The 2019 S&T Cybersecurity and Innovation Showcase—sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T)—is not your average government conference. The theme for the January 8-10, 2019, event — Solutions Now, Innovations for the Future— highlights S&T’s support to DHS operational components in today’s aggressive threat landscape.

Cerf will present a fun and fast-moving keynote that will touch on a range of relevant government and industry topics including artificial intelligence, software assurance, the importance of building security in at the beginning of technology development and the value of federally-funded R&D.

“We are very excited Mr. Cerf has accepted our invitation to speak at the Showcase,” said, Dr. Douglas Maughan, S&T’s Director of Industry Partnerships. “As an industry leader, he will provide insights to guide government and industry to work together on securing our nation’s systems and networks from cyber adversaries.” 

Cerf is the Vice President and Chief Internet Evangelist for Google and is the co-designer of the TCP/IP protocols and the architecture of the internet.  He has served in executive positions at ICANN, the Internet Society, MCI, the Corporation for National Research Initiatives and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and is the past President of the Association for Computing Machinery and served as a member of the National Science Board. He has received numerous awards for his work including the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom, U.S. National Medal of Technology and the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering to name a few.  

During the three-day Cybersecurity and Innovation Showcase, attendees will see more than 130 presentations representing a combined $250 million of federally funded cybersecurity R&D and featuring over twenty broad research areas—including mobile security, cybersecurity research infrastructure, cybersecurity forensics, identity management, and data privacy. A technology demonstration and poster session will provide attendees an in-depth look into more than 75 R&D efforts.

Partnering with entrepreneurs and industry to increase national security with new technologies is vital for mission success, so for the second time representatives from startup firms from S&T’s Silicon Valley Innovation Program and researchers funded by S&T’s international partners will present their R&D projects.

“The S&T Showcase is a unique venue for DHS S&T to introduce its funded research projects to government, industry technology implementers including chief information security officers, pilot and testing partners, investors, angel funders, and other potential market transition partners,” said Maughan. “Attendees will have the opportunity to see funded research at various stagesthat all address complex security challenges.”

The S&T Showcase, which is expected to draw 800 – 1,000 cybersecurity and technology professionals, is open to the public and private sector. Registration is complimentary; however, space is limited. Register to reserve a spot at this leading government R&D event.

S&T’s mission is to enhance the security and resilience of the nation’s critical information infrastructure and the internet by developing and delivering new technologies, tools and techniques to defend against attacks. S&T conducts and supports technology transitions and leads and coordinates R&D among the R&D community, which includes DHS customers, government agencies, the private sector and international partners. For more information, visit the S&T website.