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Defending public life against cyber threats is a national challenge with profoundly local impacts. With low-level cyber attacks like ransomware consistently on the rise, the task of strengthening the defenses of community organizations in every corner of the nation seems impossible to take on.

But no one is alone in the challenge of scaling local and regional cyber defense. Across the country, grassroots initiatives and community-driven efforts are rising up to protect the institutions that uphold public life.

Representatives from members of the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics discuss the day-to-day challenges of running university-based cybersecurity clinics at Cyber Civil Defense Summit 2023.

The Cyber Civil Defense Summit brings together a community of cyber defenders, academics, and policymakers with the shared mission of protecting our most vulnerable public infrastructure against cybersecurity threats.

This in-person event hosts exclusive keynotes and panels with government and industry leaders in cybersecurity, creating an intimate space for cross-sector conversations between academics, volunteers, and policymakers on how we can work together to protect vulnerable community organizations like hospitals, cities, school districts, and nonprofits.

The Cyber Civil Defense Summit, held annually since 2023, has featured keynote addresses from top cybersecurity leaders, including:

• Colin Ahern, Fmr Chief Cyber Officer of the State of New York
• Udbhav Tiwari, Vice President of Strategy and Global Affairs at Signal
• Jen Easterly, Fmr CISA Director
• Wendy Nather, Fmr Head of Advisory CISOs at Cisco
• Paula Starr, CIO of the Cherokee Nation

The conference is a unique opportunity to connect with cyber defenders across industries and get new ideas in front of beltway changemakers.