MADISON, Wis. — More than 5,200 people in Wisconsin reported being a victim of a cyber crime last year, which the FBI says resulted in the loss of more than $15.8 million dollars. That’s why government, business and academic leaders are coming together to discuss how to combat this growing threat to our state at the 2018 Governor’s Cybersecurity Summit.

Registration is now open for the Governor’s Cybersecurity Summit, which will be held on Monday, Sept. 10 at the Gordon Dining and Event Center on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. The summit will bring together national cyber security experts, government and academic leaders, and the business community to share knowledge and experience in finding new ways to protect our digital infrastructure and address the emerging challenges of cybersecurity.

“Cybersecurity is critical to all aspects of our society and we must continually improve our capability and capacity,” said Maj. Gen. Don Dunbar, Wisconsin’s adjutant general and Homeland Security advisor. “We are pleased to once again be bringing together several nationally recognized cybersecurity experts to discuss strategies for responding to cyber threats.”

Featured speakers at the summit will include Christina “CK” Kerley, who will talk about adapting to changes and trends in technology. Alex Holden of Hold Security will also provide an insider’s view of the cyber threat landscape. Panel discussions will focus on filling the growing needs of the cybersecurity workforce and Wisconsin’s recent Dark Sky exercise, which simulated how multiple agencies would respond to a massive failure of the electric grid.

“Cybersecurity attacks and threats do not respect boundaries and they are becoming more complex and frequent,” said Wisconsin’s Chief Information Officer, David Cagigal. “Therefore, there is a greater dependence on public and private partnerships to ensure even our weakest links are protected.”

College students who may be interested in filling these critical jobs are encouraged to attend the 2018 Summit. They will gain valuable career insight and can network with industry professionals.

Wisconsin’s 6th Annual Governor’s Cybersecurity Summit is coordinated by the Wisconsin Department of Administration and the Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs. To register, visit https://wigcot.eventsair.com/QuickEventWebsitePortal/cybersecurity18/cybersummit18