2024 Agenda
Thank you to all of our speakers and attendees for joining us for the 2024 Threat Conference. You'll be able to find content from this year's conference by clicking the link below. Sign up to attend next year's conference by clicking the button above.
Day 1: Saturday October 5
2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Sapelo Room
REGISTRATION OPEN
Sponsored by:
5:30 PM - 5:45 PM
The Cloister Ballroom
A CIPHER BRIEF WELCOME
Suzanne Kelly, Cipher Brief CEO & Publisher
5:45 PM - 6:15 PM
The Cloister Ballroom
MAPPING TODAY’S INCREASINGLY COMPLEX THREAT LANDSCAPE
A Fireside Chat
Dr. Michael Vickers - Former Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence
Moderated by Suzanne Kelly - CEO & Publisher, The Cipher Brief
6:15 PM - 7:25 PM
The Cloister Ballroom
THE THREAT BRIEFING THAT AMERICA NEEDS TO HEAR
A Conversation with the experts
Led by The Hon. Susan Gordon, former Principal Deputy Director of
National Intelligence
A conversation with experts on China, Russia, Iran, Cyber, and Tech on
the kinds of national security-related information that Americans need
to know in today’s global climate.
7:30 PM - 8:15 PM
Cloister Ballroom Foyer & Portico
COCKTAILS UNDER THE PORTICO
Sponsored by:
Day 2: Sunday October 6
7:45 AM - 1:00 PM
Sapelo Room
REGISTRATION OPEN
Sponsored by:
8:40 AM - 8:45 AM
THE CIPHER BRIEF'S OPEN SOURCE REPORT
The Cloister Ballroom
Presented by Brad Christian, Cipher Brief COO
8:45 AM - 9:15 AM
The Cloister Ballroom
CIPHER BRIEF THREAT CONFERENCE WELCOME
Suzanne Kelly - Cipher Brief CEO & Publisher
9:15 AM - 9:45 AM
The Cloister Ballroom
MAPPING A WORLD WITH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
A Fireside Chat
Vice Admiral Frank Whitworth - Director, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
Moderated by The Hon. Susan Gordon - Former PDDNI
9:45 AM - 10:00 AM
The Cloister Ballroom
A GLIMPSE OF THE FUTURE WHEN AI GOES TO WAR
A Live Action Op-Ed
Dave Spirk - Former Chief Data Officer, DoD, Senior Counselor, Palantir
Moderated by Jennifer Ewbank, Former Deputy Director of CIA for Digital Innovation
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Cloister Foyer
NETWORKING BREAK
Sponsored by:
10:30 AM - 11:10 AM
The Cloister Ballroom
NAVIGATING THE WILD WEST OF AI
A Conversation with the experts
Peter Guerra - Global Vice President, Data and AI, Oracle
Rob Joyce - Board Advisor, OpenAI
Jennifer Ewbank - Former Deputy Director of CIA for Digital Innovation
Moderated by Chip Usher - Senior Director for Intelligence at the Special Competitive Studies Project
11:10 AM - 11:30 AM
The Cloister Ballroom
HOW ADVERSARIES ARE USING CYBER OPERATIONS TO INFLUENCE
A Fireside Chat
Cynthia Kaiser - Deputy Assistant Director for Cyber, FBI
Moderated by Matt Hayden - Former Assistant Secretary for Cyber,
Infrastructure, Risk & Resilience, VP, GDIT
11:30 AM - 11:45 AM
The Cloister Ballroom
UNCOVERING CYBER THREATS HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT
A Live Action Op-Ed
Stu Solomon - CEO, HUMAN
11:45 AM - 12:15 AM
The Cloister Ballroom
HOW U.S. CYBERSECURITY IMPACTS NATIONAL SECURITY
A Fireside Chat
Moderated by VADM Mike LeFever (Ret.), Former Director of Strategic
Operational Planning, NCTC
Harry Coker Jr. - National Cyber Director, The White House
National Cybersecurity strategy is a critical component of U.S. national
security. How is the country’s National Cyber Director tackling the
tougher challenges from a policy perspective and how is he partnering
with the private sector to do it?
12:15 PM - 12:30 PM
The Cloister Ballroom
NAVIGATING THE RESTLESS WAVE
Admiral Jim Stavridis (Virtual)
Moderated by Suzanne Kelly - CEO & Publisher, The Cipher Brief
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
Cloister Foyer & Portico
A SEA ISLAND LUNCHEON
Sponsored by:
1:30 PM - 1:45 PM
The Cloister Ballroom
AN ERA OF HEIGHTENED TERRORIST THREATS
A Rapid-Fire Keynote
Brett Holmgren - Acting Director, National Counterterrorism Center
Some experts have described today’s terror threat environment as just
as serious or even more serious than pre 9/11. Where are the threats
coming from and how is the U.S. dealing with them?
1:45 PM - 2:15 PM
The Cloister Ballroom
THE GLOBAL COUNTERTERRORISM MISSION
A Conversation with the experts
Brett Holmgren - Acting Director, National Counterterrorism Center
Dave Pitts - Former Assistant Director of CIA for South and Central Asia
Nick Fishwick - Former Senior Member of the British Foreign Office
Rob Dannenberg - Former Chief of Operations, CIA Counterterrorism Ctr.
Moderated by VADM Mike LeFever (Ret.) - Former Director of Strategic Operational Planning, NCTC
Staying ahead of terrorist threats requires a global alliance of
counterterrorism partners. We’re sitting down with a team of experts
to talk about where we are today.
2:15 PM - 3:30 PM
The Cloister Ballroom
HOW CONFLICT WITH CHINA IS LIKELY TO START IN TAIWAN
A Cyber Exercise
Led by Mark Montgomery - Former Executive Director, Cyberspace Solarium Commission
A tabletop exercise examining the most likely scenario of a Chinese
invasion of Taiwan: a combined economic and cyber coercion
campaign aimed at breaking societal resilience.
3:30 PM - 3:45 PM
Foyer
NETWORKING BREAK
Sponsored by:
3:45 PM - 4:00 PM
The Cloister Ballroom
RUSSIA'S PLAYBOOK FOR CONQUERING EASTERN EUROPE
A Live Action Op-Ed
Kiril Petkov - Former Prime Minister, Bulgaria
4:00 PM - 4:30 PM
The Cloister Ballroom
UNDERSTANDING WHAT'S FULLY AT STAKE IN UKRAINE
A Conversation Among the Experts
Doug Lute - Former Ambassador to NATO
Ralph Goff - Former Senior CIA Officer & Station Chief
Glenn Corn - Former Senior CIA Officer & Station Chief
Paul Kolbe - Former Senior CIA Officer & Station Chief
Moderated by Ed Bogan - Former Senior CIA Officer
4:30 PM - 4:35 PM
The Cloister Ballroom
ACCELERATING TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION IS KEY TO MISSION SUCCESS
A Live Action Op-Ed
Lori Scherer - Vice President, Nightwing
4:35 PM - 5:20 PM
The Cloister Ballroom
UKRAINE IS USING TECH TO INNOVATE THE FUTURE OF WAR
A Fireside Chat
General David Petraeus (Ret.) - Partner, KKR, Former Director, CIA
Moderated by Suzanne Kelly - CEO & Publisher, The Cipher Brief
5:20 PM - 6:00 PM
The Cloister Ballroom
HEAD TO HEAD: HOW THE U.S. IS COUNTERING CHINA IN CYBERSPACE
A Keynote Address
General Timothy Haugh - Commander, Cyber Command & Director, NSA
How the U.S. will combine our whole-of-government strengths to work better together and with industry to counter the People’s Republic of China’s whole-of-government efforts, particularly in cyberspace.
Day 3: Monday October 7
9:00 AM - 9:05 AM
THE CIPHER BRIEF'S OPEN SOURCE REPORT
The Cloister Ballroom
Presented by Brad Christian, Cipher Brief COO
9:05 AM - 9:45 AM
The Cloister Ballroom
IT'S GOING TO TAKE NEW ALLIANCES TO PROTECT U.S. CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE
A Conversation Among the Experts
Shannon Corless - Assistant Secretary, Office of Intelligence & Analysis
(OIA), Department of Treasury
Dana Madsen - Deputy Director, Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration
Center, ODNI
Kristina Walter - Chief, Cybersecurity Collaboration Center, NSA
Moderated by Tim Barrett - Assistant DNI for Communications
9:45 AM - 10:00 AM
The Cloister Ballroom
ELECTION SECURITY: IT'S NOT OVER TIL IT'S OVER
A Rapid-Fire Live Action Op-Ed
Sandra Joyce - VP, Google Threat Intelligence
10:00 AM - 10:20 AM
The Cloister Ballroom
ONE QUESTION FOR THE HEAD OF UKRAINE'S SECURITY SERVICE
Live from Ukraine
General Vasyl Maliuk - Chief of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU)
Paul Kolbe - Former member, CIA’s Senior Intelligence Service
Glenn Corn - Former Senior CIA Operations Officer
10:20 AM - 10:40 AM
The Cloister Ballroom
THE DANGEROUS MIX OF RANSOMWARE, EXTORTION AND AI
A Cyber Rapid-Fire Chat
Rob Joyce - Former Director of Cybersecurity, NSA, Board Advisor, OpenAI Moderated by Kelly Bissell - CVP, Microsoft
10:40 AM - 11:00 AM
The Cloister Ballroom
FROM SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS TO DRONES: WHAT TO DO WHEN 'EVERYTHING' POSES NATIONAL SECURITY RISK
A Cyber Rapid-Fire Chat
Chip Usher - Special Competitive Studies Project
Glenn Gerstell - Former General Counsel, National Security Agency
Moderated by Matt Hayden - Former Assistant Secretary for Cyber, Infrastructure, Risk & Resilience, VP, GDIT
11:00 AM - 11:20 AM
The Cloister Ballroom
A RAPID-FIRE DEBRIEF
Chip Usher - Special Competitive Studies Project
Glenn Gerstell - Former General Counsel, National Security Agency
Rob Joyce - Former Director of Cybersecurity, NSA, Board Advisor, OpenAI
Kelly Bissell - CVP, Microsoft
Sandra Joyce - VP Google Threat Intelligence
Moderated by Matt Hayden - Former Assistant Secretary for Cyber, Infrastructure, Risk & Resilience, VP, GDIT
11:20 AM - 11:40 PM
The Cloister Ballroom
DCSA: THE LARGEST SECURITY AGENCY YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF
A Live Action Op-Ed
David Cattler - Director, Defense CounterIntelligence & Security Agency
11:40 PM - 1:00 PM
ON YOUR OWN NETWORKING TIME FOR LUNCH
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
The Cloister Ballroom
THE NEW NATIONAL SECURITY COMPLEX
A Threat Intelligence Innovation Exercise
Led By The Hon. Susan Gordon
2:30 PM - 3:00 PM
The Cloister Ballroom
FUTURE WARS ARE ALREADY BEING FOUGHT IN THE GRAY ZONE
Moderated by Brad Christian - COO, The Cipher Brief
Michael Vickers - Former Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence, DoD
Dave Pitts - Former Assistant Director of CIA for South and Central Asia
Ralph Goff - Former Senior Executive Service Officer, CIA
3:00 PM - 3:15 PM
The Cloister Ballroom
STRATEGIC CHESSBOARD: INDOPACIFIC POWER STRUGGLE
A Rapid-Fire Keynote
Cathy Johnston - VP Mission Integration, Peraton
3:15 PM - 3:45 PM
The Cloister Ballroom
A BRIEFING ON THE GLOBAL SECURITY CHALLENGES POSED BY CHINA
A Fireside Chat
Michael Collins - Acting Chair of the National Intelligence Council, ODNI
Moderated by Tom Nagorski - Managing Editor, The Cipher Brief
National security experts insist that despite more immediate threats, China presents the most significant pacing national security threat. We’re sitting down with the Acting Chair of the National Intelligence Council to talk about how the U.S. is managing the threat.
3:45 PM - 6:00 PM
AFTERNOON NETWORKING BREAK
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
The Cloister Ballroom
NAVIGATING CIA'S GLOBAL PRIORITIES
A Fireside Chat
William J. Burns - Director, CIA
Moderated by Suzanne Kelly - CEO & Publisher, The Cipher Brief
Day 4: Tuesday October 8
8:30 AM - 9:00 AM
LIGHT CONFERENCE BREAKFAST
The Cloister Foyer
9:00 AM - 9:05 AM
The Cloister Ballroom
THE CIPHER BRIEF'S OPEN SOURCE REPORT
Presented by Brad Christian - Cipher Brief COO
9:05 AM - 9:30 AM
The Cloister Ballroom
COFFEE WITH GEN. MICHAEL HAYDEN (RET.)
Moderated by Suzanne Kelly - CEO & Publisher, The Cipher Brief
9:30 AM - 10:15 AM
The Cloister Ballroom
THE STATION CHIEF'S PANEL
We’re sitting down with former CIA Station Chiefs and former Acting Chiefs to get their perspectives on today’s threat and how technology is impacting the mission.
David Marlowe, Former Senior CIA Officer
Jennifer Ewbank, former Deputy Director of CIA for Digital Innovation
Mark Kelton, Former Senior CIA Officer
Rob Dannenberg, Former Senior CIA Officer
Edward Bogan, Former Senior CIA Officer
Ralph Goff, Former Senior CIA Officer
Dave Pitts, Former Senior CIA Officer
Paul Kolbe, Former Senior CIA Officer
Glenn Corn, Former Senior CIA Officer
Moderated by Suzanne Kelly, CEO & Publisher, The Cipher Brief
10:15 AM - 11:15 AM
The Cloister Ballroom
BREAK OUT SESSIONS
A chance to engage directly with the experts on Russia, China, Cyber,
The Middle East and Operating in the Gray Zone
11:15 AM
The Cloister Ballroom
WRAP UP AND THANK YOU
Suzanne Kelly - CEO & Publisher, The Cipher Brief
*Sessions and Speakers are Subject to Change. Conference tickets are not refundable on a
case-by-case basis.
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