Conference Description
Key Takeaways
- Two-day conference bringing together over 600 cybersecurity professionals from government, education, and private sector organizations
- Hosted by Harrisburg University (NSA National Center of Academic Excellence) in partnership with InfraGard Central Pennsylvania
- Features technical tracks, Capture the Flag competition, and executive tabletop exercise
- Sponsors include Cisco, Deloitte, KPMG, AWS, Microsoft, CrowdStrike, Fortinet, and Cloudflare
- Addresses cyber resilience, threat detection, incident response, and cross-sector collaboration
About the Event
The 2026 Cybersecurity Summit at Harrisburg University convenes cybersecurity professionals, government officials, educators, and technology practitioners for two days of keynotes, leadership panels, and technical sessions. The summit theme, “Cyber Liberty: Powered by Unity. Strengthened by Resilience,” reflects its focus on collaborative defense strategies and organizational preparedness.
Harrisburg University holds designation as an NSA National Center of Academic Excellence, positioning the institution as a credible host for workforce development and cybersecurity education initiatives. The partnership with InfraGard Central Pennsylvania and regional organizations reinforces the event’s emphasis on public-private cooperation.
Technical and Leadership Programming
The summit divides its programming between technical practitioners and executive audiences. Technical sessions cover threat detection and response, with hands-on learning delivered through a Capture the Flag competition. This format allows participants to test practical skills in a competitive environment.
For leadership audiences, the event includes an executive-level tabletop exercise designed to simulate incident response decision-making. This exercise addresses how organizations coordinate during cyber incidents and develop resilient response strategies.
Cross-Sector Focus
The summit specifically targets challenges facing government agencies, educational institutions, and private sector organizations. Public sector security and education sector security receive dedicated attention, reflecting the distinct regulatory environments and resource constraints these organizations face. Sessions address workforce skills gaps, inter-organizational collaboration, and the development of resilient cyber strategies applicable across sectors.
Who Should Attend
The summit serves CISOs, IT and security leaders, cybersecurity practitioners, government officials at state, local, and federal levels, K-12 and higher education IT staff, technology vendors, and students entering the cybersecurity workforce. The programming accommodates both executives seeking strategic insights and technical staff pursuing hands-on skill development. Virtual access to select sessions is available through Airmeet for those unable to attend in person.