TOPICS & TRACKS

The Issues That Define Our Digital Future

Six focused tracks covering the full spectrum of modern cybersecurity — from nation-state threats to privacy law, AI-driven defense to incident response.

Threat Intelligence

Know your adversary before they know you.

Understanding adversary tactics, techniques, and procedures is the foundation of effective defense. This track covers nation-state and criminal threat actor analysis, threat hunting methodologies, indicator-of-compromise frameworks, and the intelligence-sharing ecosystems that keep defenders ahead of evolving attacks.

Key Topics

Nation-state threat actorsCriminal ransomware ecosystemsMITRE ATT&CK frameworkThreat hunting at scaleIntelligence sharing (ISACs)

Sessions

›The Adversary Landscape: Nation-State Threats in 2026
›Threat Hunting: From Indicators to Adversary Behavior

Information Privacy & Law

Compliance is the floor, not the ceiling.

The legal and regulatory landscape for data privacy has never been more complex. This track examines the American Data Privacy and Protection Act, state-level regulations, GDPR compliance for U.S. organizations, and the evolving liability frameworks that make privacy a board-level concern.

Key Topics

American Data Privacy and Protection ActGDPR cross-border complianceState privacy laws (CCPA, VCDPA)Data breach notification requirementsPrivacy by design principles

Sessions

›Privacy Law in 2026: What Every Organization Must Know
›GDPR vs. ADPPA: A Compliance Deep Dive

AI in Cybersecurity

The most powerful tool — in both hands.

Artificial intelligence is reshaping both offense and defense in cybersecurity. This track explores AI-powered threat detection, adversarial machine learning, LLM security vulnerabilities, and the policy questions that arise when AI systems become critical security infrastructure.

Key Topics

AI-powered threat detectionAdversarial machine learningLLM prompt injection attacksAI governance and policyAutomated vulnerability discovery

Sessions

›AI as Defender and Attacker: The Double-Edged Sword
›LLM Security: Prompt Injection, Data Exfiltration & Defense

Critical Infrastructure Security

The systems that cannot fail.

Energy grids, financial networks, water systems, and healthcare infrastructure are the targets of the most sophisticated cyber operations in history. This track examines the unique security challenges of operational technology environments and the frameworks that protect the systems society depends on.

Key Topics

OT/ICS securityNERC CIP complianceFinancial sector cyber riskHealthcare infrastructure threatsPublic-private partnership models

Sessions

›Securing the Financial Grid: Lessons from the Front Lines

Identity & Access Management

Identity is the new perimeter.

In a world without a traditional network perimeter, identity has become the primary control plane for security. This track covers zero-trust architecture, modern authentication standards, privileged access management, and the identity challenges created by cloud-native and distributed systems.

Key Topics

Zero-trust architectureOAuth 2.1 and OIDCPrivileged access managementPasswordless authenticationIdentity governance and administration

Sessions

›Zero Trust at Billion-User Scale: Identity in the Modern Enterprise

Incident Response

When — not if. Preparation determines outcome.

Every organization will face a significant cyber incident. The difference between a manageable disruption and a catastrophic breach is preparation, process, and people. This track delivers practical frameworks for detection, containment, communication, and recovery — drawn from real-world incidents at the highest stakes.

Key Topics

Incident response planningRansomware containmentCrisis communicationsDigital forensics fundamentalsBusiness continuity and recovery

Sessions

›Incident Response at Scale: Military Doctrine for the Private Sector
›Tabletop Exercise: Responding to a Ransomware Attack
›Ransomware Economics: Why Attacks Keep Working

Ready to attend?

Registration is free for all UGA students, faculty, and virtual attendees.