Maryland-based companies, cyber experts among speakers, panelists, and exhibitors

Led by the Maryland Department of Commerce and Secretary Mike Gill, a delegation of Maryland cybersecurity companies, federal agencies, educational institutions, and economic development partners are participating in RSA™ 2018. The event, taking place this week in San Francisco, is the nation’s premier information security conference and expo. Held annually, the conference draws more than 40,000 attendees to the Moscone Center. For the seventh consecutive year, Maryland’s cybersecurity strength will be on display with Maryland-based cybersecurity companies and experts among conference speakers and exhibitors.

“Economic development is a team sport, and our team is poised to show the nation and the world that Maryland is indeed the cybersecurity capital of the nation,” said Secretary Gill. “This is a tremendous opportunity to highlight Maryland’s unparalleled cybersecurity sector, business incentives, and “Open For Business” commitment to a U.S. and international audience. I’m excited to be leading our delegation to RSA and looking forward to supporting Maryland’s cyber companies, as well as connecting with out-of-state and international companies.”

Maryland’s cybersecurity community will be on display in booth #1838 in the Moscone Center’s South Hall, and Maryland’s cyber experts will share their expertise during conference sessions throughout the week. The roster of speakers includes:

• General Keith Alexander, USA (Ret.), CEO of IronNet Cybersecurity and former head of the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command;
• Evan Blair, senior vice president, ZeroFOX;
• Renaud Deraison, CTO, Tenable;
• Guy Filippelli, vice president, Forcepoint;
• James Foster, CEO, ZeroFOX;
• Robert Lee, CEO, Dragos;
• Matthew Olsen, president of business development, IronNet Cybersecurity;
• Philip Tully, principal data scientist, ZeroFOX; and
• Ira Winkler, president of Secure Mentem;

The slate of speakers at RSA also includes representatives from federal agencies and academic institutions located in Maryland:

Matt Barrett, program manager for cybersecurity framework, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST);

Donna Dodson, NIST fellow and cybersecurity advisory;

Richard George, senior advisor for cybersecurity, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab;

Matthew Green, assistant professor, Johns Hopkins Information Security Institute;

Dave Hogue, technical director, National Security Agency;

Naomi Lefkovitz, senior privacy policy advisor, NIST;

Joseph Roundy, cybersecurity program manager, Montgomery College;

Anne Townsend, lead cybersecurity engineer, National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE); and

David Waltermire, security automation architect, NIST.

Maryland Commerce and Anne Arundel, Howard, and Montgomery counties will host meetings and events to encourage U.S. and international companies to consider a Maryland location. Commerce’s signature event, Maryland: Where Cyber Works, takes place today and features Bob Ackerman and Dave DeWalt of AllegisCyber. More than 100 guests – representing cybersecurity companies and partner organizations from the U.S., the U.K., Australia, Estonia, Israel, and elsewhere – have registered to hear expert insight into the state of cybersecurity.

“The array of talent and technology in Maryland is unparalleled,” said Ken McCreedy, senior director of cybersecurity for Maryland Commerce. “Innovations coming out of Maryland are protecting data, networks, and infrastructure around the world. For anyone engaged in information security, Maryland is the place to be.”

About Maryland Commerce

The Maryland Department of Commerce stimulates private investment and creates jobs by attracting new businesses, encouraging the expansion and retention of existing companies, and providing financial assistance to Maryland companies. The Department promotes the State's many economic advantages and markets local products and services at home and abroad to spur economic development and international investment, trade and tourism. Because they are major economic generators, the Department also supports the arts, film production, sports and other special events. For more information, visit commerce.maryland.gov.