On Saturday, August 2, 2024, Metro State University hosted the first annual Minnesota Military Cyber Symposium organized by the Minnesota National Guard (MNNG) Cyber Coordination Cell (C3).
With more than 100 attendees, the symposium featured an impressive lineup of speakers, headlined by our keynote speaker, Brigadier General Stefanie Horvath, MSCS, CISSP. Other distinguished speakers included: Karissa Zamora (U.S. Department of Homeland Security I&A), Chris Gabbard, CISM, CISA (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency), Special Agent Alex Draeger, Joshua Villarreal, Joe Jarvis (Homeland Security Investigations), Supervisory Special Agent Jake Iverson (Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)), John Israel (CISO Minnesota IT Services), MAJ Peter Kapelanski (Commander 177th Cyber Protect Team MNNG), Lieutenant Colonel Brian J. Morgan (Director MNNG C3), and Faisal Kaleem (Metro State University). We were also honored to have other two-star generals in attendance, contributing to the depth and breadth of our discussions.
The theme of this event centered on how various state and federal agencies can collaborate to build a comprehensive cybersecurity ecosystem for Minnesota. The insights and strategies shared will undoubtedly strengthen our state's cyber defense capabilities.
Thank you to all who participated and contributed to making this event a resounding success. Metro State University looks forward to continued collaboration and innovation with all the stakeholders in the field of cybersecurity.