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Tuesday, July 14
 

7:30am EDT

Registration Check-in & Breakfast
Tuesday July 14, 2026 7:30am - 8:30am EDT
Tuesday July 14, 2026 7:30am - 8:30am EDT
First Floor Lobby

8:30am EDT

Day One Welcome
Tuesday July 14, 2026 8:30am - 9:00am EDT
Tuesday July 14, 2026 8:30am - 9:00am EDT
Boeing Auditorium

9:00am EDT

No Wi-fly Zone: Taking Security to the Skies
Tuesday July 14, 2026 9:00am - 9:45am EDT
This talk explains the story of how a simple curiosity grew into a full exploit chain for the takeover of a small drone. This explains the thought process, failures, exploit, and tool development that builds to a drone falling from flight in a live demo at the end of the talk.

As a result of attending, participants will understand the thought process behind wifi based exploit development, weaponizing documentation, and cyber physical systems exploitation.

Join us for a fun adventure in drone hacking!
Speakers
avatar for Sam Williams

Sam Williams

Rotas Security
Sam Williams is a cybersecurity powerhouse and an offensive security researcher with more than a decade of passion for ethical hacking. Having practical experience with elite organizations such as Palo Alto Networks and Rapid7, he is recognized as an exceptional penetration tester... Read More →
Tuesday July 14, 2026 9:00am - 9:45am EDT
Room 3100

9:00am EDT

Building Cyber Literacy Pipelines Engaging K–12 Schools Through Real-World Experiences
Tuesday July 14, 2026 9:00am - 9:45am EDT
Building Cyber Literacy Pipelines: Engaging K–12 Schools Through Real-World Experiences explores how to move students beyond basic awareness into meaningful engagement with cybersecurity through hands-on, applied learning. This session highlights a scalable model that integrates foundational curriculum with immersive experiences such as simulations, competitions, and interactive challenges to build critical thinking, problem-solving, and career awareness.
Grounded in programs like Cyber Saturday, Cyber Feud, and the Outsmart Cyberthreats (OC) Booklet, this session demonstrates how real-world experiences can strengthen cyber literacy while aligning with workforce frameworks such as NICE. Participants will gain insight into how to design and implement engaging cybersecurity learning opportunities that are accessible across grade levels and adaptable to both in-school and out-of-school settings.
This session is designed for K–12 educators, school and district leaders and workforce development partners seeking practical strategies to introduce or expand cybersecurity education. Attendees will leave with actionable approaches to increase student engagement, integrate cybersecurity into existing curricula, and build sustainable pipelines that connect classroom learning to future career pathways.
Speakers
KH

Kishanna Harley

National Cryptologic Foundation
avatar for Dr. Alisha Jordan

Dr. Alisha Jordan

National Cryptologic Foundation
Hi, I’m Dr. Alisha Jordan! I have more than 25 years of experience in education and leadership and currently serve as the Director of Education at the National Cryptologic Foundation. I’m passionate about building the next generation of cyber leaders by connecting K–12 education... Read More →
Tuesday July 14, 2026 9:00am - 9:45am EDT
Room 4100

9:00am EDT

Considering Using CTFs as Quizzes? The Cyber Basics CTFs Hands-On Workshop
Tuesday July 14, 2026 9:00am - 10:30am EDT
Have you ever considered using a live Jeopardy-Style Capture the Flag as an in-class quiz? Would you like to see what this looks like in action? Many teachers have started gamifying their classroom evaluations and quizzes, and even using CTFs for some exams! For your light weight pop-quizzes, CTFs can turn quizzes into a fun head-to-head "Event", with a projected scoreboard for the whole class to see, or even allow competitive teams! For big exams, you can force individual play, and keep things private with no teams or scoreboard. It's time scoped, and you get the scores with all logged submission attempts, which you can then easily turn into grades.

The Cyber Range is considering adding more CTF quizzes to some of our curated curriculum, and this is the first quiz-set. This first release of six quizzes to go along with the with our Cyber Basics course, with a separate CTF for each of the six modules, A-F. Here's the invite into our CTF Quizzes Workshop environment: 
https://go.vacr.io/ctf-quizzes-workshop 

Come check out our workshop, help beta test our first course CTF quizzes, see how you like them and let us know what you think! After our workshop, take your login back to your hotel room and finish UP all six modules to see how you like them and see who wins!

If you have any suggestions, let us know my filling out this quick survey:
https://go.vacr.io/cyber-basics-ctf-survey
Speakers
avatar for Thomas Weeks

Thomas Weeks

Lead Engineer, Virginia Cyber Range
Thomas "Tweeks" Weeks is a published Linux author, is an IT director with Virginia Tech IT, but most of his time is spent working as a Lead Engineer with the Virginia Cyber Range, security course developer and lab-VM image designer.  Tweeks also sits as the technical lead for the... Read More →
Tuesday July 14, 2026 9:00am - 10:30am EDT
Room 4130

9:45am EDT

Deep Dive into the New PTSA
Tuesday July 14, 2026 9:45am - 10:30am EDT
Do you currently incorporate the PTSA (Packet Tracer Skills Assessment) into your Cisco Networking Academy courses? If so, consider attending a session designed to introduce you to its latest updates and enhancements. Participants will explore the new features of the tool, gain insight into the improved scoring reports, and learn how to efficiently access and implement these resources within their courses. The PTSA is integrated into all three CCNA courses, as well as the Network Security curriculum, making it a versatile and widely applicable assessment option. It serves as an effective alternative for evaluating student skills, particularly in situations where access to physical networking equipment is limited or unavailable. By leveraging this tool, instructors can provide meaningful, hands-on assessment experiences in a virtual environment while still maintaining alignment with course objectives and industry standards.
Speakers
CB

Constance Boahn

IT/ITC Instructor and ASC Support, Stanly Community College
I am part of a small team that runs the ASC/ITC in North Carolina for the Cisco Networking Academy. I would love to talk with anyone interested in learning more about our ASC or the Cisco Networking Academy in general. I am also currently president of NCCIA and am happy to chat about... Read More →
Tuesday July 14, 2026 9:45am - 10:30am EDT
Room 4100

9:45am EDT

Cybersecurity Should Be Mandatory K–12. Virginia, Love You. Fix the Syllabus.
Tuesday July 14, 2026 9:45am - 10:30am EDT
Cybersecurity is the only subject we all agree matters but somehow we keep calling it optional. This session is the argument for why it should be a mandatory subject, and what it actually looks like.

Drawing from work across Virginia public schools, the University of Mary Washington, Virginia Commonwealth University, The White House Communication Agency, Microsoft and Nehlos a Cybersecurity company, this session makes the case that cybersecurity belongs in the core curriculum, not as a specialty track for students who already know to look for it, but as a foundational skill alongside reading, writing, and math. The workforce shortage is real. The equity gap is real. Every graduate, will work in environments where basic cyber literacy is non-negotiable. We just haven't updated the syllabus to reflect that yet.

Attendees will walk through practical models for K–12 integration, community college pathways, and higher education general education requirements, along with work-based learning bridges that connect mandatory coursework to industry certification and real employment pipelines.This session is designed for K–12 educators, curriculum coordinators, higher education faculty, and workforce development professionals who are ready to stop having the same conversation and start building something different.


Speakers
avatar for Romeo Gardner

Romeo Gardner

Cybersecurity Training Lead, Fairfax County Public Schools
Romeo Gardner is a cybersecurity strategist, educator, and advocate with a passion for protecting people and empowering communities through digital resilience. He currently leads cybersecurity training initiatives at Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), the 11th largest school system... Read More →
Tuesday July 14, 2026 9:45am - 10:30am EDT
Room 3100

10:30am EDT

Networking & Sponsor Break
Tuesday July 14, 2026 10:30am - 11:00am EDT

Tuesday July 14, 2026 10:30am - 11:00am EDT
Boeing Auditorium

11:00am EDT

CyberSafe AI: A Game-Based Approach to AI Literacy and Cybersecurity Education
Tuesday July 14, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am EDT
CyberSafe AI is an engaging, game-based learning experience to help students develop knowledge and skills needed to become safe, responsible, and critical users of artificial intelligence (AI). Developed by the Virginia and U.S. Cyber Range at Virginia Tech, CyberSafe AI introduces learners to the opportunities and risks associated with generative AI through interactive scenarios, real-world examples, and game-based challenges.
Speakers
avatar for Shannon Beck

Shannon Beck

Director, Virginia Cyber Range
Shannon Beck is the Director of the Virginia and U.S. Cyber Ranges at Virginia Tech. She brings experience in cybersecurity education, outreach, and research from her previous roles at the United States Air Force Academy, the National Science Foundation, and Los Alamos National Laboratory... Read More →
Tuesday July 14, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am EDT
Room 4130

11:00am EDT

Building our Future by Looking to the Past: What Phone Phreaks, Hacker Zines, and the Legion of Doom Can Still Teach Us about Cybersecurity
Tuesday July 14, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am EDT
Cybersecurity as we know it today did not emerge from boardrooms, compliance frameworks, or certification bodies. It began out of hobbyist curiosity, from the hacker culture and Tech Model Railroad Club at MIT emerging during the 1950s, the phone phreaking subcultures of the 1970s, and the early computer hacker scene spanning meetups, bulletin boards, and zines of the 1980s and 1990s, including Phrack and 2600: The Hacker Quarterly. Such early hackers were characterized by a drive to understand systems deeply, challenge assumptions, and push boundaries, all qualities that are increasingly difficult to find in today's structured, credential-driven cybersecurity education and professional landscape.

This session invites educators and industry professionals to reflect together on what has been gained and lost through the process of professionalizing cybersecurity as we look to our future. Drawing on the histories of groups such as the Legion of Doom and Masters of Deception as ethical case studies, and tracing the cultural lineage from early hacker communities through cyberpunk aesthetics in popular media, the session argues that curiosity, critical thinking, and a willingness to question authority are not “soft skills.” Rather, they are foundational competencies the field cannot afford to undervalue and can reclaim in productive ways.

Participants will explore together how cybersecurity history and hacker mindset can be meaningfully integrated into contemporary curricula, what it looks like to teach students to think like hackers within an ethical practice, and how the field might recover a culture of genuine inquiry and curiosity without abandoning professional rigor.
Speakers
avatar for Andrew Kulak

Andrew Kulak

Associate, Triple Point Security
Dr. Andrew Kulak is a cybersecurity educator and consultant with a background in rhetoric, human-centered design, security engineering, and cybersecurity risk management. He teaches cybersecurity, data science, and design courses at Virginia Tech. In addition to his academic work... Read More →
Tuesday July 14, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am EDT
Room 3100

11:00am EDT

Teach It. Prove It. Hire It.
Tuesday July 14, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am EDT
Students can complete labs but can they explain what they did in a way employers value? This session focuses on designing experiential learning that builds real cybersecurity skills and helps students confidently communicate their experience.

Participants will explore how to align hands-on lab activities with workforce expectations, turning technical tasks into meaningful, resume-ready skills. The session highlights strategies for structuring labs so students are not just following steps, but actively thinking, solving problems, and demonstrating applied knowledge.

Examples will include mapping Cyber Range labs to real-world roles, identifying the skills behind each activity, and guiding students to clearly communicate what they did, how they did it, and why it matters.

Attendees will leave with practical strategies and ready-to-use ideas to help students connect lab work to real-world cybersecurity skills—making their experience more meaningful, measurable, and marketable.

Ideal for instructors who want to strengthen student engagement and better prepare students for careers in cybersecurity.
Speakers
avatar for Sam Benke

Sam Benke

Professor & Chair of Information Technology | Champion for Workforce Readiness & Emerging Tech | VPCC, Virginia Peninsula Community College
Sam Benke brings more than 30 years of combined experience in information technology and education, blending deep industry knowledge with a strong commitment to student success. He currently serves as an IT Assistant Professor and Department Chair, with teaching and leadership focused on cybersecurity... Read More →
avatar for Andrea Twedt

Andrea Twedt

Associate Professor of Cybersecurity, Germanna Community College
With over 20 years of experience teaching Networking and Cybersecurity, Andrea is passionate about equipping students with the real-world skills they need to thrive in today’s fast-moving IT landscape. Backed by a Masters degree in Cybersecurity and a commitment to hands-on learning... Read More →
Tuesday July 14, 2026 11:00am - 11:45am EDT
Room 4100

11:45am EDT

Lunch
Tuesday July 14, 2026 11:45am - 12:45pm EDT

Tuesday July 14, 2026 11:45am - 12:45pm EDT
Learning Loft - First Floor

12:45pm EDT

Launch Your Cyber Course: Integrating the Virginia Cyber Range in Canvas
Tuesday July 14, 2026 12:45pm - 1:30pm EDT
Looking for a streamlined way to bring Virginia Cyber Range labs into your Canvas courses? This session is designed for instructors who want to incorporate hands-on cybersecurity experiences while keeping course design efficient, organized, and student-friendly.

Participants will follow a step-by-step walkthrough of how to access the Virginia Cyber Range, navigate instructor resources, select appropriate virtual machine environments, and integrate labs directly into Canvas. Using ITN260 – Network Security Basics as a model, this session demonstrates how to embed labs, structure modules, and create a clean, intuitive learning experience without overcomplicating course setup.

The focus is on practical implementation and time-saving strategies that can be applied immediately. Attendees will leave with a ready-to-use Canvas module structure, a clear integration workflow, and access to shared resources that can be quickly adapted for their own courses.

Ideal for instructors looking to enhance or refine their use of the Virginia Cyber Range in Canvas.
Speakers
avatar for Sam Benke

Sam Benke

Professor & Chair of Information Technology | Champion for Workforce Readiness & Emerging Tech | VPCC, Virginia Peninsula Community College
Sam Benke brings more than 30 years of combined experience in information technology and education, blending deep industry knowledge with a strong commitment to student success. He currently serves as an IT Assistant Professor and Department Chair, with teaching and leadership focused on cybersecurity... Read More →
avatar for Andrea Twedt

Andrea Twedt

Associate Professor of Cybersecurity, Germanna Community College
With over 20 years of experience teaching Networking and Cybersecurity, Andrea is passionate about equipping students with the real-world skills they need to thrive in today’s fast-moving IT landscape. Backed by a Masters degree in Cybersecurity and a commitment to hands-on learning... Read More →
Tuesday July 14, 2026 12:45pm - 1:30pm EDT
Room 4100

12:45pm EDT

Rural Cyber Rising: Building Pathways, Expanding Access, and Driving Impact Through Gamified Targeted Interventions
Tuesday July 14, 2026 12:45pm - 1:30pm EDT
Persistent disparities in access to cybersecurity learning opportunities continue to limit participation among students in rural communities. Analysis of national and regional trends in cyber competition participation (an increasingly important avenue for applied cybersecurity education) reveals significantly lower engagement from rural students compared to their urban peers. These gaps reflect broader challenges, including limited instructional resources, reduced exposure to career pathways, and lower teacher capacity in specialized content areas. Targeted, gamified interventions offer a scalable approach to addressing these inequities. By adapting competition-based models into structured, classroom-ready experiences, educators can introduce accessible entry points that build foundational skills while sustaining student engagement. When paired with intentional curriculum design and supports that strengthen teacher efficacy, these interventions can extend beyond isolated activities to form coherent pathways in cybersecurity education.
Findings from implemented programs in rural districts demonstrate the potential for such approaches to increase participation, improve student confidence, and catalyze broader community engagement. Evidence from these case studies highlights how small, strategically designed interventions can evolve into sustainable, community-wide cybersecurity initiatives that connect K–12 education with local workforce development needs. This work contributes practical insights for expanding equitable access and strengthening cybersecurity education ecosystems in underserved regions.
Speakers
Tuesday July 14, 2026 12:45pm - 1:30pm EDT
Room 3100

12:45pm EDT

Swipe Right for Threat Modeling: Cybersecurity as a Life Skill
Tuesday July 14, 2026 12:45pm - 2:15pm EDT
Students are already making cybersecurity decisions every day, whether they realize it or not. They are choosing what to share, who to trust, which links to click, what permissions to allow, and how much of their location, identity, and attention to give away through the apps they use constantly. This 90-minute workshop reframes threat modeling as a practical life skill by using familiar consumer apps such as TikTok, messaging platforms, dating apps, delivery services, payment apps, gaming accounts, school portals, and AI tools.

Participants will work through lightweight, student-friendly threat modeling activities focused on realistic scenarios involving fake accounts, geolocation leakage, account takeover, image misuse, social engineering, data collection, and cross-platform manipulation. The goal is to make cybersecurity feel relevant, human, and immediately usable. Attendees will leave with adaptable classroom activities, discussion prompts, and a framework for helping students think more critically about digital risk in the spaces they already occupy.
Speakers
avatar for Christopher Cruz

Christopher Cruz

Cyber Program Manager, Virginia State Police
Christopher Cruz is the Cyber Program Manager for the Virginia Fusion Center, which provides a vital conduit for intelligence collection and information exchange throughout the Commonwealth. He is responsible for the development, management, and integration of cybersecurity capabilities... Read More →
Tuesday July 14, 2026 12:45pm - 2:15pm EDT
Room 4130

1:30pm EDT

Vibe Coding (AI Assisted Coding) and its Hidden Cybersecurity Concerns
Tuesday July 14, 2026 1:30pm - 2:15pm EDT
Vibe coding is an approach to computer programming where you code based on intuition, flow, and feel (e.g. ‘vibe’), rather than following strict methodologies or detailed development frameworks.  Vibe coding uses AI to quickly generate executable code from natural language prompts. It makes the practice of software development more accessible, particularly for those with limited programming experience.  Although this may sound incredibly helpful and appealing, AI generated code frequently comes with hidden risks. Vibe coding often introduces security vulnerabilities that may seem harmless at first but can lead to serious problems down the road. This session will introduce ‘Vibe coding’, its advantages, and disadvantages, including potential hidden cybersecurity vulnerabilities.  This session will also touch on classroom awareness and possible use.
Speakers
avatar for Thom Garrett

Thom Garrett

Chief Cybersecurity Architect, Dynamic Animation Systems, Inc. (DAS)
Thom has 30+ years of experience in Cybersecurity and IT operations. Over the years, he has served as a System/Network Administrator, Engineering Systems Manager, Sr. Technical Manager, Deputy Director of Operations, and currently serving as Chief Cybersecurity Architect. He has worked... Read More →
Tuesday July 14, 2026 1:30pm - 2:15pm EDT
Room 3100

1:30pm EDT

Building the Blueprint: Aligning CTE 6302 to NICE
Tuesday July 14, 2026 1:30pm - 2:15pm EDT
Virginia's CTE Cybersecurity Fundamentals course (6302) provides a critical on-ramp for students entering the cybersecurity workforce pipeline, but aligning its VDOE tasks to national workforce frameworks takes deliberate, structured work. This session focuses on how the Virginia Cyber Range is currently approaching that alignment, including the development of a mapping spreadsheet designed to connect 6302 course tasks to the NICE Cybersecurity Workforce Framework.

Participants will get an inside look at the methodology behind the mapping process, how the spreadsheet is being built out, and the decisions that go into connecting K-12 instructional content to workforce-ready competencies. The session will also touch on the transition from KSA to TKS terminology as context for why this work matters now.

This is a birds-of-a-feather working session; attendees are encouraged to share their own alignment experiences, ask questions, and contribute to the conversation. Whether you're just starting to think about workforce alignment or already working through similar challenges, the goal is peer-to-peer exchange around a shared problem
Speakers
AS

Angela Smith

Virginia Cyber Range
Tuesday July 14, 2026 1:30pm - 2:15pm EDT
Room 4100

2:15pm EDT

Networking & Sponsor Break
Tuesday July 14, 2026 2:15pm - 2:30pm EDT

Tuesday July 14, 2026 2:15pm - 2:30pm EDT
Boeing Auditorium

2:30pm EDT

Keynote: Hart Rossman, AWS
Tuesday July 14, 2026 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT

Tuesday July 14, 2026 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT
Boeing Auditorium

3:30pm EDT

Mobilizing Academia: The Department of War’s Blueprint for a Secure Tomorrow
Tuesday July 14, 2026 3:30pm - 4:15pm EDT
The Department of War's Cyber Academic Engagement Office (CAEO) serves as a vital bridge between our nation's most pressing security needs and the educational institutions that will solve them. Tasked with inspiring and cultivating the next generation of cyber talent, the CAEO is committed to building a "seamless ecosystem" that supports students from their first K-12 cyber club to a high-impact career in public service.
This session will explore how the DoW is partnering with educators through initiatives like CyberPatriot, the Cyber Service Academy (CSA) scholarship program, and the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C) framework. We will discuss how aligning curriculum with these blueprints enhances graduate employability and directly supports the Department's shift toward skills-based hiring. Looking ahead to initiatives like AI4WARD and our Strategic Foresight efforts, attendees will learn how K-12 and higher education stakeholders can collaborate with the DoW to elevate their programs, empower their students, and build a resilient digital workforce for the future.

Tuesday July 14, 2026 3:30pm - 4:15pm EDT
Boeing Auditorium

4:15pm EDT

Conference Check-in & Day 2 preview
Tuesday July 14, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT

Tuesday July 14, 2026 4:15pm - 4:30pm EDT
Boeing Auditorium

5:00pm EDT

Networking Reception & Awards Recognition
Tuesday July 14, 2026 5:00pm - 7:00pm EDT
Join us at the Networking Reception to celebrate the future of cybersecurity in Virginia. Light hors d’oeuvres and drinks will be served, but please note this is not a full dinner. During the reception, we will honor students from across the Commonwealth who are committing to cybersecurity education, training, or careers as part of Virginia Cyber Signing Day. We will also recognize this year’s Virginia Cybersecurity Educators of the Year, celebrating instructors who have gone above and beyond to inspire and prepare the next generation of cyber talent. Come connect, celebrate, and support those shaping Virginia’s cyber future.
Tuesday July 14, 2026 5:00pm - 7:00pm EDT
Tree House & Rooftop Terrace
 
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