Auburn will host the 2018 SEC Academic Conference on cybersecurity

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey announced on Wednesday that Auburn will host the 2018 SEC Academic Conference focusing on cybersecurity.

The conference, Cyber Security: A Shared Responsibility, is scheduled for April 8-10, 2018 and will focus on computer and communication technology. Topics discussed will include the economic and physical systems controlled by technology and the policies and laws that govern and protect information stored, transmitted and processed using technology.

“This year’s SEC Academic Conference is a great opportunity for us to help enrich collaboration among SEC students, faculty and administrators in a critical area of national importance,” said Greg Sankey, SEC Commissioner. “Auburn leaders have worked tirelessly to develop a program that will challenge and encourage those in this field, and I commend them for their efforts.”

The conference aims to provide an opportunity to showcase SEC faculty and student research to a wide range of academic, legislative and other stakeholders. Members representing each of the conferences 14 universities will present in addition to the event's keynote speakers.

“We welcome our SEC colleagues and cyber professionals to Auburn for dynamic, serious discussions,” said Auburn University President Steven Leath. “The nation is facing more and more data breaches that affect all facets of daily life. Strategic partnerships among universities and industry are vital in developing the technology and policies to protect private information.”

Lt. Gen. Ronald L. Burgess, Jr. was commissioned in Military Intelligence by the Auburn ROTC program in 1974 and was chosen to lead Auburn's organizing committee.

After 38 years of holding various key staff and command positions, Burgess currently serves as the Senior Counsel for national security and cyber programs and military affairs for Auburn.

“The schools that make up the SEC are home to a tremendous array of talent in the cyber arena,” Burgess said. “The 2018 SEC Academic Conference will showcase some of the best and brightest minds in the country. It’s a great opportunity for faculty and students from around the conference to connect and collaborate and for government and industry to get a sense of the resources available to them in the SEC.”

The conference will begin with the SEC CyberChallenge giving students from each SEC university the opportunity to compete in a problem-solving activity. Both undergraduate and graduate students will be given the opportunity to showcase their research during a poster exhibition.