Cyber Security Day at IUP

Each year, the Institute for Cyber Security, in collaboration with IT Support, hosts Cyber Security Day. This daylong event features nationally recognized security experts as well as speakers from law enforcement, government, the security industry, and academia. Cyber Security Day is open to the public, community colleges, and neighboring universities. Information on the eighteenth annual Cyber Security Day is below.

19th Annual Cybersecurity Day at IUP

Event Details

• Date: Tuesday, October 13, 2026
• Time: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Location: HUB Ohio Room, 319 Pratt Drive, Indiana, PA 15705
• Audience: This event is free and open to the public. Anyone interested in learning more about important cybersecurity topics should attend.
• For Students: Attendance vouchers will be available and will be provided to students via email at the conclusion of each session. Students must attend the entire session to be eligible for an attendance voucher. 
• Sponsors: The 19th Annual Cybersecurity Day at IUP is proudly sponsored by PC4A and the IUP Institute for Cybersecurity. Light refreshments are generously provided by our sponsors.

More Details Coming Soon!

Check back for a list of guest speakers, presentation titles, and the full event schedule. Contact us at cybersecurity-info@iup.edu with any questions. 

9:20 to 10:00 a.m. — The Navy Innovation Ecosystem

Presented by: Joey Mathews - Superintendent of the IT Division, US Naval Research Laboratory

Speaker Bio: Joey Mathews is the superintendent of the Information Technology Division at the US Naval Research Laboratory. He leads a broadly-based program of research and development spanning artificial intelligence and autonomy, networking and communications, information operations, high-assurance systems and cyber warfare, knowledge management and decision support, and computational science.

Presentation Summary: In 1915, American inventor Thomas Edison opined, “The Government should maintain a great research laboratory to develop guns, new explosives, and all the technique of military and naval progression without any vast expense.” This statement led to the creation of the Naval Research Laboratory in 1923. One hundred years later, NRL has changed the way the military fights, and tilted the world’s balance of power on at least three occasions with the first US radar, the world’s first intelligence satellite, and the first operational satellite of the Global Positioning System. In this talk, I will discuss factors that motivate naval science and technology investments, cybersecurity considerations for Navy platforms, and opportunities for students to engage with the Navy’s innovation ecosystem.

10:05 to 10:45 a.m. — Cybersecurity Careers Start Here: HUBZone, CMMC, and the Talent Pipeline

Presented by: Christina Hunt - CEO, Cinteot

Speaker Bio: Christina Hunt is the CEO of Cinteot, a cybersecurity and IT firm based in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, serving federal and defense clients as a woman-owned small business. She is focused on developing local cybersecurity talent through Cinteot’s internship and mentorship programs.

Presentation Summary: As CMMC requirements roll out across the defense industrial base, small businesses like Cinteot are facing a growing need for qualified cybersecurity talent—and that means real opportunity for students entering the field. Cinteot, a woman-owned small business based in a HUBZone-designated area, supports federal and defense clients while investing in the local community through hands-on student internships in cybersecurity operations, compliance, and mentorship. In this talk, Hunt will share how being HUBZone-based shapes Cinteot’s mission and how the company’s internship program has become a real pathway to full-time careers.

10:50 to 11:30 a.m. — AI, Digital Competencies, and Societal Resilience: The Human Factor in Cybersecurity

Presented by: Joseph Squillace - Associate Teaching Professor of Cybersecurity, Penn State

Speaker Bio: Joseph M. Squillace is an associate teaching professor of cybersecurity in Penn State’s College of Information Sciences and Technology. He began his career in communications security as a US Air Force Tactical Air Control Party operator, managing cryptographic keys and secure radio links, and later worked in industry as a systems engineer and chief technology officer. As a 2025 Fulbright Scholar at Széchenyi István University in Hungary, he taught graduate courses on cyber law, national strategy, and social resilience. He is the sole principal investigator on a $1.79-million US Department of Justice award advancing cyberbullying prevention in Pennsylvania schools and a research partner on a European Commission Horizon project. He is an invited visiting professor at Brno University of Technology in the Czech Republic for 2026–27.

Presented by: Roland Kelemen - Program Director and Associate Professor, Széchenyi István University

Speaker Bio: Program director and associate professor, head of the Department of Law of Modern Technologies and Cybersecurity, Deák Ferenc Faculty of Law and Political Sciences, Széchenyi István University. Research fellow, faculty of military science and officer training, Ludovika University of Public Service. His research on cyberspace earned him a Fulbright Scholarship in the United States for the 2021–22 academic year. He has been awarded the Scholarship for Young Talents of the Nation on three occasions. In 2023, he received a postdoctoral fellowship under the New National Excellence Program, followed by postdoctoral fellowships under the University Research Scholarship Program in 2024 and 2026. He is the head of the Cyberfare State Research Lab, a research group funded under the NKFIH Starting Program. In recognition of his teaching, Széchenyi István University awarded him the István Bakonyi Excellence in Teaching Award in 2023 and the University’s Lecturer of the Year Award in 2025.

Presentation Summary: The rapid development of artificial intelligence not only creates new opportunities for cybersecurity but also amplifies existing human vulnerabilities. This presentation argues that technological safeguards and regulatory frameworks alone cannot ensure societal resilience; the continuous development of digital competencies is equally essential. Drawing on Europol’s IOCTA 2026 and the FBI’s IC3 2025 data, it examines how generative AI scales social engineering, deepfakes, and online fraud by exploiting gaps in digital literacy. The central argument is that cybersecurity policy should therefore move beyond prohibition and restriction toward education, critical media literacy, and AI awareness. The objective should be to develop competent digital citizens who not only use emerging technologies but are also capable of recognizing, assessing, and managing their risks. In this sense, digital competence should be understood as a fundamental component of societal cyber resilience.

11:35 a.m. to 12:05 p.m. — Department of War Cyber Service Academy

Presented by: Alice Smitley - Cyber Service Academy Program Manager, Department of War Chief Information Officer’s Workforce Innovation Directorate 

Speaker Bio: Alice Smitley is the Cyber Service Academy program manager within the Department of War’s Chief Information Officer’s Workforce Innovation Directorate. In this role, she leads the strategic development of the DoW’s cyber talent pipeline, designs long-range program plans, and manages the transition of CSA operations back to the DoW CIO. She also coordinates scholar placement across the DoW, identifies future cyber skill gaps, and fosters critical partnerships with academic institutions.

Presentation Summary: The next world conflict won’t just be fought on land, at sea, or in the air. It is happening right now in the bits and bytes of our critical infrastructure. The Department of War Cyber Service Academy is the nation’s premier engine for digital defense. We have a singular, critical mission: recruit the absolute brightest cyber minds, retain our elite operators, and supercharge national security curricula to stay ahead of global adversaries. We don’t just educate—we mobilize. Through a fiercely competitive selection process, we draft top-tier talent and throw them into a rapid, high-intensity, immersive boot camp. We instantly plug these scholars directly into active Department of War missions, pairing them with the agencies and elite peer networks they need to win. If you want to move fast, touch bleeding-edge tech, and defend the nation where it’s most vulnerable … you belong at the Cyber Service Academy. Let’s build the shield.

1:15 to 2:00 p.m. — Skills-Based Hiring

Presented by: Matt Isnor - Director, DoW Cyber Workforce Development

Speaker Bio: With over 20 years of experience within the cyberspace and intelligence communities, Isnor brings a meticulous approach to tackling complex challenges. He currently serves as the chief of Cyber Workforce Development at the Department of Defense Chief Information Office. In this role, he leads the standardization of the cyberspace workforce through the DoD Cyberspace Workforce Framework, ensuring critical skills align with mission tasks. He also champions the technical soundness of the 8140 Cyber Workforce Qualification Program, which sets qualification standards across the department. Furthermore, Isnor represents the DoD CIO on workforce equities, fostering strategic partnerships with international allies. By engaging with key stakeholders, he develops and executes strategic plans aligned with the national defense strategy to ensure consistent integration across the department.

Presentation Summary: The Department of War is facing a critical frontline vulnerability: an estimated 20,000 unfilled cybersecurity positions. Traditional, degree-dependent hiring pipelines are simply too slow and consistently fail to identify the right talent. It is time to drop the legacy metrics and answer one fundamental question: “Can you do the job?” In this session, we will take you inside the DoW’s radical shift toward a skills-based hiring philosophy—a mandate directly aligned with White House Executive Orders 13932 and 14170. We are moving beyond the résumé to prioritize verifiable technical capabilities over paper credentials, opening the door for high-caliber, non-traditional talent to defend the nation’s critical networks.

Attendees will get an exclusive look at the DoW’s proprietary, in-house cyber range, designed to test candidates through hands-on, simulated real-world challenges mapped directly to the Department Cyber Workforce Framework. We will also share raw data and lessons learned from our recent, highly successful live-hiring pilot in Baltimore. Join this session to discover:

• The Blueprint for Skills-Based Hiring: How the DoW is operationalizing hands-on assessments to hire for day-one capability.
• Expanding the  Talent Pool: Strategies for attracting and evaluating elite operators who lack traditional four-year degrees but possess elite technical skills.
• Data-Driven Recruitment: How simulated environments replace subjective interviews with objective, verifiable proof of a candidate’s abilities.
• Cross-Sector Opportunities: What this paradigm shift means for academic curricula, industry partnerships, and federal talent acquisition.

Whether you are looking to revamp your own hiring pipeline, align your university’s curriculum with federal demands, or understand the future of the military cyber workforce, this session will provide the operational playbook you need.

2:10 to 2:55 p.m. — Nobody Cares About Cybersecurity … Until Everything Stops

Presented by: Joe Harford - Founder and President, Reclamere

 Speaker Bio: Joe Harford is the founder and president of Reclamere, where he has spent 25 years helping organizations navigate cybersecurity, business risk, and the occasional “everything is on fire” moment. He holds a PhD in workforce education and brings a rare mix of technical perspective, business experience, and practical humor. Joe’s focus is simple: help people make better decisions when technology, risk, and real life collide.

Presentation Summary: In cybersecurity, nobody cares about the technology until the technology stops working and the business is suddenly at risk. Drawing on 25 years of real-world experience, Harford will share practical lessons about cyber risk, AI, career development, and the decisions that separate good cybersecurity professionals from trusted business leaders. Students will leave with a clearer understanding of what employers value, how the profession is changing, and why communication, judgment, and business awareness may matter just as much as technical skill.

Previous Events

Below is brief information about previous years’ events. Visit each event page for more details.

18th Annual Cyber Security Day - October 28, 2025

Topics included: satellite operations, career tips, cyber defense contracting, security framework for high-performance data transfer, and AI, among others.

17th Annual Cyber Security Day - October 29, 2024

Topics included: information warfare, software reverse engineering, social engineering, growing the next generation of cyber talent, navy science, and career tips.

16th Annual Cyber Security Day - October 31, 2023

Topics included: cybersecurity workforce development, cybersecurity awareness month, building a cybersecurity career, advanced computing ecosystems, and active cyber defenses

15th Annual Cyber Security Day - October 18, 2022

Topics included: countermeasures and risk management, evolution of FBI investigations, information warfare, and security design for systems

14th Annual Cyber Security Day - October 26, 2021

Topics included: blockchains, cybersecurity tools, cyber war, and cybersecurity careers

13th Annual Cyber Security Day - October 20, 2020

Topics included: privacy, digital rights, digital resilience, and cybersecurity employment

12th Annual Cyber Security Day - October 29, 2019

Topics included: IoT, career opportunities, cyberscience and geoinformatics, and cybersecurity in higher education

11th Annual Cyber Security Day - October 30, 2018

Topics included: machine learning, future threats, ransomware, and the changing landscape

10th Annual Cyber Security Day - October 26, 2017

Topics included: phishing, cyber power, the employment landscape, and current challenges

9th Annual Information Assurance Day - November 3, 2016

Topics included: innovation, wireless security, cybersecurity awareness, combating cybercrime, and cyberspace operations

7th Annual Information Assurance Day - October 30, 2014

Topics included: centric access control, security awareness, social engineering, and computer forensics

6th Annual Information Assurance - November 7, 2013

Topics included: hypervision framework, cybersecurity jobs, police and computer forensics, and database systems

5th Annual Information Assurance Day - November 1, 2012

Topics included: electronic voting, improving privacy, computer crime investigation, and mobile device security

4th Annual Information Assurance Day - November 10, 2011

Topics included: threat monitoring, red team approaches, enterprise security, and cybercrime

3rd Annual Information Assurance Day - November 9, 2010

Topics included: cloud forensics, cybercrime, and network security, among others

2nd Annual Information Assurance Day - November 5, 2009

Topics included: current and emerging threats in health care security and digital forensics

1st Annual Information Assurance Day - November 7, 2008

Topics included: incident response, new and evolving threats, and creating value from vulnerability