CISA National Cybersecurity Summit postponed due to Hurricane Ian

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Earlier this week the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) announced its decision to postpone its fifth annual National Cybersecurity Summit as a result of Hurricane Ian.

As part of the national response body dedicated to the reducing risk to infrastructure the CISA stated they would be focused on working with the public and private sector to respond and facilitate recovery efforts in the face of loss of essential services like energy, water, and transportation.

“While we were really looking forward to visiting Atlanta, at the end of the day, people and their safety will always come first,” CISA Director Jen Easterly said in the agency’s response. “We are working to reschedule the summit for a later time, and throughout October, we will continue to bring our message of cyber resilience to the American people, encouraging all Americans to 'See Yourself in Cyber.' For as long as this hurricane remains a threat to the region, our team will be focused on CISA’s mission of coordinating and collaborating with our partners to ensure the resilience of the essential services that Americans rely on every day.”

Ian made landfall in Southwest Florida on Sept. 28 as a Category 4 strength hurricane, tying the fifth strongest to do so in the contiguous United States. The damage it caused left millions without power and causing massive damage to homes and infrastructure.

The New York Times had put out a call to any party who has home video security footage of damage done by the hurricane to speak with reporters.

Originally scheduled for Oct. 4 in Atlanta, GA, the fifth annual National Cybersecurity Summit featured members from all walks of the industry including CEO’s, journalists, and CISOs. Guests included Ashley Gramby from Girls Who Code, and the Director of the Cybersecurity Project at Harvard’s Belfer Center, Lauren Zabierek, among others.  

The CISA had not yet provided an update on a new date for the summit by September 30 but encouraged interested parties to keep checking social media for updates or to visit the 2022 summit website at www.cisa.gov/cybersummit2022.