Washington, DC (PRWEB) March 09, 2016
The International Consortium of Minority Cybersecurity Professionals (ICMCP) today announced that Suzanne E. Spaulding, Department of Homeland Security Under Secretary for the National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD), will keynote the first-ever National Conference of Minority Cybersecurity Professionals being held March 23-24 in Washington, DC.
The conference will raise the national dialogue on the necessary strategic, tactical and operational imperatives needed to attract and develop minority cybersecurity practitioners. It will focus on the public, private, academic, and legislative components necessary for building a pipeline of diverse practitioners critical to addressing the cybersecurity industry skills shortage.
As Under Secretary, Spaulding oversees the coordinated operational and policy functions of the Directorate’s subcomponents including: the Office of Cybersecurity and Communications, the Office of Infrastructure Protection, the Office of Biometric Identity Management, the Office of Cyber and Infrastructure Analysis, and the Federal Protective Service. She has more than 25 years working on national security issues for both Republican and Democratic Administrations and on both sides of the aisle of Congress.
As Under Secretary, Spaulding helps further NPPD’s mission to strengthen the security and resiliency of the nation’s critical infrastructure against physical and cyber risk, securing federal facilities, building capabilities in the .gov and .com domains, and advancing identity management verification. The directorate accomplishes its mission by partnering with infrastructure owners and operators as well as Federal, State, local, tribal and territorial officials.
Remarking on her keynote, Spaulding said, “Cybersecurity has never been more important to our nation’s national and economic security than it is today. As the need for cybersecurity professionals continues to outpace the supply, it is critical that we facilitate opportunities for women and minorities to fill these positions. The national conference is a major step towards achieving this mission. I am honored to be the opening keynote.”
Melody Balcet, ICMCP Conference Programs Co-chair and a Service Area Manager within IBM’s Public Sector Cybersecurity & Biometrics practice, commented, “We couldn’t be more thrilled that someone of Suzanne’s caliber, from an agency with such an important mission to our nation’s cyber defense and who has a demonstrated track record for promoting cyber diversity and inclusion, is taking a central role in the launch our inaugural event!” Balcet went on to remark, “The ICMCP is truly honored and humbled at the overwhelmingly positive support we’ve received for our first public event.”
Registrations for the conference are still underway though very few seats remain.
TO REGISTER: http://conference.icmcp.org/
For questions:
ICMCP Conference Planning Team
Email: nationalconference(at)icmcp(dot)org
Web: http://www.icmcp.org
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/icmcp_org
About ICMCP
The ICMCP, launched in 2014, is a volunteer-led 501(c)3 non-profit organization. ICMCP is working to bridge the minority gap in the cybersecurity sector by providing scholarship opportunities, technical training programs, innovative outreach, mentoring and networking programs targeting women and minority cybersecurity professionals worldwide and by promoting academic and technical excellence in the industry.