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The AFCEA Rockbridge Shenandoah Chapter is holding its inaugural Community Cyber Day this Saturday, May 13, at the Natural Bridge Hotel and the adjacent Cottage Hill area. Activities begin at 8 a.m. and continue until 5 p.m.
Cybersecurity is now an essential aspect of modern-day society, as it plays a critical role in protecting information, networks, and critical infrastructure, according to a chapter spokesman.
The Community Cyber Day aims to bring together individuals from various sectors, including academia, government and industry, to discuss the challenges facing the cybersecurity landscape.
The event will feature several keynote speakers and panel discussions, as well as hands-on demonstrations of emerging technologies. Participants will engage in discussions on regional cybersecurity education policies, technology initiatives, and command and control.
The event will also highlight the need for community participation in solving local cyber challenges that could impact national security.
The morning sessions of the event focus on cyber education and security to equip attendees with the necessary skills to operate in the modern digital environment. The sessions will feature a moderated panel with representatives from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Homeland Security, Virginia Department of Education and Virginia House of Delegates. Following the panel, the 91st Cyber Brigade of the Virginia National Guard will give a presentation.
Alongside these sessions, there will be a series of displays featuring local students from the Shenandoah Regional Science Fair and AFCEA’s local virtual hackathon, among other presentations, including the Air & Space Forces Association, the local chamber of commerce, and the Advancement Foundation.
The 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. session will feature a hosted luncheon and lecture by Jim Belcher Jr., military historian, educator, and son of a USS Indianapolis survivor. The lunch and lecture, entitled “Communication and Surviving the Indianapolis,” will be free for the first 150 registrants.
The luncheon, said the chapter spokesman, is an excellent opportunity for networking with industry leaders and
ONE OF THE REMOTE control vehicles that will be demonstrated at the Community Cyber Day is this skid loader operated by Tommy Harris of Rockbridge County, shown here drilling a post hole. Often during fence building, the skid loader operator cannot see exactly where to put the machine or commands are misinterpreted. With the remote kit, there are no blind spots and no misunderstood commands. AT RIGHT ABOVE is an aquatic drone that will also be demonstrated Saturday.
community members. Attendees will also have opportunities to engage with keynote speakers and panelists, sharing insights and experiences on cybersecurity issues.
After lunch, attendees will reconvene across from the hotel at Cottage Hill for a technology showcase filled with over 20 static displays and demonstrations of local communications applications, aerial and aquatic drones, and autonomous-driven vehicles and robots.
To participate in Saturday’s event, the organizers request that all exhibitor participants and attendees register in advance on the local chapter’s webpage at https://rockbridge.afceachapters. org/. On-site registration for attendance is available. However, the chapter cannot guarantee booth space and lunch options on the day of the event.
Anyone interested in attending or sponsoring our even should visit the chapter website for the detailed schedule of events.
