Cyber Beacon 2026

Cyber Beacon 2026 — The National Defense University’s Flagship Cyber Strategy Conference Cyber Beacon is the premier annual conference of the College of Information and Cyberspace (CIC) at the National Defense University, convening senior leaders and bold thinkers from across government, military, academia, and industry to tackle the strategic challenges of the digital age. For more than a decade, Cyber Beacon has shaped high-level dialogue in cyberspace, information warfare, and emerging technologies—cultivating leaders with the strategic foresight to navigate a rapidly evolving threat landscape. In 2026, Cyber Beacon goes on the road. For the first time in its 12-year history, the conference will be held outside the nation’s capital, hosted in partnership with the University of South Florida (USF), its Global and National Security Institute (GNSI), and Cyber Florida in Tampa—a rising hub for AI, cybersecurity, and defense innovation. 2026 Theme: Cyber and Information Reimagined: Artificial Intelligence as a Strategic Advantage This year’s program will explore how AI is transforming the cyber and information domains, with sessions examining: * Cyber and space convergence * DoD–industry collaboration in emerging tech * Countering influence operations and disinformation * Autonomous defense systems * The evolving digital financial landscape Speaker lineup coming soon. The event will feature a diverse mix of voices from DoD, allied nations, federal agencies, industry, and academia—driving conversations that shape national and global security.