AI is changing the speed, scale, and sophistication of cyber threats — and reactive defense is no longer enough. As attackers use AI for reconnaissance, phishing, adaptive malware, and faster exploitation, public sector organizations need to shift from waiting for alerts to proactively hunting, detecting, and containing threats before they escalate.

This keynote explores what “aggressive defense” means for government: not hack-back or overreach, but a more proactive, AI-assisted security posture built on visibility, predictive threat intelligence, automated triage, exposure management, and human-led decision-making. This session will outline how public sector teams can use AI to reduce noise, prioritize real risk, and move at machine speed while keeping accountability, governance, and human judgment at the centre.

• Understand how AI is changing the threat landscape for government services, legacy systems, and unmanaged attack surfaces
• Reframe cyber defense from reactive response to proactive threat hunting and exposure management
• Explore how AI can support anomaly detection, predictive intelligence, automated triage, and deception strategies
• Balance AI-enabled speed with human-in-the-loop governance for high-impact decisions
• Identify one practical next step public sector organizations can take this month to strengthen AI-assisted cyber readiness

Quantum computing will break current encryption standards within the next decade, putting government data, identity systems, and critical infrastructure at risk. This session will outline Alberta's quantum readiness plan so you can prioritize cryptographic upgrades, protect sensitive data, and maintain operational resilience before adversaries exploit quantum capabilities.

• Assess quantum vulnerability across your systems by inventorying cryptographic dependencies in authentication, data storage, and inter-agency communication
• Adopt quantum-resistant cryptographic standards including post-quantum algorithms approved by NIST and phased migration pathways for legacy systems
• Protect long-lived data now using crypto-agile architectures that enable rapid algorithm replacement without re-engineering applications
• Establish cross-agency coordination through shared quantum readiness frameworks, joint threat modeling, and synchronized upgrade timelines
• Build workforce capability by training security, procurement, and delivery teams to evaluate quantum-safe solutions and mandate quantum-resilient safeguards in new contracts

As governments modernize services and move more operations online, cybersecurity is no longer just an IT concern — it’s a core element of public trust. From safeguarding citizen data to protecting critical infrastructure, the public sector faces an evolving threat landscape that demands collaboration, agility, and foresight.

This keynote explores how leading government organizations are strengthening resilience, modernizing systems, and fostering a culture of security-first innovation. Learn how to align policy, technology, and people to protect public value in an increasingly digital world.

• Understand emerging cyber threats and what they mean for government operations.
• Explore strategies for building resilience into digital transformation initiatives.
• Learn how to strengthen security culture across teams and departments.
• See how data protection and transparency drive citizen trust and confidence.
• Discover actionable steps for cross-sector collaboration to safeguard digital government ecosystems.

Hadis Karimipour

Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair, University of Calgary

Patrick Chagoury

Chief Information Security Officer & Director - IMT Governance, Alberta Energy Regulator

Robert Craig

IT Director, AMII

Serge Charette

Director of Solution Engineering, Tanium

Cybersecurity is a shared problem, but most institutions have been trying to solve it alone. When all post-secondary CIOs in Alberta voted unanimously to stand up a shared rSOC, they made a different bet: that pooling resources, threat intelligence, and 24/7 coverage would give each institution a level of protection they had been trying to manage independently.
This session will take you inside the rSOC from concept to operations so you can understand what community-driven cybersecurity infrastructure actually looks like, what it requires to build, and what the lessons learned mean for your sector.

Government agencies are trapped between rising technical debt and the operational risk of modernizing critical systems that cannot fail. This panel will explore how leaders are using AI-powered code translation, incremental migration strategies, and rigorous testing to modernize safely so you can reduce debt, improve security, and free capacity for innovation without service disruption.

• Prioritize modernization using risk-based assessments that weigh security vulnerabilities, vendor support timelines, and operational criticality
• Apply AI-assisted code translation with human-in-the-loop validation, automated testing suites, and rollback plans to minimize migration risk
• Adopt incremental migration strategies including strangler patterns, API-first architectures, and parallel run periods that enable safe, staged cutover
• Embed cybersecurity by design throughout modernization with zero-trust principles, continuous audits, and quantum-resistant cryptography for long-lived systems
• Measure and publish outcomes including cost savings, time-to-delivery improvements, and security posture enhancements to build stakeholder confidence

If cybersecurity feels like Déjà vu… you’re not wrong. We keep having the same conversations, just with different language and louder urgency. This talk isn’t about new ideas or the latest trends. It’s about something more uncomfortable: we already know what to do, and we’re still not doing it. A practical and human look at why that gap exists, and what it takes to finally move past it.

1. AI + Automation: The Engine Driving a Fast, Resilient Public Sector Facilitated by: Tony Olsen Canada Critical Infrastructure Lead, Palo Alto Networks & Heather Black RVP, Public Sector Canada, Palo Alto Networks
2. Network visibility - Deep packet inspection and the crux of implementation Facilitated by: Conor Anwyll, Account Executive, Darktrace & Jordan Catudal, Account Executive, X10 Technologies
3. AI Frontier: Harnessing GenAI and Delivering Trustworthy Public Service Delivery Facilitated by: Yiannis Vassiliades, CISO in Residence, Zscaler
4. What's even real anymore?  Let's discuss how to protect public facing applications from online and AI based threats. Facilitated by: Phillip Solakov, Director, Client Advisory, Optiv
5. The Emerging Cyber Threats from Quantum Computing Facilitated by: Darryl Wenger, Major Accounts Manager, Fortinet

AI is being weaponized in hiring fraud, social engineering, disinformation campaigns, and automated attacks that outpace traditional defenses. This session will present Alberta's framework for secure-by-design AI—including guardrails, red-teaming, and human-in-the-loop safeguards—so you can harness AI's benefits while protecting your organization and the public from its risks.

• Operationalize ethical AI governance with mandatory privacy impact assessments, bias testing, and independent red-teaming before production deployment
• Detect AI-assisted fraud in hiring by training interviewers to recognize AI-generated responses, implement multi-stage verification, and cross-check resume claims with behavioral interviews
• Implement explainability and transparency requirements including model cards, algorithmic impact disclosures, and contestability pathways for affected individuals
• Apply human-in-the-loop safeguards for high-stakes decisions including benefits adjudication, enforcement actions, and risk assessments to prevent automated harm
• Prepare incident response protocols for AI failures including pause-and-review procedures, rollback plans, and transparent public disclosure when safeguards fail

AI is changing both sides of Alberta’s cybersecurity equation: how public services are delivered, and how threat actors exploit systems, people, and trust. As Alberta advances AI-enabled tools, automation, and data-driven decision-making, cyber leaders need to rethink readiness across governance, workforce capability, procurement, incident response, and public accountability.

This panel explores what it means to build an AI-ready cybersecurity posture for Alberta’s public sector — one that supports innovation while protecting citizens, services, and critical infrastructure.

• Define what “AI-ready” means for public sector cybersecurity and digital trust
• Prepare for AI-enabled threats including fraud, social engineering, disinformation, and automated attacks
• Strengthen governance and procurement controls for AI-enabled tools and vendors
• Build workforce capability to assess, monitor, and respond to AI-related cyber risks
• Align cybersecurity, privacy, data, and digital teams around shared AI risk ownership
• Maintain public trust as services become more automated and intelligent