The Cyber Civil Defense Summit is a one-of-a-kind gathering of cyber defenders, academics, and policymakers dedicated to protecting our most at-risk public infrastructure.
Defending public life against cyber threats is a national challenge with profoundly local impacts. With low-level cyberattacks like ransomware consistently on the rise, the task of strengthening the defenses of community organizations across the nation seems impossible to take on.
But no one is alone in this challenge of scaling local and regional cyber defense; across the country, communities are rising up to protect the institutions that uphold public life. In 2026, CLTC is hosting three regional summits to bring together defenders, academics, volunteers, and public servants to showcase replicable models of regional cyber defense.
Registration is open now for CCDS: East in Union, NJ, on August 20, and CCDS: Central in Baton Rouge, LA, on October 8!
Cyber Civil Defense Summit: West 2026
On May 28, 2026, CLTC and Arizona Department of Homeland Security (AZDOHS) convened more than 130 participants — including representatives from state, local, and tribal governments, K-12 school districts, nonprofits, and industry — for the Cyber Civil Defense Summit: West, the first of three regional gatherings focused on improving the cybersecurity of local communities through regional coordination.
Cyber Civil Defense Summit 2025
We had a blast at the third annual Cyber Civil Defense Summit held on June 11, 2025 in Washington, D.C.
Check out the official photo gallery from the event! We welcome you to download any images and share about your experience with the growing #CyberCivilDefense movement!
Cyber Civil Defense Summit 2024
The second annual Cyber Civil Defense Summit took place at The International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C. June 13, 2024! The theme of this year’s Summit was Data-Driven Resilience. Our exclusive panels featured empirical research on topics in public interest cybersecurity and explore evidence-informed strategies to bolster the cyber resilience of civic organizations too often left behind in cybersecurity.
Cyber Civil Defense Summit 2023
The CLTC Public Interest Cybersecurity Program hosted the inaugural Cyber Civil Defense Summit in June 2023 and brought together cyber defenders from all sectors in this common mission.
The 2023 Summit showcased and analyzed creative programs aimed at helping community organizations, including providing proactive services to bolster resilience and reactive services to enhance incident response and recovery. The Summit is generously supported by Craig Newmark Philanthropies.
