Special Sessions 

 

Session 1: Poster and Demo Competition on Monday (6/23) 

Session Chairs: 

• Junggab Son, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

• Sean Choi, Santa Clara University​

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Demo Chairs: CyberWarrior 2025 - CTF & LLM Challenge

• Sang-Yoon Chang, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs

• Kelei (Jackie) Zhang, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs/For Hays State University

• Judges will be announced in June 10, 2025

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Session 2: Industry Speakers on Tuesday (6/24) - TBD

Session Chairs: 

• Nima Karimian, West Virginia University 

• Vikrant Nanda, Google

 

We are excited to feature a technical presentation by industry professionals actively working in cybersecurity. During the industry booth session, companies will showcase their security solutions to the audience. Additionally, industry experts will take the stage to share their insights and experiences in cybersecurity. The detailed information will be available through the conference brochure. 

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Session 3: AI Security on Wed. (6/25) 

• Session Chairs: 

  • Sara Tehranipoor, West Virginia University

  • Younghee Park, SVCSI/San Jose State University

• Talk ​Title #1: LLM Security: Navigating the New Frontier

  • Speaker Name: Vaibhav Agrawal, Software Engineer, Google

  • Abstract: In this talk, we will provide an overview of LLM models and GenAI concepts such as Agents and RAG, along with security issues that arise with it.  We will also explore some of the frameworks and platforms used by the industry to create LLM agents and agentic workflows. While LLMs offer infinite creative possibilities for problem-solving, they also introduce new security vulnerabilities. This leads us to a discussion on some of the OWASP Top 10 LLM threats, real-world examples, and ways to mitigate these risks—helping you build safer agent-based solutions. At the end of the talk, we will demonstrate an open-source LLM tool designed to identify security issues in Android apps through real-world examples.

  • Short Bio: Vaibhav is a Security Engineer currently working at Google. Some of his expertise includes Web, API, Mobile app security & lately exploring all things AI/LLM. Vaibhav worked as a software developer in the past before moving into security and loves to bridge the gap between the two domains.

• Talk Title #2: Unleashing the Power of Microsoft Copilot for Security

  • Speaker Name: Nithya Nair, Principal Technical Specialist, Microsoft

  • Abstract: Cyber threats are evolving rapidly, leaving security teams overwhelmed with alerts, complex investigations, and increasing adversary sophistication. Microsoft Copilot for Security is an AI-powered assistant designed to enhance security operations by providing real-time insights, automation, and guided response. This session explores how Copilot leverages generative AI and Microsoft’s vast security intelligence to accelerate threat detection, investigation, and remediation. We’ll discuss its seamless integration across Microsoft’s security ecosystem, improving efficiency and enabling security teams to respond faster and more effectively. Through real-world use cases and live demos, discover how AI-driven security operations can reduce analyst fatigue, enhance decision-making, and strengthen cyber resilience. Whether you’re a SOC analyst, security architect, or CISO, learn how Copilot for Security can transform your security workflows, making them more intelligent, efficient, and proactive. Join us to see how AI is redefining the future of cybersecurity.

  • Short Bio: Nithya Nair is a Principal Technical Specialist at Microsoft, specializing in cybersecurity. With over 6.5 years at Microsoft, she focuses on technical sales of Microsoft security products, helping organizations strengthen their security posture. With a background in engineering and a master's in management of information systems, Nithya brings deep expertise in security solutions, technical strategy, and customer engagement. Her experience spans roles at Wipro, HP, and Robert Half, making her a seasoned professional in the cybersecurity domain.

• Talk Title #3: TBD

  • Speaker Name: Tien Nguyen, Professor in Computer Science, UT Dallas

  • Abstract:

  • Short Bio:

• Talk Title #4: Defending Your AI Investments

  • Speaker Name: Steve Willson, Chief Product Officer, Exabeam & Leader at OWASP

  • Abstract: AI and large language models (LLMs) introduce significant security risks to applications and services. This talk presents practical strategies to protect your AI projects, drawing from experience leading the OWASP Top 10 for Large Language Model Security and authoring O'Reilly Media's "The Developer's Playbook for Large Language Model Security." You'll learn to identify and address vulnerabilities such as prompt injection, adversarial attacks, model poisoning, and privacy concerns. Through real-world examples and case studies, you'll gain insights into best practices for secure AI development, managing model behavior, and complying with evolving AI security standards. Designed for developers, security professionals, and technology leaders, this session provides clear, actionable guidance to defend your organization's AI efforts from real-world threats.

  • Short Bio: Steve Wilson, Chief Product Officer at Exabeam, is a pioneer in Generative AI and cybersecurity, advancing AI-powered cyber defense and securing AI systems. As the founder and project leader of the OWASP Top 10 for Large Language Model Applications, he leads a global team to define the industry's guide to AI vulnerabilities. Author of O’Reilly Media’s "The Developer’s Playbook for Large Language Model Security," Steve provides a comprehensive framework for secure AI. He holds 11 U.S. and international patents, was named the 2023 Cybersecurity Innovation Leader of the Year by Enterprise Security Tech, and his 2024 RSA Conference talk was voted a Top Session.

• Talk Title #5:  Interpretable and Robust AI: Foundations for Trustworthy and Safe Deep Learning

  • Speaker Name: Lily Weng, Assistant Professor, Data Science Institute, UC San Diego

  • Abstract: In this talk, I will present recent advancements from my lab in Trustworthy AI. Specifically, I will highlight a series of our works that bring interpretability into deep learning by (1) developing automated and scalable mechanistic interpretability techniques, and (2) designing novel and efficient algorithms to learn intrinsically interpretable neural networks. These methods enable deeper insights into deep vision models, facilitate more effective control and steering of large language models, and contribute to building safer AI systems. I will also provide an overview of our complementary efforts in developing efficient algorithms to evaluate and improve the robustness of deep learning models.

  • Short Bio: Lily Weng is an Assistant Professor in the Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute at UC San Diego with affiliation in the CSE department. She received her PhD in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) from MIT in August 2020, and her Bachelor and Master degree both in Electrical Engineering at National Taiwan University. Prior to UCSD, she spent 1 year in MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab and several research internships in Google DeepMind, IBM Research and Mitsubishi Electric Research Lab. Her research interest is in machine learning and deep learning, with primary focus on Trustworthy AI. Her vision is to make the next generation AI systems and deep learning algorithms more robust, reliable, explainable, trustworthy and safer. Her work has been recognized and supported by several NSF awards, Intel Rising Star Faculty Award, Hellman Fellowship, and Nvidia Academic award. For more details, please see https://lilywenglab.github.io.

• Talk Title #6: TBD

  • Speaker Name: Advait Patel, Senior Site Reliability Engineer, Broadcom

  • Abstract:

  • Short Bio:

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Session 4: Post-quantum Cryptography on Wed. (6/25)

• Session Chairs:

  • Sang-Yoon Chang, Professor in CS, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs

  • Manohar Raavi, Assistant Professor in CS, Kennesaw State University

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• Talk Title #1: Overview of Post-Quantum Cryptography and Hands-on Demonstration

  • Speaker Name: Manohar Raavi, Assistant Professor in CS, Kennesaw State University

  • Abstract: Public-key cryptography is widely used to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of digital networking communications. Recent advancements in quantum computing and the availability of Shor’s algorithm require transitioning to adopting post-quantum cryptography (PQC) and replacing classical public-key algorithms. This talk will focus on two PQC sessions. In the first session, we will explore the motivation behind PQC, its foundational concepts, and an overview of the current landscape. Then, in the second session, we will give a demo/hands-on experience using open-source libraries. Whether new to PQC or looking to deepen your understanding, this talk aims to provide valuable insights and practical knowledge!

  • Short Bio: Manohar Raavi is currently working as an Assistant Professor at the Department of Computer Science at Kennesaw State University. His research interests include Post-Quantum Cryptography, Applied Cryptography, Security & Privacy, and Wireless security. He received his Bachelor’s degree from JNTUK-UCEV in 2015, his Master’s degree from Oklahoma State University in 2017, and his Ph.D. from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs in 2023. He has industry experience as a Network Engineer at enterprise and global-level companies.

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• Talk Title #2:  Lattice-Based Standards -- An Introduction

  • Speaker Name: Jonathan Katz, Senior Staff Research Scientist, Google

  • Abstract: This tutorial will provide an introduction to two recent "post-quantum cryptography" standards issued by NIST. The primary focus will be on the public-key encryption core of FIPS 203 (Kyber). As time permits, the digital signature scheme defined in FIPS 204 (Dilithium) will also be discussed.

  • Short Bio: Jonathan Katz recently joined Google as a Senior Staff Research Scientist, after more than 20 years as a professor at the University of Maryland where he also served as director of the Maryland Cybersecurity Center. He is a co-author of the widely used textbook “Introduction to Modern Cryptography” (now in its third edition) and also offers a free online course on cryptography through Coursera. Katz has received an Alexander von Humboldt Research Award, a UMD Distinguished Scholar-Teacher Award, and an ACM SIGSAC Outstanding Contribution Award. He is a fellow of the IACR and the ACM.

• Talk Title #3: NIST Post-Quantum Cryptography Standardization

• Speaker Name: Lily Chen, NIST

  • Abstract: Quantum computers will undermine current cryptographic defenses. This presentation introduces NIST Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) Standardization project. It reviews the progress made in the past eight years and provides an update on the status. The presentation highlights the importance of standardizing post-quantum cryptography and discusses strategies in achieving cybersecurity in quantum era.

  • Short Bio: Dr. Lily Lidong Chen is a mathematician and NIST fellow. She served as the manager of Cryptographic Technology Group for more than a decade before she was selected as a NIST fellow in 2023. She is a pioneer in developing post-quantum cryptography standards. Her research interests include cryptography, network security, and security in communications. Dr. Chen has actively contributed to cryptographic and security standards development by IEEE-SA, ISO, and other standards organizations. Her co-authored book “Communication System Security” was published in 2012 by CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group and used as a textbook for relevant undergraduate and graduate courses.

• Talk Title #4: TBD

  • Speaker Name: Hanif Rahbar, Assistant Professor, Computing and information Science, Rochester Institute of Techology

  • Abstract:

  • Short Bio:

• Talk Title #5: The Quantum Buffer

  • Speaker Name: Anna Johnston & Puru Kulkarni, Juniper Networks Inc. 

  • Abstract: 

  • The threat of a Cryptographically Relevant Quantum Computer (CRQC) has been driving governments and industry to replace classical public key algorithms with Shor- resistant algorithms. These algorithms come with their own set of threats. Their underlying problems have not been analyzed as extensively as classical public key foundations, therefore the probability of unforeseen catastrophic attacks is much higher. This talk introduces the concept of a “Quantum Buffer”. A Quantum Buffer modifies the most agile of classical algorithms to increase their security, giving the research community more time to study both quantum and classical threats, giving the research community more time before settling for costly and potentially weak alternatives.

  • Short Bio: 

  • Anna Johnston is a cryptographic researcher at Juniper Networks with over 30 years of experience in government (NSA), academia (Washington State University, Johns Hopkins University, Dublin City University), national laboratories (Sandia National Labs, Institute for Defense Analyses, Claude Shannon Institute) and industry (Raytheon, Juniper), in the US and overseas. Through out her career she worked between the mathematical and computer science areas of cryptography. Her research includes finding and proving new hard problems for the foundations of cryptographic algorithms, designing new techniques for generating and exchanging 'provable primes', and creating new algorithms for error correction. She is particularly interested in the interaction of error correction codes and data compression on encryption. Dr. Johnston holds a PhD in information security from the University of London (RHUL) and a MS in Operations Research from George Washington University.

  • Purushottam “Puru” Kulkarni is a Staff Engineer with the Cybersecurity Research & Development group at Juniper Networks, Inc. Puru has worked extensively in development and implementation of custom cryptographic modules, randomizers, algorithms, and protocols. Puru holds a Master’s degree in Security Informatics (2018) from the Johns Hopkins University Information Security Institute. Puru also holds a patent in Cryptographic Random Data Generation, and has lead Juniper Networks’ efforts to achieve FIPS 140 certifications for their Linux cryptographic module.