About the Conference

The Cybersecurity at Duke Conference is an annual event that brings together leaders and thought partners from cybersecurity, information technology, technology policy, law, regulation, academia, and industry to advance cybersecurity practice, innovation, and collaboration.

Hosted by Duke University’s Pratt School of Engineering and the Master of Engineering in Cybersecurity, the conference provides a forum for timely, practical, and forward-looking discussions on the issues shaping the future of cybersecurity.

This year’s theme, Cybersecurity in the Age of Autonomy, explores a defining inflection point for the profession: the rapid deployment of autonomous AI systems across enterprise security operations and the governance, technical, strategic, and workforce questions that follow.

Conference programming is organized around three interconnected pillars:

• The Autonomous Threat Landscape — Examining AI-driven cyberattacks and what they mean for cybersecurity strategy, budgets, enterprise risk, and board-level decision-making.
• Defending at Machine Speed — Exploring autonomous security operations and how they are reshaping cybersecurity strategy, technology investment, workforce development, and the modern Security Operations Center.
• Governing the Uncharted — Addressing the regulatory and ethical frameworks surrounding autonomous AI and how cybersecurity leaders can integrate AI governance into enterprise risk management and board reporting.

These themes will carry throughout the conference’s keynotes, Debates@Duke session, applied labs and workshops, and closing Consensus, creating a cohesive program that moves from understanding emerging threats to examining practical defenses and the governance structures necessary to manage AI-driven cybersecurity risk.

Participants will hear from leading practitioners, policymakers, researchers, and industry experts while gaining practical insights into how organizations can prepare for—and lead through—the rapidly evolving era of autonomous cybersecurity.

Conference Editions:

• 2023: Timely Topics in Cybersecurity Policy, Law, and Operations
• 2024: Cybersecurity in the Age of AI
• 2025: In the Age of Resilience