Jen Easterly, leading cybersecurity expert and former director of CISA, to speak in Erie

• Former CISA Director Jen Easterly will be the keynote speaker at VNET’s Tech Summit in Erie on July 10.
• Tickets for the event are available online.

The timing is just a coincidence. Erie-based VNET booked the keynote speaker for its sixth-annual Tech Summit months ago.

But at a time when several major insurance companies, including Erie Insurance, are working to rebound from network security incidents, the message will be timely as VNET hosts one of the nation’s leading cybersecurity experts at a public event.

Jen Easterly, who stepped down in January as the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, commonly known as CISA, will be the headliner for the July 10 Tech Summit in Erie.

“We’re excited that a speaker with the insights, global profile, and unmistakable expertise of Ms. Easterly (will) headline our 6th annual Tech Summit,” Joel Deuterman, CEO of VNET, said in a statement.

Easterly is described by VNET as an acclaimed cybersecurity and national security leader, with deep expertise on cyber threats.

As director of CISA, she led the nation’s efforts to protect critical infrastructure from cyber and physical threats, transforming the agency into a $3 billion operation with over 10,000 employees and contract personnel.

More: VNET Fiber rolls out Phase Two of internet expansion. What it means for Erie County

“I’m excited to speak in Erie,” Easterly said in a statement. “I talk to leaders worldwide engaged in the policy and practice of technology. Among their most pressing issues is how AI and cybersecurity will influence how businesses, governments, and non-profits will operate in the decades to come. These are the conversations I look forward to having with VNET and Erie.” 

More: Erie Insurance works to determine what, if any, data was affected by security incident

Event details

While student tickets to the July 10 Tech Summit event are free, general admission tickets are $95. They are available at https://www.accelevents.com/e/VNET-Tech-Summit.

The daylong event, which was attended by hundreds last year, is being held at Erie’s Bayfront Convention Center starting at 8 a.m.

VNET, founded by Deuterman 33 years ago, is a provider of fiber optic internet and IT services.

Contact Jim Martin at jmartin3@gannett.com.