Now through October 31, we're waiving application fees for all freshman and transfer applicants!
*Common app code: Central27
Cyber Security Conference
National Cybersecurity Awareness Month Conference
Friday, Oct. 30, 2026 from 9 a.m.–2:45 p.m. Eastern
Virtual | Free and open to the public
Join Central Michigan University for a day of virtual presentations with professionals from law enforcement, banking, health care, consulting and industry. Explore cybersecurity fundamentals, network security, auditing and the digital traces we leave behind. Choose the sessions that interest you and use the links below to join their Webex rooms. Two sessions run at the same time during the 10:15 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. blocks.
Conference agenda
All times are Eastern. Select “Join session” for the presentation you want to attend. The main conference room is open for the welcome, keynotes, breaks, panel and wrap-up.
Time | Session | Webex room |
| 8:45 to 9 a.m. | Greeting room The main conference room opens before the program begins. | Join main room |
| 9 to 10 a.m. | Welcome from Associate Dean Sanjay Kumar Keynote: Being brilliant at the basics | Anthony Kraudelt, FBI Following a welcome from the College of Business Administration dean’s office, Kraudelt will focus on why cybersecurity fundamentals remain essential to protecting systems and information. | Join keynote |
| 10 to 10:15 a.m. | Break The main conference room remains available. | Main room |
| 10:15 to 11 a.m. | Session 1 Best practices in network security—You can bank on it | Miles Coffland and Brandon Bliss, Isabella Bank Explore network security and security awareness training from the perspective of professionals working in banking. | Join session 1 |
| 10:15 to 11 a.m. | Session 2 An introduction to IT and cybersecurity auditing | Zack Smalldon and Nick Huizinga, Gordon Food Service Get an introduction to how IT and cybersecurity audits examine controls, risks and the systems organizations rely on. | Join session 2 |
| 11 to 11:15 a.m. | Break Return to the main conference room for the next keynote. | Main room |
| 11:15 a.m. to noon | Keynote | John Fowler II, Henry Ford Health As healthcare organizations become increasingly dependent on connected technologies and digital systems, protecting sensitive information while maintaining essential services presents complex cybersecurity challenges. | Join keynote |
| Noon to 12:15 p.m. | Break The main conference room remains available. | Main room |
| 12:15 to 1 p.m. | Session 3 Connect with cybersecurity programs at CMU | Karen Arthur Arthur, director and advisor in CMU’s Business Student Services, will introduce CMU’s cybersecurity programs and help attendees learn where to explore their options. | Join session 3 |
| 12:15 to 1 p.m. | Session 4 Cyber hygiene and your digital exhaust |Detective Lt. Jeff Hoffman, Michigan State Police Consider the digital signals you leave behind in your personal and professional life and what they mean for cyber hygiene. | Join session 4 |
| 1 to 1:15 p.m. | Break Return to the main conference room for the panel. | Main room |
| 1:15 to 2:30 p.m. | Panel discussion | Moderated by Alex Abbott with Matt Kipp, Joseph Lykowski and Tanner Howell Panelists will discuss how AI is changing cybersecurity, with insights on AI guardrails, access management, risk assessments, and managing vulnerabilities and exposure. Students will also gain career advice on skills, certifications, and working in large organizations, including why communication, curiosity, and business understanding matter alongside technical expertise. | Join panel |
| 2:30 to 2:45 p.m. | Conference wrap-up Susan Helser and Zhenyu Huang Return to the main room for closing remarks. | Join wrap-up |
Capture the Flag
Keep the learning going at 3 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, with a beginner-level Capture the Flag competition. Work through cybersecurity challenges in a game format and get hands-on experience. The competition is free and open to the public, with prizes available to CMU students.
Speakers
Special agent, FBI. Kraudelt has spent more than two decades with the FBI, leading cyber investigations, risk assessments and incident response work. His experience includes protecting technology environments from emerging threats and helping teams respond when incidents occur. He is the author of How M.I.C.E Threaten Cyber Security, a book about the motivations of threat actors. His work has earned the FBI Director’s Medal of Excellence and two Officer of the Year honors.
Vice president and information security officer, Isabella Bank. A 1999 CMU graduate and certified public accountant, Coffland has spent 23 years at Isabella Bank, including eight as its information security officer. His work brings together a background in banking and responsibility for protecting the institution’s information and systems.
Network engineer, Isabella Bank. Bliss is a network engineer at Isabella Bank with a Cisco Certified Network Associate credential. A 2019 graduate of Michigan Technological University, he has worked at Isabella Bank for four years.
Internal audit manager, Gordon Food Service. Smalldon specializes in Sarbanes-Oxley controls, risk assurance and business information systems. He earned degrees in accounting and business information systems from CMU and previously worked in risk management at PwC and Maner Costerisan. He holds CPA, CIA and CISA credentials.
IT staff auditor, Gordon Food Service. Huizinga brings experience in IT infrastructure, security management and technology support to his audit work. Before joining Gordon Food Service, he worked in client support and Jira Cloud administration at SpendMend and served as IT lead at Gooseneck Implement. He earned a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity and information technology from Bismarck State College and holds a CISA credential.
Associate vice president and deputy information security officer, Henry Ford Health System. Fowler brings more than two decades of information security experience to a discussion of cybersecurity in healthcare. Drawing on his extensive background in enterprise security and risk management, Fowler will offer insights into the challenges of protecting healthcare systems, managing organizational risk, and supporting the delivery of patient care in an evolving digital environment.
Assistant commander, Michigan State Police Cyber Section. Hoffman joined the Michigan State Police in 1999 and moved to its Computer Crimes Unit in 2011. He later served at the Michigan Cyber Command Center, which coordinates cyber-related incidents, criminal investigations and outreach to help secure Michigan networks. He now oversees the center as an assistant commander of the MSP Cyber Section.
Security analyst II in CMU’s Office of Information Technology and panel moderator.
Cyber Incident Response Team Leader at Dow. Howell has more than a decade of cybersecurity industry experience and leads Dow’s threat intelligence and threat hunting practices. His career at Dow has included security operations, robotics and IT strategy. He also spent four years at a cybersecurity startup focused on training the next generation of cyber professionals. Howell earned a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from Michigan Technological University and is pursuing an MBA.
IT risk director for cybersecurity, Centric Consulting. Kipp has more than 20 years of experience in SAP administration and security, IT and internal audit, including work with manufacturers and financial institutions. He previously served as SAP security manager for a Fortune 500 company. His work includes identity and access management, audit readiness, risk assessments and aligning controls with security frameworks. He holds CISA and ISO 27001 lead implementer credentials and an MBA in management information systems with an emphasis in SAP.
Cybersecurity operations manager at Dow. Lykowski is a cyber defense leader focused on cyber engineering at The Dow Chemical Company. He has more than 20 years of experience in information technology, including over a decade in cybersecurity. His work spans security operations, incident response, detection engineering, vulnerability and exposure management, and security program development. Lykowski focuses on connecting technical cybersecurity work with business risk and helping teams adapt to evolving threats. He holds CISSP, CSSP, GSOM, and AI for Cybersecurity certifications and earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in computer information systems from Western Michigan University.