Overview

November 11
10AM PT, 1PM ET

Register

No two "whole-of-state" cybersecurity programs look the same, and that’s exactly the point. Across the country, states are redefining what collaboration and shared defense mean in practice. Whether it is building joint Security Operations Centers (SOCs), unifying cyber services for local governments and higher education, or sharing intelligence across regional coalitions, every state’s path looks different—but the mission remains the same: achieving greater resilience through collective defense.

In today's landscape, modern applications, workloads, and microservices are generating vast amounts of data faster than most security operations centers can adapt. Security teams operating on a legacy SOC model can spend hours, even days, triaging a single threat event. The only way for SOC teams to outpace these modern threats is by fighting technology with technology and embracing the AI revolution in SecOps.

Join Michael Gregg, former Chief Information Security Officer for the state of North Dakota, for an in-depth conversation on how states can strengthen their cybersecurity posture in 2026 and beyond. During his tenure, Gregg led one of the nation’s most ambitious "whole-of-state" transformations—expanding protection from 20,000 to 200,000 endpoints and launching the country’s first Joint State SOC.

In this session, Gregg will discuss what makes whole-of-state initiatives successful, the operational realities behind SOC transformation, and how collaboration can deliver both stronger defenses and measurable cost savings. Attendees will gain practical insights into strategies needed to bring your SOC into the modern era of prevention, detection, and response.

You will gain practical insights into:

  • How to tailor a whole-of-state model to your unique governance and resource structure.
  • Building multi-entity SOCs that scale across jurisdictions.
  • Unleashing machine learning and automation to modernize your SOC, combating modern threats by leveraging AI where it can best augment analysts.
  • Leveraging Precision AItm and shared data to automate threat detection, minimize false positives, and reduce alert fatigue, helping you manage rising threats with limited staff.
  • Strategies to enhance efficiencies, reduce complexity, and streamline GenAI security through a unified platform approach.
  • How to outperform benchmarks for detection and response times.
  • What’s next for state cyber leaders in 2026.

Speakers

Michael Gregg headshot

Michael Gregg

Public Sector Field Strategist, Palo Alto

Prior to joining Palo Alto Networks, Mr. Gregg held CISO roles in public, private, and as an expat cyber leader. As the former CISO of North Dakota, he used a “whole of State” approach to expand coverage from 20,000 to 200,000 endpoints, created the nation’s first Joint State SOC, and expanded services to tribal nations. As an expat CISO, Mr. Gregg led large-scale change through mergers and acquisitions that grew global operations to more than 45 worldwide locations. He established a standardized cyber operating model globally and matured the security organization using an outsourced model from the ground up. Mr. Gregg holds four degrees and multiple certifications. He has authored/co-authored more than 20 books; some include: Inside Network Security Assessment, SAMS; Hack the Stack, Syngress; and Security Administrator Street Smarts, Sybex. He is a recognized thought leader in the cyber security community. He has testified at the state level and the United States Capitol. He was invited to speak at The White House about cyber security. He has served as an expert commentator for network broadcast outlets and print publications. Most recently, he was voted Visionary CISO of 2024, Top 25 Public Sector Doers, Drivers, and Dreamers of 2024, and was awarded Top 100 CISOs in the United States for 2023.

William (Bill) Rials, Ph.D. headshot

William (Bill) Rials, Ph.D. — Moderator

Senior Fellow, Center for Digital Government

William (Bill) Rials, Ph.D., is an Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Senior Professor of Practice at Tulane University where he oversees academic programs in information technology, cybersecurity, emerging technologies, and other applied fields. He leads strategic curriculum development, assessment, new program design, and faculty governance with a focus on preparing adult learners for rapidly evolving digital and AI-driven careers. Beyond higher education, Dr. Rials is recognized nationally as a leading voice at the intersection of government, technology, and education. He serves as a Senior Fellow with both the Center for Digital Government and Education and the Center for Public Sector AI, where he provides strategic insights on innovation, workforce transformation, and the responsible use of emerging technologies. A frequent keynote speaker, panelist, and moderator, he engages national audiences on topics ranging from AI adoption and cybersecurity resilience to digital transformation in state and local government. His expertise is regularly featured in national media outlets and industry publications, and he contributes scholarship, commentary, and research in both academic journals and practitioner platforms. Earlier in his career, Dr. Rials held various senior technology leadership roles in both state and local governments, where he focused on large-scale modernization and innovation initiatives overseeing enterprise IT strategy, cybersecurity programs, and digital service delivery. In these roles, he led efforts to expand cloud adoption, strengthen information security, and modernize legacy systems to improve efficiency and transparency for citizens and public employees. His work in government laid the foundation for his ongoing research and national thought leadership on the adoption of emerging technologies in the public sector.

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