2025 agendA

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Tuesday, March 4, 2025

10:00-5:00

Exhibit Hall

Exhibitor Set Up

1:00-5:00

Bayland Marina

Vessel and Technology Live Demonstrations

Click Here to See Demo Profile

2:15-3:45

Regency Ballroom

Critical Infrastructure Cyber Security Table Top Exercise

Increase Your Resilience- Foundational Table Top Exercise with CISA: Identify areas of improvement in your cyber incident response plans and overall organizational resilience during and following, to recover and restore services, mission critical assets, or systems after a significant cyber incident.

Facilitator – Jerrel Conerly
Cybersecurity Advisor, Region 6, Houston, TX
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency

3:45-5:00

Regency Ballroom

Training Workshop: Issues in Facility Security Planning: How to navigate the new rules and regulations on MTSA regulated facilities in 2025 and beyond

This is a highly interactive session that will explore some currents trends in maritime security regulations and policy. What’s new with NMSAC, and how can the Committee’s work affect maritime stakeholders? How can a smaller facility stay ahead of new rules and regulations? How can a facility pre-position itself ahead of any incoming reg? Is our concentration on the cyber threat diverting our attention from other equally important threats?

Laurie Thomas
Maritime Security Coordinator
The University of Findlay
Former Vice Chair, National Maritime Security Advisory Committee

5:00-6:30

O’Neal’s Sports Bar & Grill on the Water

No-Host Networking Social

Wednesday, March 5, 2025

7:30-6:30

Exhibit Hall

Technologies and Solutions Exhibition

7:30-8:45

Exhibit Hall

Registration and Continental Breakfast

8:45-9:00

Main Hall

Opening Remarks and Pledge of Allegiance

Sareth Neak
President
Neak Media LLC

9:00-9:30

Main Hall

Opening Keynote

Rear Admiral Jason P. Tama
Commander, Coast Guard Cyber Command
U.S. Coast Guard

9:30-10:30

Main Hall

Port Security Round Table Discussion: Security priorities for ports

Jessica Thomas

Director of Security
Port of Houston Authority

Mark Dubina

Vice President, Security
Port Tampa Bay

Mike Edgerton, CSyP, CPP, CISM

Manager, Port Security
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

Chris Hogan
Director of Protective Services
Port Freeport

Brandi Flisowski
Security Director/FSO
Port of Texas City Security Council, Inc.

10:30-11:15

Exhibit Hall

Networking Break

11:15-12:00

Main Hall

Effective Public-Private Partnerships for Maritime Security and Marine Law Enforcement

Eric M. Carrero, CAPT Ret., USCG
President
Greater Houston Port Bureau

Jessica Thomas

Director of Security, Port of Houston Authority
Vice Chair, Houston Ship Channel Security District

Marco (Marc) Ayala
President
Houston InfraGard Members Alliance

12:00-1:00

Exhibit Hall

Networking Lunch

1:00-1:30

Main Hall

Tip of the Iceberg: Beyond Silos in Maritime Domain Awareness

This presentation uses real-world incidents in the San Francisco Bay Region maritime domain to illustrate a critical point: true Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) extends far beyond the “wet part” of the maritime domain. It delves into the interconnectedness of maritime activities with terrestrial infrastructure, transportation networks, and emergency response systems. The presentation explores two major incidents: a dock fire at Benicia and a container ship adrift off Point Reyes. It uses maps, aerial photos, and fictionalized elements to demonstrate how these seemingly isolated events are intertwined and how inadequate MDA can lead to cascading failures. The key takeaways revolve around how a true common operating picture that visualizes and rationalizes interdependencies is key to maritime safety. This presentation introduces the urgent need to combine MDA operations, especially Vessel Traffic Service and Marine Exchange functions, into a modern, risk-averse maritime domain management system. Such a system, underpinned by extensive maritime risk analysis and optimized for efficiency well into the 2030s, is essential for proactive hazard mitigation.

F. Scott Humphrey
Executive Director
Marine Exchange of the San Francisco Bay Region

1:30-2:00

Main Hall

Security and Sustainability in Cruise Ships

Jethro Beck
Vice President, Maritime Policy
Cruise Lines International Association

2:00-2:15

Main Hall

Advancing the Port of the Future

Saronic has built a family of mission-ready ASVs to meet emerging maritime threats and create new ways to support coastal and port monitoring, resilience, safety and security. Saronic ASVs are intelligent, networked, and integrate adaptable sensors and payloads, presenting new opportunities for tailored operational effects and information sharing across port, waterway, and shipping security. Hear an overview of their capabilities and mission sets in a short presentation from Tom Bolich, Business Development Manager at Saronic.

Thomas Bolich
Business Development Manager
Saronic

2:15-3:00

Exhibit Hall

Networking Break

3:00-3:30

Regency Ballroom

Hazmat/CBRNE: Prevention and Detection

Charlie Johnson
Program Manager, Securing the Cities (STC) Program
Mayor’s Office of Public Safety and Homeland Security
City of Houston

Ian Feldman
Assistant Program Manager, Securing the Cities (STC) Program
Mayor’s Office of Public Safety and Homeland Security
City of Houston

3:30-4:00

Regency Ballroom

Hazmat/CBRNE: Response Resources and Protocols

William D. Briscoe Jr.
Special Agent
Assistant WMD Coordinator (CT2)
Federal Bureau of Investigation, Houston

Sgt. Patrick Morrissey
Sergeant, Major Offenders
Environmental Investigations Unit
Houston Police Dept.

Lt. Rick Meehan
Fire Marshal’s Office
Harris County

3:00-3:45

Main Hall

Port Cyber Leadership Panel

Quinton L. DuBose, LCDR USCG (ret.)
President/CEO
CyBridge

Kenneth Washington
Chief Information Officer (CIO)
Port Tampa Bay

James O’Brien
Director, Information Security Officer
Port Houston

4:00-4:30

Regency Ballroom

Emerging Threats and Challenges to Marine Firefighting

William Buck
Fire Chief
Port Houston

3:45-4:30

Main Hall

Red Flags: Navigating Regulations and Compliance in Maritime Cybersecurity

This panel explores the intricate regulatory landscape governing maritime cybersecurity, including key guidelines from the IMO, U.S. Coast Guard, and classification societies. It addresses the challenges stakeholders face in ensuring compliance amidst overlapping regulations and the resource demands on smaller companies. Best practices for compliance are highlighted, such as conducting regular risk assessments, crew training, and adopting recognized cybersecurity frameworks. The discussion concludes with insights into future trends, emphasizing the need for harmonization of international standards and a proactive approach to cybersecurity that transcends mere compliance, ultimately aiming to safeguard the maritime industry against evolving cyber threats.

Moderator – Chris Wolski

President & CEO
Applied Security Convergence LLC

Marco (Marc) Ayala
President
Houston InfraGard Members Alliance

Michael W. Ziesemer, CPP, CPE
General Manager, Galveston Cruise Terminal, LLC
SSA Marine Cruise Division

Julio R. Gonzalez
Supervisory Protective Security Advisor
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)

4:30-5:15

Regency Ballroom

Case Studies in the Effective Use of Multibeam sonar in Underwater Sonar Search and Recovery Operations

Poor visibility often complicates underwater search and recovery operations, making traditional methods like diver-based searches both time-consuming and dangerous. Multibeam sonar offers a solution by providing high-resolution, real-time imaging of underwater environments, significantly enhancing the capabilities of dive teams. This presentation focuses on the fundamentals of multibeam sonar systems and examines their application in real-world case studies that showcase the technology’s effectiveness in public safety and military operations.

Ruben Morales
Founder
Trident Training Solutions, LLC

4:30-4:50

Main Hall

Maritime Cybersecurity – It’s Time to Take Action: Accelerating and prioritizing cyber security in the commercial maritime sector

Session will discuss the imperative for the maritime industry to accelerate and prioritize its efforts related to cybersecurity, shifting leaders from thinking about the issue as a compliance task to more of a business enabler for continuity of operations.

Rick Siebenaler
CEO and Executive Director, Maritime Cybersecurity Institute
CEO Brams Point Partners, LLC

4:50-5:15

Main Hall

Cyber Threat Intelligence in the Maritime Domain

As cyber threats targeting ports, terminals, and shipping companies grow in sophistication, timely and actionable intelligence is essential for protecting critical maritime infrastructure. This session will explore the evolving threat landscape, highlight real-world case studies, and discuss strategies for leveraging intelligence-driven cybersecurity to mitigate risks. Attendees will gain valuable insights into how organizations can proactively defend against cyber adversaries and enhance their overall security posture in an increasingly digital and interconnected maritime environment.

Shawn Whiteside
Senior Vice President, Commercial Practice, OneZero Solutions
Executive Director, MTS-ISAC

5:15-6:30

Exhibit Hall

Networking Social

Thursday, March 6, 2024

8:00-4:00

Exhibit Hall

Technologies and Solutions Exhibition

8:00-8:30

Exhibit Hall

Networking Breakfast

8:30-9:00

Main Hall

FAA Security and Law Enforcement Response to UAS

The Law Enforcement Assistance Program (LEAP) consists of field investigative and operational activities that support federal, state, and local agencies by denying anyone who would threaten national security access to the National Airspace System and as well as aviation matters concerning Critical Infrastructure (CI) facilities.

Kenny Maldonado
Special Agent,Security and Hazardous Materials Safety Division
National Security Programs and Incident Response
Southwest Region, Fort Worth, Texas
Federal Aviation Administration

9:00-9:30

Main Hall

Counter-Drone Operations: Challenges and Opportunities

This presentation will address the current Counter-UAS legislative landscape and provide suggestions on how organizations can conduct C-UAS operations within that landscape and strategies organizations can take to update physical security policy, processes, procedures, training, and exercises.

Brandon Youngblood
Founder
Drone Security Services

9:30-10:00

Main Hall

GPS Jamming update in the LA / Long Beach Port; Impact of high-power jammers in a critical infrastructure maritime port

UHU Technologies (UHU) has been doing GPS jamming and spoofing testing at multiple locations in both the LA and Long Beach Port area since October of 2021. This session will give you an overview of UHU’s capabilities, testing we have done and the impact we have seen and verified in both ports.

Chuck Stoffer
Director, Sales & Business Development
UHU Technologies

10:00-10:30

Exhibit Hall

Networking Break

10:30-10:45

Main Hall

Building a Foundation for Your Counter-UAS (Airspace Awareness Program)

As the threat landscape evolved, securing airspace against unauthorized UAS activity is more critical than ever. This presentation will explore the essential components of a Counter-UAS (C-UAS) and Airspace Awareness program, from assessing risk and selecting the right technology to integrating with existing security infrastructure.

Tom Adams
Director of Public Safety (USA)
DroneShield

10:45-11:15

Main Hall

Transportation Security Administration TWIC Inspection Program: Data and lessons learned

The presentation will cover the TWIC® program and more broadly, TSA’s role in supporting maritime security efforts of the USCG. Administered by the TSA, the TWIC® program provides a minimum standard for the vetted population of workers requiring access to secured areas of port facilities, and is implemented by the USCG through its regulatory requirements. A significant amount of teamwork goes into the vetting of applicants, and includes collaborating with other Federal Agencies. Additionally, TSA conducts regulatory inspections of TWIC® usage in support of USCG’s implementation of the program, and has grown in this role to include training and exercise facilitation.

Ryan Thomas
Field Office Supervisor, Houston Field Office
Surface Operations
Transportation Security Administration

Drew A. Sindlinger
Branch Manager, Customer Engagement Branch
Enrollment Services and Vetting Programs
Transportation Security Administration

11:15-11:45

Main Hall

Transporting Spent Nuclear Fuel by Barge, Truck, and Rail: Preliminary Plans for a Package Performance Demonstration

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) is considering options for conducting a Package Performance Demonstration (PPD) to help build public trust and confidence in the safety of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) transportation casks and SNF transportation by rail, heavy-haul truck, and barge. The purpose of a PPD is to demonstrate the ability of a SNF transportation cask to withstand hypothetical accident test conditions representative of those that might occur during transit. In July 2024, DOE-NE issued a Request for Information (RFI) as a formal mechanism to request input, elicit feedback, and conduct market research by requesting information from interested parties (stakeholders) as well as potential suppliers of products and services to assist DOE-NE in its decision-making process with respect to the types of demonstrations, casks, or parameters to include in a PPD. DOE-NE has also engaged in extensive external engagement to share information and gather feedback about its preliminary PPD plans. This presentation will discuss the PPD plans, early insights from the RFI responses, and how a PPD could relate to transport on waterways. The session will also include an opportunity for Q&A with the PPD project leads.

Gerard Jackson
Security Specialist
Transportation Program Manager
U.S. Dept. of Energy

Miriam Juckett
Intergovernmental and External Engagement Advisor
Nuclear Materials Storage and Transportation Program
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)

11:45-12:15

Main Hall

A Practical Case Study of Maritime Domain Awareness Technology: Supporting Interagency Collaboration for Border Protection, Part 2

Vincent “Vinnie” Nguyen
Business Development and Enablement Manager, North America
Starboard Maritime Intelligence

12:15-1:00

Exhibit Hall

Networking Lunch

1:00-1:30

Main Hall

Space Data on Demand – Fusing Geospatial and Big Data to Generate Actionable Insights for Decisionmakers

The panel discussion will focus on Deloitte’s space data on-demand solution designed to empower decision-makers with actionable insights derived from the fusion of multi-sensor commercial satellite data with big data. This solution is tailored to meet the unique demands of maritime domain security, environmental monitoring, emergency response, and more. The panel will explore the various features, benefits, and applications of Deloitte’s space data on demand capabilities, highlighting the solution’s impact on operational efficiency and strategic decision-making.

Susan Kalweit
Advisory Managing Director
Deloitte

Paul Vance
Advisory Manager
Deloitte

1:30-2:00

Main Hall

Enhancing Maritime Domain Awareness with Geospatial Common Operating Pictures

Discover how to harness the capabilities of configurable geospatial web applications and analytical tools to build a comprehensive maritime common operating picture that enhances critical event management. This session will demonstrate techniques for integrating diverse static and dynamic data sources – vessel tracking systems and maritime sensors -into the ArcGIS platform to support cross-agency collaboration. You will learn best practices for leveraging authoritative datasets from your organization and partners, incorporating custom data layers, and managing real-time feeds. Additionally, we’ll explore methods for transforming complex geospatial insights into actionable intelligence, empowering you to respond effectively to critical events, communicate with leadership, share information across stakeholders, and make informed decisions on force readiness and mission success.

Carl Walter
Director, Homeland Security Solutions
Esri

Colin Cate
Public Safety Solution Engineer
Esri

2:00-2:30

Exhibit Hall

Networking Break

2:30-3:00

Main Hall

Radar Vision Technology for Vessel Control and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems

Learn about Tocaro Blue’s Machine Learning based software solution that transforms off the shelf marine radar into a sophisticated real-time threat detection and alert solution.

Radar Vision technology harnesses Radar’s full potential, transforming off-the-shelf Radar into an ADAS sensor. ProteusCore upgrades current radar systems with AI-powered vessel detection, classification, and tracking capabilities essential for manned and unmanned maritime applications. Our software seamlessly integrates with existing sensors and provides cutting-edge ADAS features critical for maritime domain awareness.

Andrew Rains
Senior Sales Director
Tocaro Blue

3:00-3:30

Main Hall

U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) Latest Reports: Vessel and maritime cargo security, Cyber threats to the MTS and Coast Guard vessel inspections

GAO has conducted extensive work related to maritime safety and security issues in carrying out statutory oversight responsibilities for the U.S. Congress. This work has recently covered vessel inspections, maritime cyber security, and vessel and maritime cargo security, among other issues. GAO will discuss longstanding and emerging challenges, areas needing attention and improved collaboration, and the results of our work as they impact stakeholders in the maritime domain.

Paul Hobart
Assistant Director, Homeland Security and Justice Issues
U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO)

3:30-4:00

Main Hall

Emerging Alternative Fuels and its’ Potential Effect on Maritime Safety and Security

Cintia Ciancio
Chief Executive Officer
Hoctant

4:00

Main Hall

Closing Remarks

Sareth Neak
President
Neak Media LLC