Thousands attend 11th annual TechNet Augusta
TechNet Augusta 2024 is a three-day event that kicked off on August 19. Activities are held at the Marriott Augusta, the Augusta Convention Center, and the Georgia Cyber Innovation and Training Center.
According to a news release from Destination Augusta, the 2023 conference brought almost 6,000 attendees, with more than half coming from outside Georgia and South Carolina. It translated to a $5.4 million economic impact last year.
“Since 2013, Augusta has been proud to host this esteemed event, which brings together some of the brightest minds in technology, defense, and cyber security,” said Bennish Brown, Destination Augusta President and CEO in the release. “TechNet Augusta has become a cornerstone of our city’s annual calendar, not just for the wealth of knowledge exchanged, but for the significant connections made right here in our community.”
Among the events, this year is the fifth annual International and Collegiate Capture the Flag competition, organized by the Virginia-based technology leader Parsons Corporation.
“We’ve got capability development and service support to a lot of the commands like U.S. Cybercom and its services like the Army,” Parsons Program Director, Tim Gray explained for ABD. “We also support training and the cultivation of skills with the Germans, Italians, and others. The point of this event is to bring those partnerships together to gain interest in the cybersecurity field and highlight other areas of training and outreach through industry.”
There are 44 teams participating in the event. Attendees come from as far away as Qatar, Japan, and the United Arab Emirates, joined by personnel from the U.S. Army Cyber School at Fort Eisenhower.
“One thing that the U.S. Army appreciates is differing perspectives and experiences, and what better to draw than from the international community, between Capture the Flag and TechNet,” said student Ryan Mattman. “It’s incredibly important, and primarily because cyber, I like to refer to it as the all-domain environment. Meaning, cyber in the future is going to impact every single thing that we do, whether it’s guys on the ground or guys in office space in DC. It’s a thing that bridges the gap between all of us, and it’s going to change rapidly. So, we need to be prepared to not only enter every domain with a cyber focus, but also achieve excellence when we do so.”
Sponsored by AFCEA (Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Association) International, this year’s theme is Transform, Align, Accelerate for Pacing Challenges. The goal is to open lines of communication and provide networking, education, and problem-solving.
“There’s a need to work together, and places like this provide the venue to collaborate, to exchange ideas, and to communicate,” said Gray. “You know, different perspectives in order to achieve the same objective, which is safety and security within those different places around the world.”
Other activities will include a 10th anniversary celebration of the August 2014, activation of the U.S. Army’s Cyber School. There will also be a media roundtable with panelists including MG Ryan Janovic, commander of the Army Cyber Center of Excellence.
Although TechNet’s goal is to educate and share the latest developments in all forms of cyber, Mattman said there is one thing he hopes attendees carry with them when they leave Augusta.
“That they’re not alone, that they have partners that are going to not only nurture our alliances around the world, but also provide us with the tools support, and feedback as we grow ourselves as a cyber branch, but also as a cyber focused force in all domains.”