SANS Cyber Defense Initiative 2026 - Featured Keynote: Defending the Digital Frontier: The FBI’s Evolving Cyber Mission

The cyber threat landscape confronting the United States is growing more complex and consequential, as nation-state adversaries and criminal actors target critical infrastructure, private industry, and emerging technologies at unprecedented scale.

Assistant Director Brett Leatherman will examine the threats shaping today’s environment, how the FBI sees the threat landscape evolving in the years ahead, and how the FBI is preparing now to stay ahead of increasingly sophisticated and persistent adversaries. He will discuss how the FBI is advancing national cyber priorities through stronger public-private defense, operational innovation, intelligence sharing, and proactive disruption in alignment with President Trump’s Cyber Strategy for America.

The session will trace the strategic evolution of the FBI Cyber Division and the operational shifts, partnerships, and innovations strengthening its ability to defend the homeland. It will highlight significant recent successes, from disrupting malicious cyber activity and combating ransomware to enhancing support for victims, while examining how lessons from today’s operations are shaping the FBI’s approach to tomorrow’s threats.