Washington, D.C. – Dr. Paul J. Maurer, President of Montreat College, a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education by the National Security Agency (NSA), was a featured speaker at the Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum on December 3, 2024.
Over 170 attendees representing 53 nations were welcomed at the forum held in a Committee Hearing Room of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. Dr. Maurer participated in a session titled “Cybersecurity: The Human Element.” He was joined by Mr. J.P. Parker, Former Special Advisor to the Vice President of the U.S. for Cyber, Intelligence, and Space. Together, they emphasized that cybersecurity is fundamentally a human business, where having the right people of ethics and character matters more than technology. The segment concluded with an interactive question-and-answer session with the audience.
Chaired by the Hon. Robert Pittenger, the Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum featured opening remarks from prominent figures, including the Hon. Matt Pottinger, Former Deputy National Security Advisor for President Trump and Dr. Jonathan Ward, Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute and author of The Decisive Decade. Rep. Stacey E. Plaskett (D-VI) provided additional remarks.
The Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum is a leading international gathering aimed at fostering expertise and collaboration among parliamentarians and government officials. The goal of the forum is to increase the understanding among U.S. allies of the current global security threats posed by adversarial nation states and terrorists, while creating actionable solutions that counter these threats. Parliamentarians, who write the legislation and allocate government resources, play a vital role in this mission.
Montreat College’s national reputation as a cybersecurity education leader was reinforced this year with the publication of The Code of Honor: Embracing Ethics in Cybersecurity. Co-authored by President Maurer and leading cybersecurity expert Ed Skoudis, the book was grant-sponsored by the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity with support from the National Security Agency (NSA). The work has been adopted by leading cybersecurity institutions nationwide, equipping future cybersecurity professionals with essential ethical frameworks.
For more information about Montreat College’s cybersecurity program, visit www.montreat.edu/cyber.