Hoover Innovation Summit planned to discuss cybersecurity
The city of Hoover on Jan. 26 plans to host its first Hoover Innovation Summit and is inviting tech experts, business leaders and the public to network and talk about critical issues in the digital world and the growth potential of cybersecurity businesses in Hoover.
The theme for this year’s summit, to be held at the Hoover Library Theatre from 8 a.m. to noon, will be cybersecurity in changing times.
Hoover has several cybersecurity assets that make the city a hub for this sector, including the National Computer Forensics Institute, startups such as ThreatAdvice, and several large corporate digital operations such as McLeod Software, the Regions Riverchase Operations Center, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama.
The city’s Economic and Community Development Department is organizing the event to try to enhance the innovation ecosystem and brand Hoover as a home for tech and cybersecurity in the Southeast. The city hopes the event will become an annual gathering with a new industry theme each year.
“Hoover is uniquely positioned to take advantage of the fast growth of the cybersecurity business sector,” Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato said in a news release. “From the recently expanded NCFI to our large corporate data center operations, Hoover has the beginnings of a true cybersecurity cluster. This year’s Hoover Innovation Summit is designed to bring together corporate CEOs and entrepreneurial leaders of this industry, and we’re excited to invite the business community and public to join us.”
The summit will include presentations from David Brasfield, founder and chairman of ThreatAdvice, a panel of chief information security officers from McLeod Software, Regions Bank, Abacus Technologies and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama. and a presentation from the NCFI.
David Brasfield of ThreatAdvice said in a press release that Hoover is a fantastic place to launch and grow a business.
His first company, SBS Corp. was headquartered in Hoover, as were all his subsequent technology companies, he said.
“One difference about today, versus when my first company originated in 1996, is the tremendous emphasis that businesses of all types and sizes must put on cybersecurity,” Brasfield said in the press release. “I am excited to be a part of the Hoover Innovation Summit and look forward to sharing my story of entrepreneurship and the importance of proper cybersecurity hygiene for businesses today."
The event is open to the public, but registration is required. To learn more visit this link or contact the Hoover Economic and Community Development Department at development@hooveralabama.gov or 205-739-7162.