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Christopher Wray

FBI Director Christopher Wray will be the keynote speaker next month at an annual University of Kansas conference that brings together national experts on cybersecurity.

Wray will deliver an address at 8:30 a.m. on April 4 at the Kansas Union.

Wray is the latest — and the top-ranking official from the Federal Bureau of Investigation — to attend KU’s annual conference, which KU co-hosts with the FBI. KU has been growing the conference as it works to establish itself as a national leader in cybersecurity research. KU is actively looking for funding to build a national cybersecurity center as part of its West Campus research park.

Specifically, KU is seeking $30 million to build the Kansas National Security Innovation Center, which would focus on research related to cybersecurity and other innovations that could be used by the homeland security or defense industries.

“We are educating the next generation of cybersecurity-minded leaders and continuing our cutting-edge research and tech development in cybersecurity-related fields,” KU Chancellor Doug Girod said in a press release. “KU has the infrastructure and talent to be a national leader in this space, and this conference is a great way to help us fulfill that role.”

In addition to Wray, U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran also will be at the conference and will speak on cybersecurity issues. Moran, a Kansas Republican who serves on the powerful Senate Appropriations committee, has been a strong proponent of locating a national cybersecurity center at KU.

Wray’s speech and the conference are open to general members of the public, although there is a $25 registration fee. Advance registration is also required and can be done online at research.ku.edu/fbi-ku-cybersecurity-conference.

In addition to Wray’s speech, the all-day conference will include:

• A speech from Stevan Bernard, chief executive for Bernard Global, and former top security officer for Sony Pictures Entertainment.

• Presentations from KU faculty members on their latest cybersecurity research projects.

• A panel discussion among government and industry officials on best practices and potential threats and attacks.

• Various breakout sessions related to malware and cybersecurity skill sets