SIA GovSummit 2026 Brings Together Government and Industry Leaders to Address Security Challenges
The Security Industry Association (SIA) welcomed more than 350 attendees to its annual GovSummit conference, held May 20-21 in Washington, D.C., bringing together security professionals from both the public and private sectors to discuss emerging challenges, technology solutions and federal security priorities.
The event attracted approximately 100 government participants representing a broad range of agencies, including the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Federal Protective Service, General Services Administration, Government Accountability Office, NASA, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, National Park Service, National Transportation Safety Board, Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and United States Capitol Police.
The conference opened on May 20 with remarks from SIA leadership followed by a keynote address from Joshua Obstfeld, section chief at the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Programming continued with panel discussions examining the future of federal identity and strategies for protecting critical infrastructure from insider threats.
Attendees later divided into concurrent session tracks covering topics such as federal credentialing, artificial intelligence, international security lessons, government procurement and federal grants, quantum computing, facial recognition technology, school security and counter-drone defense. The first day concluded with a keynote presentation from Pedro Allende, DHS under secretary for science and technology.
During the conference, Nathan Wells of Convergint was named the first recipient of SIA’s Valuing Experience, Talent and Service (VETS) Award, which was presented by the association’s Veterans in Security community.
SIA also used the event to release new research developed in partnership with the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) Center at Texas State University. The study examines school safety practices in the United States and explores methods schools can use to prevent, mitigate and reduce the impact of active shooter incidents. According to SIA, the research provides evidence that simple security measures can significantly reduce the likelihood of injuries and loss of life.
Beyond educational sessions, attendees had opportunities to connect with exhibitors in the atrium and participate in networking events, including an evening reception sponsored by M.C. Dean.
The second day of GovSummit featured additional sessions and a keynote presentation from Gharun Lacy, deputy assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of State. Lacy discussed the protection of people, facilities and data within an integrated cyber landscape.
The conference concluded with a lunch briefing from the FBI focused on the U.S. security threats landscape.
According to SIA, GovSummit 2026 served as a forum for security stakeholders from government and industry to collaborate on pressing security issues and explore technologies aimed at addressing current and future challenges.
Lauren Bresette is Senior Manager of Government Relations for the Security Industry Association (SIA).