Governor Tom Ridge, First U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, delivers keynote address at the CCPPP National Conference November 15, 2016
TORONTO, Sept. 27, 2016 /CNW/ - Tom Ridge, the former Governor of Pennsylvania and the first Secretary of Homeland Security in the United States will present his keynote speech Shared Risk: Protecting Critical Infrastructure in the Digital Age - at the 24th Annual Conference of the Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships – Innovating Our Future. Governor Ridge will address the need to protect and defend critical infrastructure from the daily threat of cyber-attacks.
Governor Ridge now serves as chairman of Ridge Global, advising world leaders on cyber security. He says unlike natural disasters or other events that can disrupt commerce and vital services, cyber-attacks occur every minute of every day in every industry.
Whether it is ransomware that can debilitate healthcare systems or hackers targeting sensitive national security information, Ridge says cyber-attacks are becoming more complex and more common.
"It's important to focus on the need to address our infrastructure deficit," says Mark Romoff, President and CEO of the Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships. "But we must also address the real need to ensure infrastructure that is crucial to our safety and health is properly protected. There are few individuals who can speak to this matter who have Governor Ridge's experience and expertise."
Governor Ridge will be our keynote speaker on day two of the conference - Tuesday, November 15, 2016, at 8:30 AM in the Grand Ballroom of the Sheraton Centre Hotel in downtown Toronto.
To register for the conference or media accreditation visit http://www.p3-2016.ca/Register-Now
Conference Presenting Sponsor
SNC-LAVALIN
THE HONORABLE TOM RIDGE
Following the tragic events of September 11th, 2001, Tom Ridge became the first Assistant to the President for Homeland Security, and in 2003 became the first Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security where he served until 2005. Tom Ridge was twice elected Governor of Pennsylvania, serving as the state's 43rd governor from 1995 to 2001.
After his first year at Penn State University's Dickinson School of Law, he was drafted into the U.S. Army, where he served as an infantry staff sergeant in Vietnam, earning the Bronze Star for Valor, the Combat Infantry Badge and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. Following the war, he earned his law degree and, later, became one of the first Vietnam combat veterans elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served six terms.
Gov. Ridge is currently Chairman of Ridge Global, the co-founder of the strategic advisory firm, Ridge-Schmidt Cyber, and a founding partner of the Ridge Policy Group, a full service government affairs firm with offices in Washington, D.C. and Harrisburg, PA. He is currently chairman of the National Organization on Disability and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's National Security Task Force.
About the Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships: Established in 1993, CCPPP is a national, non-partisan, member-based organization with broad representation from across the public and private sectors. Its mission is to promote smart, innovative and modern approaches to infrastructure development and service delivery through public-private partnerships with all levels of government. The Council is a proponent of evidence-based public policy in support of P3s, facilitates the adoption of international best practices, and educates stakeholders and the community on the economic and social benefits of public-private partnerships.
SOURCE Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships
Image with caption: "Governor Tom Ridge, First U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, delivers keynote address at the CCPPP National Conference November 15, 2016 (CNW Group/Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160927_C8585_PHOTO_EN_782530.jpg
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