The University of Virginia will host a town hall-style information and discussion meeting of the Governor’s Cyber Security Commission on April 30, from 9:30 to 11 a.m., in the Newcomb Hall Ballroom.

This event is fourth in a series of five meetings to inform the public of the commission’s work and gather stakeholder input. The commission brings together experts from the public and private sectors to develop recommendations that will help position Virginia as a leader in cybersecurity.

The session will discuss topics including best practices, federal and state programs, cyber education, potential cyber security-related economic development opportunities, and cyber crime. The town hall will feature keynote presentations on cyber security research and the sequence of credentials for professional development in cyber security.

Speakers scheduled to participate include Jennifer Bisceglie, president and CEO of Interos Solutions Inc.; Richard A. Clarke, chairman and CEO of Good Harbor Security Risk Management; David Evans, U.Va. professor of computer science; Marc Gaudette, director of IT risk management at Dominion Resources Inc.; Barry Horowitz, Munster Professor of Systems and Information Engineering and chair of the Department of Systems and Information Engineering at U.Va.; and Steve Laymon, associate dean for academic programs and services at U.Va.’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies.

Commission members Horowitz and Bisceglie will lead a panel discussion of the commission’s objectives and recent activities. A question-and-answer session will follow the keynotes and panel presentations.

“The nation is facing continuously growing risks related to cyber attacks,” Horowitz said. “These risks are compounded by growing investments in advanced automation, providing new channels for attackers to do harm. This meeting will expose the core issues that our nation and the commonwealth face, and potential responses to improve matters.”

Speaking about the event, Clarke said, “How do we implement the governor’s vision to make this ‘the Cyber Commonwealth’ in a way that creates good jobs, secures our infrastructure and promotes research? That is the question we are asking citizens at these town hall meetings.”

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe created the commission in February 2014. It aims to mitigate risks and safeguard security for government infrastructure networks, foster cyber security education and awareness, incorporate best practices to protect data, and bolster business investment with public-private partnerships, according to its website.

The event is free and open to the public. Online registration is requested. For information, visit www.cyberva.virginia.gov.

The Cyber Security Commission will hold its final town hall meeting June 9 at Norfolk State University.