Defense Strategies Institute (DSI)

Defense Strategies Institute’s Digital Engineering for Defense Summit will bring together leaders from across the Department of War, federal government, industry, academia, and other relevant stakeholders to advance engineering innovation to accelerate the delivery of advanced warfighting systems for technological advantage. 

DSI’s 2nd Annual Maritime Security Summit is a leading professional, educational development event that will bring together members of the DoW, USCG, Port Security Executives, & Marine Technical Solutions Providers to discuss current efforts toward integrating emerging capabilities, tools, & technologies in support of maritime dominance & sustained readiness. This forum will also address the importance of leveraging alliances & partnerships to enhance overall Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) for our nation’s coastlines, ports, & vessels.

The global maritime security market size was valued at USD 35.60 billion in 2026 and is projected to grow to USD 48.90 billion by 2034. In the U.S., the expansion of coastal security initiatives and increased adoption of Unmanned Maritime Aircraft Systems (UAS) under defense and coast guard modernization programs has been a major focus. The maritime security sector has experienced rapid technological transformation with the integration of advanced AI & sensor technologies aimed at enhancing lethality & overall maritime domain awareness (MDA). Port authorities and maritime security stakeholders are increasingly deploying modernized surveillance systems, automated screening solutions, and integrated command and control platforms to better detect, track, and interdict illicit threats in the maritime domain. DSI’s Maritime Security Summit will bring together the DoW, USCG, Port Security Executives, & Marine Technical Solutions providers to discuss current efforts toward integrating emerging capabilities, tools, & technologies in support of maritime dominance & sustained readiness.

Important initiatives over the past year such as the recent Maritime Action Plan released by the White House, the standing up of the Navy’s Rapid Capabilities Office & the U.S. Coast Guard’s Force Design 2028 have helped in facilitating a stronger maritime industrial base while sustaining maritime readiness and security efforts for a more agile, capable, and responsive fleet. The U.S. Military and other federal/state partners continue to advance peace through strength in the maritime domain, by bolstering overall capabilities of current systems & establishing better methods of detecting, locating, surveilling, & eliminating illicit maritime threats such as narcotics smuggling. Maritime security efforts are essential in protecting harbors, ports, vessels, military personnel, and more. Fielding critical technologies & advancing intelligence integration, information sharing, and domain awareness will be key to ensuring U.S. Maritime Supremacy. This event will offer attendees insight into the importance of alliances and partnerships happening across the global maritime domain, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region. Senior level perspectives at this forum from across all levels of military, government and industry will cover critical topic areas in maritime security such as short- and long-range vessel detection and monitoring capabilities, next-gen sensor technologies, physical cyber security capabilities for ports, and operationalizing robotic & autonomous systems.

The 14th Annual Border Security & Intelligence Summit will bring together leading experts and decision-makers from across the law enforcement and intelligence community to share insights and engage in strategic dialogue on the state of U.S. border security and the innovative technologies advancing the protection of our Nation’s borders. 

In response to evolving challenges at U.S. borders from illegal immigration to transnational crime, border security, intelligence and law enforcement agencies are enhancing their capabilities to effectively address these threats. The 2026 Border Security & Intelligence Summit will highlight the latest trends, technologies, and strategies for securing borders and advancing intelligence operations in an increasingly digital environment. Attendees will gain valuable insights into the most pressing issues facing the border security community, as well as the implementation of cutting-edge technologies that support national and global security. 

The 2026 event will convene senior level experts, decision-makers, and innovators from across DHS, the Intelligence Community, federal agencies, & industry to discuss emerging threats and the tools needed to counter organized crime and illicit actors. Key panel discussions will examine innovative surveillance technologies, the integration of AI and advanced data analytics, evolving challenges at the U.S.-Canada border, and local strategies for enforcement and security. Attendees at the 2026 Border Security & Intelligence Summit will have the unique opportunity to explore the policies, technologies, and solutions essential to achieving current security objectives and protecting U.S. citizens from emerging threats.

Defense Strategies Institute’s 3rd Annual C-UAS & Integrated Protection Summit will convene senior leaders and decision-makers from the Department of War, federal government, industry, and academia to address the evolving challenges of countering unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS). As UAS threats continue to expand in scale, sophistication, and global reach, the Summit will focus on advancing integrated strategies to detect, deter, and defeat these systems while strengthening layered defense architectures across the homeland and operational theaters.

The 2026 AI for Defense Summit will convene senior leaders and innovators from the Department of War, Intelligence Community, federal government, industry, and academia to explore how AI is being operationalized for national security.   As AI continues to transition from experimentation to deployment, the 5^th Annual Summit will highlight real-world applications that are enhancing decision-making, accelerating intelligence analysis, strengthening C2, and enabling resilient and responsive warfighting capabilities across multi-domains.

The 9th Annual Directed Energy Symposium will convene leading experts, policymakers, leaders, and innovators across the Directed Energy community to explore the latest advancements and applications in directed energy systems and technologies to support the Warfighter and national defense objectives. Discussions at the event will provide valuable insights into the evolving landscape of directed energy warfare and the associated opportunities and challenges. The symposium arrives at a pivotal inflection point for the directed energy enterprise. For decades, the promise of speed-of-light engagement, near-zero cost per shot, and deep magazines against massed aerial threats remained just beyond operational reach. That moment has passed. Senior Department of War officials have declared directed energy operationally mature, the Navy's HELIOS system has now defeated drone targets in live at-sea testing, the Army is advancing the Enduring High Energy Laser toward its first program of record, and the Marine Corps has taken delivery of its first expeditionary high-power microwave system. The question is no longer whether directed energy works. The question is how fast we can scale it, sustain it, and fight with it. 

Insider risk has become one of the most complex and critical security challenges organizations face today. Emerging technologies, particularly AI, combined with shifting tactics and motivations, have increased both the likelihood and impact of insider-related incidents. According to the 2026 Cost of Insider Risks Global Report, insider incidents cost organizations an average of $19.5 million in 2025, driven largely by negligent, non-malicious behavior in increasingly digital environments. The report also found that organizations with robust insider risk management programs experience fewer incidents and avoid millions in losses, underscoring the urgent need for proactive, organization-wide strategies. 

The 2026 National Insider Risk Symposium will explore the importance of a holistic approach that bridges HR, security, IT, and legal functions to reduce both the frequency and impact of insider risk. The symposium will examine emerging threats and future trends, the critical role of collaboration and information sharing, and the growing impact of AI on the workforce and insider risk landscape. Attendees will gain actionable insights to strengthen mitigation, detection, and prevention efforts, exchange perspectives, and engage in meaningful dialogue with partners across the insider risk community.

DSI’s team specializes in the extensive research and development of our Symposium’s content and focus areas, and we will assemble the most respected minds in insider risk management, from leaders across Commercial, Government, and Academia. Our non-partisan approach allows us to reach across all services and organizations to bring together a truly holistic group of decision makers and solution providers.