The convergence of cybersecurity, operational technology, logistics, and critical infrastructure continues accelerating across maritime environments.
On May 19, 2026, technology, cybersecurity, and business leaders from across North Carolina will gather at the Skyline Center in Wilmington for NC TECH’s Cyber Security Q2 Program to examine emerging operational cybersecurity risks affecting organizations throughout the region.
A featured component of the event will be a Maritime Cybersecurity Briefing led by Ulku Clark. PhD.
Dr. Clark is widely recognized for her work in maritime cybersecurity, critical infrastructure protection, and workforce development. As Director of UNCW’s Center for Cyber Defense Education and Principal Investigator for the Maritime Cybersecurity Applied Research, Technology, and Education Center (MCARTEC), she leads initiatives connecting academia, government, and industry around operational resilience in maritime and transportation systems. Her work and speaking engagements span national and international cybersecurity conferences, maritime security forums, and interdisciplinary research collaborations focused on emerging cyber-physical risks.
The maritime sector presents a uniquely complex cybersecurity environment where digital systems increasingly intersect with physical operations and economic continuity. Modern maritime ecosystems now rely heavily on interconnected technologies including navigation systems, vessel communications, industrial control systems, logistics platforms, autonomous technologies, and port infrastructure.
The discussion is particularly relevant as maritime operations continue modernizing through automation, connectivity, cloud integration, remote monitoring, and AI-enabled systems.
The event will also feature a panel discussion titled:
AI in the Hands of the Attackers and Defenders: What North Carolina Leaders Need to Know
The session will examine how artificial intelligence is reshaping both offensive and defensive cyber operations, including implications for organizational leadership, risk management, workforce readiness, and operational resilience.
For Carolina Cyber Network member institutions and partners, conversations like these reinforce the importance of preparing students for cybersecurity roles that increasingly extend beyond traditional IT environments into operational, industrial, transportation, manufacturing, and critical infrastructure sectors.
CCN encourages faculty, students, cybersecurity professionals, and organizational leaders to participate in opportunities that strengthen collaboration and operational understanding across North Carolina’s cybersecurity ecosystem.
WHERE: Skyline Center | Wilmington
WHEN: May 19, 2026, 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
