The National Security Institute was proud to sponsor the 2025 Critical Effect DC conference!

Formerly known as Hack the Capitol, Critical Effect DC is an annual cybersecurity conference in Washington, DC, focused on the security of industrial control systems (ICS) and operational technology (OT). The 2025 event brought together policymakers, think tanks, and media with leading voices in cybersecurity to explore today’s most urgent infrastructure threats. Through expert panels and hands-on demonstrations, the conference aimed to connect technical experts with policy professionals—and inspire actionable solutions to the nation’s most pressing cyber challenges.

As part of this year’s program, NSI hosted a panel titled Code in the Combine: Protecting Agriculture in the Age of Cyber Conflict, which examined the growing cyber threats facing America’s food and agriculture sector. The discussion highlighted how increasing digitization—through AI-powered tools, cold-chain logistics, and energy-connected systems—has introduced new vulnerabilities with serious national security implications. Experts explored how attacks on these systems could cause cascading disruptions across sectors like healthcare, transportation, and emergency management, and emphasized the urgent need for modernized cyber legislation and stronger public-private partnerships. NSI’s panel featured:

• Scott Algeier – Executive Director, Information Technology – Information Sharing and Analysis Center (IT-ISAC)

• Jiwon Ma – Senior Policy Analyst, Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation, FDD

• Matt Hayden – Senior Fellow, NSI; Former Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Cyber, Infrastructure, Risk and Resilience Policy

• James Johnson – Chief Information Security Officer, John Deere

For more information about the conference, follow the link below!