ALEXANDRIA, VA. — Cargo theft losses exceeded an estimated $359 million in the first six months of 2026, according to Verisk CargoNet, while the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reports cyber-enabled crimes resulted in nearly $21 billion in reported losses in 2025.
Against that backdrop, the National Motor Freight Traffic Association Inc. (NMFTA) is continuing its work to strengthen the security and resilience of the supply chain and his announcing the keynote speakers and full speaker lineup for its fifth annual NMFTA Cybersecurity Conference, taking place Sept. 29-Oct. 1 in Long Beach, Calif.
Keynote Speakers
Vishal Amin, founder of Spades Institute, will deliver the opening keynote, examining the evolving threat landscape, the importance of industry collaboration and what transportation leaders can do to strengthen resilience across the supply chain.
Jesse Elison, deputy administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), will deliver the closing keynote address, offering attendees a first-hand look at the agency’s latest priorities, initiatives and developments impacting motor carriers and the broader trucking industry.
NMFTA Cybersecurity Conference
Now in its fifth year, the NMFTA Cybersecurity Conference has become a dedicated gathering for the people working at the intersection of trucking, technology, operations and cybersecurity. Unlike large-scale industry events, the conference is intentionally designed to give attendees direct access to the people confronting these issues every day and the opportunity to have candid conversations about what they are seeing, what concerns them and how the industry can respond.
“Cybersecurity in trucking isn’t something we can address from a distance or in silos,” said Joe Ohr, chief operations and technical officer for NMFTA. “What makes this conference different is the access. You can hear about a threat during a session and then sit down with a fleet CIO, researcher, threat intelligence professional, or industry peer and continue that conversation. It’s a small, informal environment where people can talk openly about the challenges they are facing and learn from one another.”
2026 Program Lineup
The 2026 program brings together leaders from motor carriers, federal government, technology companies, national laboratories, cybersecurity firms, and NMFTA’s own cybersecurity research team. Speakers include:
- Vishal Amin — founder, Spades Institute.
- Erica Brigance — vice president of technology enablement, ArcBest.
- Patterson Cake — director of incident response, Black Hills Information Security.
- Scott Cornell — chairman, Transported Asset Protection Association (TAPA), Americas chapter, and CRO Transportation, crime and theft specialist, SPG Cargo & Logistics.
- Jesse Elison — deputy administrator, FMCSA.
- Tina Ellis — cybersecurity analyst, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
- Todd Florence — chief information officer, Estes Express Lines.
- Ivan Granero — senior security engineer, Bosch.
- Sean Herron — chief information security officer, Samsara.
- Jaime Lightfoot — cybersecurity researcher, Lightfoot Labs.
- James McQuiggan — advisory CISO, Apparent Security.
- Alexandra Moore — manager of threat intelligence, ReliaQuest.
- Melanie Padron — vice president of strategic growth, IT ArchiTeks.
- Shawn Rasmoor — principal product manager, Truckstop.com.
- Ahmed Shah — senior security analyst, Malleum.
- Danielle Spinelli — director of partnerships, GenLogs.
- Jordan Strawn — senior vice president of logistics, Werner Enterprises.
- Ole Villadsen — staff threat researcher, Proofpoint.
- Mark Zachos — professor, University of Detroit.
From AI Threats to Vehicle Cybersecurity
Sessions will examine issues ranging from AI-enabled supply chain threats and cyber-enabled freight theft to ransomware, electronic logging device (ELD) security, telematics, threat intelligence, vehicle cybersecurity and incident response. The program also includes technical training and an interactive incident response tabletop exercise designed to move conversations beyond theory and into real-world application.
The conference will be held at the Marriott Long Beach Downtown, just minutes from the Port of Long Beach, and is designed for trucking executives, IT and cybersecurity professionals, fleet leaders, researchers, academics and others responsible for protecting increasingly connected transportation operations.
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Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
