Program Overview

Cybersecurity Leadership Program

The Cybersecurity Leadership Program at Duke University is a combined effort of the Pratt School of Engineering, Sanford School of Public Policy, Department of Computer Science, and Duke Law School. This program brings together private sector leaders from various sectors and government officials for an intensive three-day program. Participants will have the chance to learn from Duke scholars in policy, law, engineering, business, and computer science, as well as from leading industry and government experts.

Program Details

• Dates: June 5 – 6, 2026
• Registration Rate: $3,000
• Application Deadline: May 1
• Delivery: In-Person

Learning Objectives

By the end of the CLP, participants will be able to:

• Understand the roles and responsibilities of governance bodies and senior leadership in cybersecurity
  • Explain what boards of directors should know about cybersecurity risk, oversight, and accountability
  • Recognize how senior executives and government officials can engage effectively with CISOs and technical teams
• Assess and respond to cybersecurity incidents and breach scenarios
  • Identify key steps in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from data breaches
  • Understand the impacts—both immediate and downstream—of cybersecurity incidents to business and public stakeholders
• Design and evaluate core elements of a cybersecurity program
  • Break down the essential components (people, policy, process, technology) of an effective cybersecurity program
  • Integrate supply chain / third-party risk considerations into program design
• Navigate legal, policy, and regulatory landscapes related to cybersecurity
  • Identify relevant laws, standards, and regulatory bodies domestically and internationally that affect cybersecurity risk
  • Equip organizations to engage with regulators, law enforcement, or oversight bodies
• Lead through strategy, risk communication, and decision-making under uncertainty
  • Articulate cybersecurity risks to non-technical stakeholders (e.g. board, public sector) and gain alignment
  • Use scenario-based thinking (e.g. via tabletop exercises) to anticipate threats and shape resilient strategies

Program Director

The program director is David Hoffman, the Steed Family Professor of the Practice of Cybersecurity Policy at the Sanford School of Public Policy. He also formerly was the Associate General Counsel, Director of Security Policy and Global Privacy Officer for Intel Corporation. Hoffman currently chairs the Civil Liberties and Privacy Panel for the Director’s Advisory Board for the US National Security Agency. He also chairs the board of the Center for Cybersecurity Policy and Law, and serves on the Advisory Boards for the Future of Privacy Forum and the Israel Tech Policy Institute. Hoffman also founded and chairs the board for the Triangle Privacy Research Hub, which highlights and fosters cybersecurity and privacy academic research done in the North Carolina Research Triangle.