Dr. Brenda Connor
- Senior Technical | Managing Director
- Texas Tech University | Critical Infrastructure Security Institute
Dr. Brenda Connor has a dual appointment at Texas Tech University as Professor of Practice in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and as Senior Technical Managing Director for the Critical Infrastructure Security Institute (CISI). Dr Connor joined TTU in Jan 2025 after a 30-year career with Ericsson and is focused on applied research in Integrated Sensing and Communications (ISAC), enabling situational awareness, security, and operational efficiency for remote critical infrastructure. Her team’s one network, tactical first, AI-driven approach is poised to achieve technology readiness acceleration from 2030+ to 2027+. Dr. Connor leads the Critical Infrastructure Telecom Ecosystem Incubator, a public non-profit academic and industry partner collaboration. Dr. Connor is a cyber physical system security and a telecommunications expert.
Sessions
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Situational Awareness, Incident Preparedness & Emergency Response
One network for communications and for situational awareness of vehicles and drones
Maintaining situational awareness is critical to anticipating threats, making informed decisions and coordinating an effective emergency response when critical infrastructure is disrupted. This session will consider how to prepare organisations to develop effective intelligence gathering, information sharing, monitoring, incident preparedness and crisis coordination across complex and interconnected environments. How can operational response frameworks, exercises, communications, mutual aid and business continuity planning reduce disruption, accelerate recovery and maintain essential services.