A Pinnacle Series Event
Advancing Cognitive Security Through Education, Research, and Professional Practice
8–9 September 2026 | Reston, Virginia
The information environment has become an increasingly contested domain. Foreign information manipulation and interference, malign influence activities, the rise of cognitive warfare, and the exploitation of emerging technologies have created new challenges for governments, institutions, communities, and individuals. These activities seek not only to shape perceptions and influence decision-making, but also to undermine trust, distort reality, and create strategic advantages without the use of traditional military force. As societies become more connected and information flows more rapidly across digital platforms, the need to better understand, study, and address these challenges has never been greater. Given the persistent cognitive security challenges we find ourselves facing, the Information Professionals Association, as part of its Pinnacle Conference Series, is proud to present Apex 2026, an educational forum designed to address these challenges and lay the groundwork for future education, research, collaboration, and professional development in the field of cognitive security.
Scheduled for 8–9 September 2026 at the Carahsoft Conference and Collaboration Center in Reston, Virginia, Apex will bring together educators, researchers, students, practitioners, government representatives, industry partners, and other members of the information environment community to advance the study and practice of cognitive security. The forum is designed around three primary objectives: exploring the development of a cognitive security certification framework, fostering a collaborative educational consortium and community of practice, and providing a venue for student and researcher presentations on topics related to cognitive warfare, cognitive security, foreign influence and malign information, information operations, information warfare, political warfare, and related disciplines. Through keynote presentations, panel discussions, collaborative workshops, and research presentations, Apex seeks to encourage the exchange of ideas and strengthen professional networks across the educational and academic disciplines.
Apex is intended to be more than a conference. It is envisioned as a catalyst for building a broader community dedicated to understanding and addressing the challenges emerging within the cognitive dimension of competition and conflict. In the coming weeks, additional information regarding participation opportunities, calls for papers, speaker announcements, educational partnerships, and registration details will be shared with universities, professional institutions, government organizations, researchers, students, and practitioners interested in contributing to this growing field. We invite all those committed to advancing knowledge and professional practice in cognitive security to join us as we launch this important new initiative.
Questions?
For more information regarding Apex 2026, conference participation, educational partnerships, sponsorship opportunities, or the call for papers, please contact:
communications@information-professionals.org