Session 2.3d Update: Who Controls the Mission? Trusted Communications. Trusted AI.
Tracks
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| Wednesday, November 18, 2026 |
| 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM |
| Nicholls Theatre |
Presentation Outline
AI is rapidly reshaping military operations, from command and control to intelligence analysis and autonomous systems. But in an AI-enabled battlespace, the defining question is no longer who has the most advanced AI. It is who controls the communications, data, infrastructure and governance that underpin it.
Secure communications is fundamental to mission success. In the AI era, it matters even more. Every AI recommendation, autonomous agent and operational decision depends on trusted communications to securely connect people, platforms and information. Without sovereign control of that foundation and access methods, organisations risk exposing sensitive information, relying on infrastructure they don't control, placing mission-critical decisions beyond their own governance.
In 2026, a wave of attacks against popular consumer messaging platforms have driven widespread warnings from global intelligence agencies. AI is magnifying identity spoofing campaigns, bypassing encryption altogether - yet many still rely on them for sensitive communications.
This session explores how these attacks are escalating, why this is driving allied nations toward sovereign platforms, and why sovereignty extends beyond data location to communications architecture, identity, infrastructure and operational control.
It will also explain how trusted sovereign AI enables personnel to securely access their own information and mission data - accelerating decision-making without compromising security or operational control.
Sovereignty isn't a policy setting. It's the answer to one question: who controls the mission when it matters most? Because every network you don't own, every platform you don't govern, every model you can't audit, is a hand on the mission that isn't yours.
Speaker
Mr David Wiseman
Vice President - Secure Communications
BlackBerry
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Biography
In his role as the VP of Secure Communications for BlackBerry, David specializes in applying technology to real life mission critical business systems with a focus in communications, security, and safety. David and his team support government and enterprise customers to understand how technology can effectively help them with their requirements, especially in complex and highly secure sectors such as defense and military, including NATO.
David and his team specialize in protecting the world’s most sensitive information and conversations with cryptographically secure communications capabilities that are NIAP-certified to enable and secure operations, even in the most challenging environments. David joined BlackBerry in November 2014.
David has 30+ years of experience in software, security, information management, mobility and communications at BlackBerry, IBM, SAP, Sybase, and the US Navy. He holds a Bachelor of Science, Computer Science – University of Mary Washington and Master of Business Administration – University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
David and his team specialize in protecting the world’s most sensitive information and conversations with cryptographically secure communications capabilities that are NIAP-certified to enable and secure operations, even in the most challenging environments. David joined BlackBerry in November 2014.
David has 30+ years of experience in software, security, information management, mobility and communications at BlackBerry, IBM, SAP, Sybase, and the US Navy. He holds a Bachelor of Science, Computer Science – University of Mary Washington and Master of Business Administration – University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
