Sensitive Information Protection Community

Access the Replay
Passcode: 32im#R1P

Live Presentation: 4 March 2026

Research universities are the engines of breakthrough discovery, but they have also become primary targets for Foreign Influence Groups (FIGs). These threat actors are increasingly aggressive in seeking access to early-stage research programs funded by the DoD, Dept of Energy, NASA, NSF, and NIH, as well as major corporate-sponsored initiatives.

These vulnerabilities can compromise years of work before it even reaches the patent office. Join presenter Allen Phelps, CPP, PCI, Founder of IPTalons, Inc. and Chair of the Sensitive Information Protection Steering Committee. 

• The Anatomy of the Threat: How FIGs exploit the collaborative nature of academia.
• The Funding Gap: Protecting research across SBIR-funded programs and corporate partnerships. 
• A Call to Action: We will discuss supply chain security best practices designed to reduce the risk of IP misuse, loss, theft, and misappropriation.

Research Security is no longer just a data protection problem; it is a human behavior problem that requires enhanced security practices.