Webinar: April 21, 2026, 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM (CDT)
26BSS01. Agricultural Biosecurity: Protecting Animal Health, Public Health, and the Environment
Instructor:
Susan Harper, DVM, MS, DACLAM, DACVPM, RBP(ABSA), Private Consultant, Shepherdstown, WV
Overview
Agricultural biosecurity is a critical component of the One Health concept. It includes various strategies designed to safeguard the health and welfare of agriculturally important animals, the environment, and society in general by preventing infections and their spread among these species, humans, and nontarget species, including wildlife. Increased movement of live animals and their products, as well as the growing trend towards intensification and expansion of animal production systems, represents a significant risk to food supply chains, public health, and the economy due to the possible emergence and spread of exotic animal pests and pathogens, zoonotic diseases, and foodborne agents. Effective management and control of these challenging and complex risks requires application of core principles and cohesive strategies that emphasize sustainability through improved husbandry and health management practices.
Objectives:
- Identify core agricultural biosecurity risks associated with animal movement, production intensification, and emerging pathogens
- Summarize the potential impacts on animal, human, and environmental health within a One Health framework
- Evaluate key strategies and best practices in biosecurity, husbandry, and health management that reduce the spread of exotic pests, zoonotic diseases, and foodborne agents
Audience Level: Basic
Suggested Background: None
Who Should Attend: New Biosafety and Biosecurity Professionals, Veterinarians, Facility Managers
Course Logistics: Course is one 4-hour session. Attendees will need to log on 15 minutes prior to the start time. To receive credit and a certificate, attendees must attend the session and complete or access all course modules. The course materials are for registered participants only.
Credits: This course has been approved for 0.5 CM points toward RBP/CBSP recertification. *ABSA International is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E.® Program. This course is approved for 4.0 P.A.C.E.® contact hours. Course access links are unique and for individual use only. Sharing is prohibited. Duplicate logins or unregistered attendees will be removed from the webinar without a refund.
Course Fees
ABSA Members: $300
Non-Members: $390
To receive the ABSA member rate, participants must be current ABSA members during the training year. Fees include course handouts, access to the ABSA International training site, and 3.75 hours of expert-led interactive instruction.
Group Discount:
10% off each registration for 3-4 participants from the same organization
20% off each registration for 5-9 participants from the same organization
30% off each registration for 10 or more participants from the same organization
Contact the ABSA office to register your group
Registration for the live webinar must be completed 1 business day prior to the start of the training.
Registrations received after will receive access to the recording only.
Questions:
Contact: Kari DeServi, MEd, Director of Education, ABSA Office, 866.425.1385 (toll free)
Email: [email protected]
Confirmed, paid participants will be sent detailed information regarding the course within a few days prior to the course. Substitutions allowed with notice by 3/25/2026. There is a 15% processing fee for cancellations prior to 4/1/2026. No refunds after 4/1/2026.
Webinar: Thursday, April 9, 2026, 11 AM – 2 PM (CDT) and Thursday April 30, 2026, 11 AM – 12 PM (CDT)
26BSS02. The Intersection of Cyberbiosecurity with Quality and Safety Management Systems
Instructors:
Julianne Baron, PhD, CPH, RBP(ABSA), CC, Science and Safety Consulting, LLC, McMurray, PA
Meghan Seltzer, PhD, RBP(ABSA), The MITRE Corporation, Leesburg, VA
Overview
Quality and safety management systems increasingly rely on digital infrastructure—such as software programs, networked or IoT devices, and large language models— to collect, manage, store, and analyze data needed to ensure compliance with biosafety and quality standards. Properly securing this infrastructure is critical to safeguarding information, ensuring safe and secure operations, and maintaining organizational integrity. This course is designed to equip professionals with an understanding of the intersection between cybersecurity, quality, and safety management systems to enable attendees to effectively recognize, communicate, and mitigate cyber threats within their organization. Through a blend of lectures, case studies, and interactive exercises, this course will introduce participants to foundational concepts of cyberbiosecurity and enhance understanding of how digital transformation in quality and safety management introduces new vulnerabilities. Participants will become familiar with and learn how to apply guidance documents, standards, and tools—including ISO 35001, ISO 17025, ISO 27001, NIST CSF, NIST 800-53, and the CVE Program—to evaluate and mitigate cyberbiosecurity risks. As part of the course, participants will have an opportunity to apply these skills to an element of a safety or quality management system at their institution (e.g., IBC/IACUC registration system, temperature monitoring, access control system).
Objectives:
- Identify the intersectionality of cybersecurity with quality and safety management systems and the importance of cyberbiosecurity
- Detail available resources relating to cybersecurity, quality, and safety that can be used by professionals to assess and evaluate threats, risks, and mitigation measures
- Assess an organizational quality or safety management system for cyberbiosecurity vulnerabilities and configuration needs
Audience Level: Intermediate
Suggested Background: None
Who Should Attend: Operations (Front Line, Laboratory, Support Staff, etc.) Personnel
Course Logistics: Course is one 3-hour session and one 1-hour session. Attendees will need to log on 15 minutes prior to the start time. To receive credit and a certificate, attendees must attend the session and complete or access all course modules. The course materials are for registered participants only.
Credits: This course has been approved for 0.5 CM points toward RBP/CBSP recertification. *ABSA International is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E.® Program. This course is approved for 4.0 P.A.C.E.® contact hours. Course access links are unique and for individual use only. Sharing is prohibited. Duplicate logins or unregistered attendees will be removed from the webinar without a refund.
Course Fees
ABSA Members: $300
Non-Members: $390
To receive the ABSA member rate, participants must be current ABSA members during the training year. Fees include course handouts, access to the ABSA International training site, and 3.75 hours of expert-led interactive instruction.
Group Discount:
10% off each registration for 3-4 participants from the same organization
20% off each registration for 5-9 participants from the same organization
30% off each registration for 10 or more participants from the same organization
Contact the ABSA office to register your group
Registration for the live webinar must be completed 1 business day prior to the start of the training.
Registrations received after will receive access to the recording only.
Questions:
Contact: Kari DeServi, MEd, Director of Education, ABSA Office, 866.425.1385 (toll free)
Email: [email protected]
Confirmed, paid participants will be sent detailed information regarding the course within a few days prior to the course. Substitutions allowed with notice by 3/12/2026. There is a 15% processing fee for cancellations prior to 3/19/2026. No refunds after 3/19/2026.