[1 CPE] Full Stack Observability: What It Is and Why It Matters

  Presented by Joe Byrne, Executive CTO • Cisco

What is full stack observability (FSO) and why should I care about it? Applications are essential to almost every action we take today. Making a purchase, signing up for insurance, communicating with your doctor… these are all daily activities for most of us and we expect the applications to work. Not just work, but work well, whenever I want, wherever I am on whatever device I’m using. This is the state of things for our customers and our employees. As technologists, our attempts to make our user’s experience intuitive, simple, and reliable really make things more complex for us. The amount of telemetry available across the application ecosystem is huge and growing by the day. How do we manage it? How can we ensure an optimized experience for our users? These are the topics we will discuss in this session.

[1 CPE] Adventures in CIS: Settings Standards for Windows Workstations & Servers

  Presented by INTERFACE Advisory Council

The Bank of Hawaii has recently completed a project implementing a set of benchmarks defined by the Center for Internet Security (CIS). The intent of this project was to standardize and document security settings on all Windows Workstations and Servers across the organization. The scope of this project was enormous, but the benefits of having completed the implementation are great. Preston and Mike will be discussing the trials and tribulations they encountered along the two-and-a-half-year implementation. In addition, they will offer suggestions for organizations wishing to harden their own security profile through the implementation of CIS benchmarks.

Speakers:

  • Mike Lotter, Systems Automation and Security Engineer, Bank of Hawaii
  • Preston Robler, Manager, Infrastructure Application Services, Bank of Hawaii

Preston Robler was born and raised in Colorado. He obtained a degree in Computer Science from the University of Colorado and has 12 years of experience developing applications in the Java programming language. His adventures in software development have taken him from Colorado to Massachusetts, New Zealand, Alaska, and finally Hawaii. Currently, he manages the Systems Automation and Security team at the Bank of Hawaii.

Mike Lotter has spent over 10 years in systems and network administration across two continents, with a focus on Microsoft products and security. For the last 3 years, he has worked in the Systems Automation and Security team at Bank of Hawaii, two of which were spent on the CIS implementation project.

[1 CPE] Privacy and You: A Brief Introduction

  Presented by Christopher Goodrich, CISSP-ISSEP • ISC2 New Mexico

This presentation will be broken out into three sections. First, I’ll provide a brief history lesson, including definitions from an international perspective, and cover the most prominent privacy “rights.” This will be followed by an examination of legislature within the United States and the ramifications of this legal mandate applied to organizations. Finally, I’ll offer a few tips and tricks that individuals should be aware of in their personal lives.

[1 CPE] Digital Transformation at Presbyterian & The Practical Use of AI

  Presented by Brian Beardmore • Chief Digital Officer, Presbyterian Healthcare

Today’s insightful talk will be on two groundbreaking aspects reshaping the landscape of healthcare: “Presbyterian Healthcare Services Journey in Digital Transformation in Healthcare” and the “Potential Benefits of AI in Healthcare.” As the world increasingly embraces technology and innovation, the healthcare industry stands at the forefront of this transformative journey. In the era of digital transformation, traditional healthcare models are evolving into interconnected and data-driven ecosystems. This revolution is driven by the integration of advanced technologies, digital front doors, and omnichannel technologies enabling seamless communication, data sharing, and improved patient outcomes. Embracing this digital shift opens the door to enhanced patient experiences, personalized care, streamlined operations, and greater accessibility to healthcare services.

Simultaneously, artificial intelligence (AI) emerges as a pivotal force that can propel healthcare to new heights. With its ability to analyze vast amounts of medical data, AI offers invaluable insights, aids in accurate diagnoses, and empowers clinicians to make informed decisions. AI-driven applications, such as machine learning algorithms and natural language processing, promise to revolutionize drug discovery, personalized medicine, disease prevention, and overall healthcare delivery.

Join us as we delve into the potential synergies between digital transformation and AI in healthcare, unearthing the unprecedented opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. Together, we shall uncover a future where technology and healthcare intertwine to revolutionize the way we live and heal.

Brian Beardmore serves as the Chief Digital Officer for Presbyterian Healthcare Services in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Brian brings over 28 years of healthcare technology experience in digital optimization and transformation, leading and executing Presbyterian’s digital strategy to improve access to care, enhance the customer experience, increase efficiency and cost savings, and increase revenue.

Before Presbyterian, Brian served as Administrative Director of Technical Services for Memorial Hermann Healthcare System in Houston, Texas. Brian earned his MBA from Texas A&M University, Mays Business School in College Station, Texas, and a BS in Industrial Technology Information Systems from Sam Houston University in Huntsville, Texas.

[1 CPE] AI, ML, and the Cybersecurity Checklist

  Presented by Paul Carugati • Global Head of Information Security, Syngenta

The dynamic threat landscape is evolving as new cyberattack methods are introduced daily. Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) algorithms are equally evolving and becoming more sophisticated. Navigating AI/ML services against your organization’s cybersecurity risk posture is a maturing discipline, but it may be more familiar than you think. Let’s discuss the practical risk elements of AI & ML in the modern enterprise and how best to protect, detect, respond, and recover from cybersecurity incidents.

Paul is a seasoned IT and Information Security leader with over 20 years of experience in Fortune 300 enterprises. An accomplished information security executive, Paul has a proven ability in the successful execution of global Cybersecurity and Risk Management programs. Paul specializes in building high-performing security teams and fostering a culture of data protection through business enablement, achieving positive, measurable behavioral change through accountability and integrity.

[1 CPE] How I Really Feel About ChatGPT from an IP Lawyer’s Perspective

  Presented by Bradlee Frazer Esq., Partner, Hawley Troxell Law Firm  • INTERFACE Advisory Council

Everyone wants to use artificial intelligence to increase productivity. AI is a great way to maximize employee efficiency in the enterprise environment. But, in this interactive session, IP lawyer Brad Frazer will give you his perspectives on the legal risks of the unrestrained use of AI in the workplace. He’ll also give you some best practices for using it safely and correctly, to minimize your legal risks.

Bradlee Frazer is a partner with Hawley Troxell and is Chair of the firm’s Intellectual Property & Internet practice group. In addition to emphasizing and focusing on all facets of Internet law, Intellectual Property law, and Information Technology law, he also helps clients with related transactional work and litigation.

Brad is a published novelist, and he has also written extensively for national legal publications and law blogs. He is also a frequent speaker on internet, intellectual property, and computer law topics and is a regular guest lecturer at Boise State University on those subjects.

A Boise native, Brad began his legal career in 1989 as an intellectual property attorney and commercial litigator at a Boise-based law firm. In 1997 he accepted an in-house position as Senior Intellectual Property Counsel with Fortune 1000 company, Micron Electronics, Inc., and remained there through the company’s merger with Interland, Inc. (now Web.com), then the nation’s largest Web hosting company. He eventually became Deputy General Counsel for Micron Electronics, Inc., and Interland, Inc. From June 2003 to February 2006, Mr. Frazer served as Deputy General Counsel to MPC Computers, LLC, in Nampa, Idaho.

[1 CPE] KC Tech Specs

  Presented by KC Tech Council

Since 2017, the KC Tech Council has released KC Tech Specs, a report capturing data and analysis around Kansas City’s tech industry. The report is designed to give the tech community, businesses, educators, lawmakers, civic leaders, and students a consolidated, data-driven resource to find information about our region’s tech landscape. Data sources are cited on every page and feature a compilation of relevant statistics from KC Tech Council’s partners such as CompTIA and JobsEQ.

Tech enterprises rely on data to inform and drive business decisions every day. As the voice of Kansas City’s tech industry, we are proud to elevate the data within KC Tech Specs to help us collectively find the opportunities to leverage our strengths, improve our deficiencies and grow together as a tech hub of the future.

Bio: Erin Christensen serves as the Chief Operating Officer of the KC Tech Council, a membership-based association serving as the regional advocate for Kansas City’s tech industry. Prior to her appointment to COO in May 2022, Erin lead workforce initiatives for the Tech Council which included the implementation of a leading tech apprenticeship program. Her role currently focuses on member and sponsor engagement, supporting workforce development, and member program development. Before joining the Tech Council in October 2020, Erin had a long tenure working in higher education with a recent focus on corporate engagement.

She currently serves on the BSIT Advisory Board for The University of Kansas Edwards Campus and on the Industry Executive Council for the North Kansas City School District. Erin is in her second year of the Greater Kansas City Chamber’s Centurions Leadership Program. Receiving both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Northwest Missouri State University, Erin is originally from Rolla, MO but landed in Kansas City in 2014. She currently resides in Lees Summit, MO with her husband and daughter.

[1 CPE] IT and the Future of Work

  Presented by Michael Dietrich • Chief Technology Officer, Greater Nevada Credit Union

We keep hearing about the “new normal.” The pandemic brought about many changes. Demand for digital services increased. Remote work became the rule rather than the exception. And as more and more workers decide to pursue other passions it has become increasingly difficult to recruit qualified candidates, resulting in businesses offering worker flexibility and accommodations to expand the talent pool. This sea change has prompted businesses to rethink the workplace permanently. The idea of the “office” or the “campus” as defined physical space is becoming an archaic idea.

Technology professionals were the enablers of this change. During the pandemic, we solved problems to keep business and commerce running – because we were the only ones who could. Now that the new ways of working that were necessary for continuity of business are being permanently adopted, technology shops need to continue to adapt quickly. We no longer have the luxury of reduced budget and resource constraints to make things happen quickly during a crisis. As speed was the priority over quality during that time, we now need to mitigate gaps in the solutions provided. Most importantly, our teams are not simply supporting these changes. Our ways of working have changed dramatically as well. We as technology leaders need to adapt to new leadership, culture, and engagement challenges.

Greater Nevada Credit Union Chief Technology Officer Mike Dietrich discusses what this means to us as IT leaders, and the implications on IT support, security, and ways of working within technology support organizations.

Michael is currently the Chief Technology Officer for Greater Nevada Credit Union. In his 30-year career as a technology professional and leader, he has served as Chief Information Officer for the State of Nevada and held senior leadership roles at Microsoft, LinkedIn, Rackspace, and Ericsson. He has contributed to industry-changing innovations in media delivery, gaming, open hardware platforms, and AV communications.

Michael’s passion is finding the truly meaningful ways that technology can lead to better business outcomes and enhance our lives. To this end he is often heard using the phrase, “Know what done looks like,” which means seeing the result from the point of view of the customer, regardless of their technical skill level, to ensure that a technology solution delivers what is needed seamlessly and effortlessly.

In his words “IT has elevated from a basic requirement to a business enabler. It is now evolving from a business enabler to becoming the core of the business model itself regardless of the industry – an idea further solidified during the pandemic. As such, any conversation about the benefits of a solution should not be about the technology itself, but about what the solution can do for us. The technology we use impresses no one. What we accomplish with it is everything.”

[1 CPE] Intelligence as a Service: Building Intelligent Apps with Azure Cognitive Services

  Presented by Atmosera & Wintellect

Need to write an app that uses facial recognition to identify people entering a building? An app that raises an alert if tweets referencing your organization turn negative? Or an app that uses AI to flag potentially fraudulent invoices or digitize millions of documents? AI enables all of these scenarios and more, but the models used to make it happen are too sophisticated for the average software developer to build on their own. Azure Cognitive Services provides the intelligence needed to do all this and more without requiring expertise in data science, machine learning, and neural networks. Learn how to use Azure Cognitive Services to build apps that leverage the latest advances in AI, and go home with sample code that you can use as a starting point for apps of your own.

[1 CPE] Build Tailored Customer Experiences

  Presented by Okta

Businesses are in the middle of a transformation. As every company becomes a technology company, you must be obsessed about the customer’s experience.

Modern Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) is foundational to building digital customer experiences. Discover how you can transform your business with modern, digital experiences your customers demand by creating frictionless registration and login for your apps.