Archives: Seminar

[1 CPE] Industry Leading Alternatives to VMware and Legacy Hypervisors

  Presented by Eric Skaare, Regional Channel Manager • Scale Computing & INVITE Networks

As organizations modernize, many are seeking robust alternatives to traditional hypervisors. This session explores how Hyperconverged Infrastructure (HCI) simplifies IT, improves resilience, and reduces operational complexity across data center and edge environments.

We will highlight Scale Computing, an all-in-one HCI platform that integrates compute, storage, and virtualization. Additionally, we will showcase how Parallels VDI seamlessly layers on top to deliver secure, easy-to-manage virtual desktops. Together, they provide a powerful, cost-effective alternative to complex legacy stacks like VMware and VMware Horizon.

[1 CPE] Phishing You Never See: Combat Lessons for the AI Era

  Presented by Dan Zaffino, Sr Solutions Engineer • Yubico

Senior Solutions Engineer and Marine Corps veteran Dan Zaffino draws on lessons from combat patrols in Iraq. This session reframes AI-driven phishing through a hard truth: the threat was the road itself. You didn’t get to shoot back, and survival came down to how you were postured before contact. The IED is the phish you never see forming.

Most other talks on AI will leave you with another threat to dodge. This one is armor.

Phishing is the #1 way attackers get in. AI didn’t invent it. AI weaponized it. Perfect grammar, infinite scale, cloned voices, and deepfakes have erased every tell you trained people to catch.

We’ll look honestly at why most MFA isn’t armor. Push, OTP, and SMS all fail against AI-grade phishing, but one approach doesn’t just reduce the threat, it takes it off the table. Vendor-agnostic, practical, and built for what you can do Monday morning.

Fear kills action, but action cures fear.

You’re already in the fight. Come learn how to present a hard target.

[1 CPE] Cybersecurity in the Era of Mythos

  Presented by Avi Mileguir, Global Head of Exposure Management • Check Point Software & Optiv

Explore the growing gap between cybersecurity perception and reality in an age defined by AI, automation, and increasingly sophisticated threats. Join Avi Mileguir, Global Head of Exposure Management, as he examines common security myths, emerging risks, and the strategies organizations can use to gain true visibility into their attack surface and make more informed risk decisions.

[1 CPE] The Future of Ransomware is Here: ESET’s Latest Threat Report

  Presented by Juan Portillo, Strategic Account Manager • ESET

Join us for an in‑depth walkthrough of the most significant insights from ESET’s latest Threat Report. This session will examine the rise of AI‑assisted attacks, including the discovery of PromptLock, an AI‑powered ransomware prototype. We’ll also explore key shifts in malware‑as‑a‑service, NFC‑driven fraud, and PowerShell‑based delivery techniques, and gain a clear understanding of how ransomware operations are evolving and reshaping today’s threat landscape.

[1 CPE] The New CyberSec Workforce: Leading Through Change, Strengthening Collective Defense

  Presented by Frank J. Grimmelman, President & CEO, and Christian Taillon, Threat Intelligence Director • ACTRA

Cybersecurity is undergoing a fundamental transformation. The traditional security workforce model is being reshaped by automation, AI-driven operations, evolving skill requirements, hybrid work environments, and persistent talent shortages. At the same time, organizations are under increasing pressure to deliver measurable security outcomes faster, with fewer resources and greater accountability.

This session explores how leading organizations are adapting through workforce modernization, process transformation, and smarter operating models that maximize existing talent. It will also examine why collective defense has become an increasingly important force multiplier—enabling organizations to strengthen resilience through trusted collaboration, shared intelligence, and coordinated response.

Attendees will gain practical insights into how modern cybersecurity teams can overcome talent pressures, improve efficiency, and achieve stronger results in today’s rapidly evolving threat environment.

Mr. Frank J. Grimmelmann serves as President & CEO for the Arizona Cyber Threat Response Alliance (ACTRA), a non-profit entity that was developed collaboratively with the Arizona InfraGard Program, the FBI, USDHS and law enforcement, and independently launched in 2013 to enable its private/public sector member organizations across all critical sectors to enable themselves to respond to the escalating national cybersecurity threat.

[1 CPE] The Anatomy of a Ransomware Attack

  Presented by Torry Williams, Lead Solutions Architect • 11:11 Systems

Recovery plans are no longer optional—they’re inevitable. In today’s evolving threat landscape, every business will be tested. Whether it’s traditional disasters driven by nature or human error, or modern-day crises fueled by cyberattacks and ransomware, the stakes are higher than ever.

How do you ensure your organization is prepared not just to survive, but to recover with confidence? In this session, we’ll cover:

  • The key stages of a cyberattack and what they mean for your business
  • Best practices to reduce your exposure and minimize impact
  • Essential tools and strategies to recover quickly if compromised
  • What a real-world recovery looks like—and how to be ready for it

[1 CPE] Has Mythos Forever Broken Cybersecurity?

  Presented by Christer Swartz, Director, Industry Solutions  • Illumio

Mythos is a wake-up call to the exposure which everyone has to cybercrime. No target is too small and 100% of us will eventually be breached. Segmentation is the foundation of isolating the inevitable breach, preventing a small problem from escalating to putting you in the news as the latest victim. Learn how to discover and enforce all breaches, securing your environment from both known and unknown threats.

Christer Swartz is Director of Industry Solutions for Illumio. He has spent many years in the Cyber industry, beginning with a small startup called Cisco. He was part of Netflix’s design of Internet video-streaming, without breaking the Internet, then with Palo Alto Networks. He focuses on the details of cybersecurity to specific industries, and how platforms integrate across the broader security industry, from Cloud-managed Kubernetes to Data Center mainframes.

[1 CPE] How (Not) To Build a Fire Department

  Presented by Herb Williams, Sr Enterprise System Engineer • Arctic Wolf

This presentation uses the analogy of building a fire department to explore the realities, risks, and misconceptions organizations face when attempting to build and operate an in-house cybersecurity function or Security Operations Center (SOC). Grounded in global research from over 1,000 security and IT professionals, the session highlights persistent trends such as rising data breaches, increasing ransomware attacks, growing attack surfaces, and the ongoing shortage of skilled cybersecurity talent. It demonstrates why cybersecurity—while mission-critical to business continuity—is not a core business function for most organizations, and why treating it as such often leads to inefficiency, burnout, wasted spend, and increased risk.

Through real-world data and practical examples, the presentation walks through what “state-of-the-art” cyber defense actually entails: 24×7 coverage, specialized skills, integrated tools, continuous improvement loops, and proactive threat intelligence. It contrasts this ideal with the common reasons in-house SOCs fail, including limited operating hours, lack of authority, underestimation of integration and tuning efforts, overreliance on point solutions, and the misconception that technology or AI alone can solve structural gaps. The session concludes with actionable insights on measuring and improving cybersecurity maturity, emphasizing the importance of people, process, and operational discipline—and reinforcing why many organizations achieve better outcomes by focusing on preparedness, resilience, and strategic partnerships rather than trying to “build their own fire department.”

Key themes addressed include:

  • Current cybersecurity and ransomware trends impacting organizations globally
  • The true cost and complexity of building and maintaining an in-house SOC
  • Why talent shortages and burnout continue to undermine security operations
  • Characteristics of mature, state-of-the-art cyber defense programs
  • Common pitfalls that cause in-house SOCs to fail
  • Practical guidance for measuring, optimizing, and continuously improving security posture

[1 CPE] AI Is Not the Replacement. It’s the Requirement.

  Presented by Nancy Dedakia • Professor, Computer Information Systems, Scottsdale Community College

Human + AI is not about replacing people; it is about preparing every person to work smarter, adapt faster, and bring more value to their role. The future of work belongs to those who can combine human judgment, creativity, and experience with the power of AI.

With more than 20 years of experience across commercial, government, healthcare, public safety, and financial systems, Nancy Dedakia brings a practical, cross-industry perspective on how technology transforms operations, service delivery, data management, regulatory compliance, cybersecurity, and decision-making. Her background includes extensive expertise in cybersecurity, data protection, secure information systems, and responsible technology governance.

As a Professor of Computer Information Systems, Nancy focuses on emerging technologies, artificial intelligence, responsible data use, and the ethical challenges created by rapid innovation. She is passionate about preparing students and professionals to think critically, adapt confidently, and lead responsibly in a future where Human + AI collaboration is becoming essential across every career field.

[1 CPE] AI Governance in Action: Building Policy, Oversight, and Trust in the Public Sector

  Presented by Matt Weber, Chief Information Security Officer, Pima County, AZ • The INTERFACE Advisory Council

As organizations race to adopt AI, effective governance is becoming essential. Join Matt Weber as he shares how Pima County developed a practical framework for AI governance, including the creation of an AI subcommittee and the implementation of an AI usage policy. Attendees will gain real-world insights, lessons learned, and actionable guidance they can use to establish or strengthen AI governance programs within their own organizations.