Archives: Seminar

[1 CPE] Winning the IT Talent War: Attracting, Hiring, & Retaining Top Resources

  Presented by Dr. Matthew McCarville • Chief Information Officer, State of Nebraska

Job hopping in the IT industry has only increased in recent years in both the public and private sectors. There is never a shortage of opportunities from help desk positions to engineers and managers. This has created a complex challenge for IT leaders to retain their staff and not lose valuable experience from their team.

Join us for an open panel conversation on the challenges of staffing today’s IT departments. State of Nebraska CIO Matthew McCarville will lead this discussion with several visionary local leaders. They will share their experiences and offer you tips on how to maintain a team. You will also have a chance to learn more about the best moves as you navigate your own career.

Panelists:

  • Derek Kruse, Chief Information Officer, Douglas-Omaha Technology Commission
  • Larra Petersen-Lukenda, Chief Operating Officer, CyncHealth
  • Deb Sander, Director of Human Resources, City of Omaha
  • Nate Watson, CEO, Contemporary Analysis (CAN) and Omaha Data Science Academy (ODSA)

Dr. McCarville is a results-driven executive with a diverse background spanning higher education, government, data analytics, and global consulting. As an accomplished leader, educator, and technology strategist; he is committed to driving positive change and harnessing the power of data and technology for the benefit of organizations, education, and society. He is also dedicated to fostering a culture of innovation, ethical data use, and strategic decision-making in any organization he engages with.

With extensive experience as a Chief Information Officer, Chief Data Officer & Vice Chancellor; Dr. McCarville has managed complex operations, led large teams, and navigated budget challenges/constraints with an innovative mindset. His work in higher education and government has allowed him to play a pivotal role in shaping the strategic direction of information resources and technology to support state, academic, research, and service operations. He is also a 1st generation college student and Creighton Alumni, a 50% Hispanic, an 18 year Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Cancer Survivor, a PCA stroke survivor, prior public assistance program beneficiary, ward of the state, group home, and adoption process ‘alumni.’

Additionally, Dr. McCarville’s experience in global consulting as Vice President at MTX Consulting Group/Maverick AI (MavQ) as well as at PwC Global Consulting involved heading thought leadership and sales management for international business and public sector verticals. He has extensive expertise in implementing data consolidation, systems modernization, AI/ML, as well as a strong track record in business process re-engineering and robotic process automation (RPA).

As the former CDO for the State of Florida, Dr. McCarville’s work in the public sector involved collaborating with various political, agency and county stakeholders and to implement RPA and BPR as well as creating innovative data management strategies that contributed to efficiency, transparency, and data-driven decision-making.

[1 CPE] Disaster Preparedness and Data Protection Strategies for Business Continuous Availability

  Presented by Arcserve

As natural disasters like hurricanes, wildfires, and severe winter events become more frequent and intense, businesses face increasing economic and operational challenges. High-profile disasters, including the Camp Fire in 2018, which incurred a staggering $16.5 billion in damages, and Hurricane Maria’s profound impact on Puerto Rico, estimated at $139 billion for full recovery, underscore the escalating financial stakes.

This presentation will explore effective strategies to bolster business resilience in the face of natural catastrophes.

Key elements of the session will include:

  • Critical insights from Arcserve’s annual global research study on disaster preparedness.
  • A comprehensive Disaster Preparedness Checklist tailored for companies.
  • Practical tools designed to safeguard business operations and data resilience.

We will delve into the details of a 5-step disaster and ransomware recovery plan template, as well as the 3-2-1-1 backup strategy, which ensures robust data recovery through multiple backup copies stored both locally and offsite. By implementing these strategies, businesses can minimize financial losses, reduce operational downtime, and achieve a rapid recovery, thereby ensuring continuity even during catastrophic events. This session aims to arm business leaders with the essential tools and knowledge to safeguard their enterprises amidst an increasingly unpredictable global landscape.

[1 CPE] AI: Friend or Foe? An Open Discussion With Your Colleagues

  Presented by INTERFACE Advisory Council

Artificial Intelligence has made a mark already and its use will only continue to expand. Are we fully prepared to embrace AI in our workplaces? Viewpoints differ on how widely AI should be used at this point. Commonly used applications and software now include AI capabilities as a part of their standard offerings. How is this governed in your company? Do you even have an AI policy drafted?

Join the INTERFACE Advisory Council for an open discussion on all things AI. We will cover the risks associated with using AI –– and the risk of NOT using it. What knowledge do you need right now? Bring your questions as we explore the starting points that every IT department needs to consider for an effective AI policy.

Panelists:

  • Jason Boche, Sr Director, Corporate Development & Strategy, Union Pacific
  • Dr. Lisa McKee, Assistant Professor Cybersecurity, Bellevue University
  • Terrance Steinhart, Manager, Cybersecurity, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Nebraska
  • Justin Williams, Director, Information Security, Hudl

[1 CPE] Global Insights on Identity Security Maturity: Why it Matters? Why Now?

  Presented by Seth Garlett, Solutions Engineer • CyberArk

In our global survey of 1,500 identity-related security experts, we found only 9% of organizations have the highest level of maturity. These Transformative organizations have the most mature identity security programs as they strategically focus on four key tenets: tools, integration, automation, and continuous threat detection & response. As a result, these organizations significantly outperform their competition in driving business outcomes and reducing risk. Learn how you can mature your identity security program because the future of security starts with identity.

Key Session Takeaways:

  • Top challenges for identity security
  • The four tenets of identity security
  • How to take a holistic approach to identity security
  • Key considerations in evaluating identity security providers

Seth Garlett is an accomplished professional with experience in Sales Engineering and Software Engineering. Seth has significant experience in the development of web applications for organizations ranging from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies. His expertise lies in creating identity-based solutions and leading software development teams. Seth is now dedicated to utilizing his extensive knowledge to provide valuable insights and support in helping clients achieve their identity goals and milestones.

[1 CPE] Translating Real-World Scenarios into Impactful Incident Response Training

  Presented by Don Pecha, CISO, and Arturo Romero, Cloud Security Architect • FNTS

The probability of an IT incident happening in your organization is not “if” but “when.”

Social engineering, insider risks, data leaks, equipment failure, and exploits are among the long list of real-world incidents facing today’s enterprises. Do you have a plan in place to prevent and respond to threats that could result in downtime, disruption, and lost revenue?

FNTS Chief Information Security Officer Don Pecha and Cloud Security Architect Arturo Romero will discuss how to build cyber resiliency strategies that include having a cyber incident response training plan and multiple security layers to protect and secure IT platforms from different types of threats.

[1 CPE] The Human Factor: Quantifying Human Risk

  Presented by Sara Anstey, Director of Data Analytics and Risk  • Novacoast

This talk will explore the growing field of human risk management and quantification, diving into the next step in an organization’s risk journey: quantifying people. We will discuss where the market is, how people are adopting it, and what organizations can gain from human risk management.

Join this session on the emerging and evolving field of human risk quantification, which aims to apply quantitative methods to assign risk scores to every employee at a company based on their actions and access. This space is very similar to where cyber risk quantification was about 4 years ago when there were a few start-ups in the market and a few active voices on LinkedIn advocating for the adoption of these practices. Now, human risk quantification is an organizational priority. Having done extensive research into where the players in the market are and how companies utilize these strategies, human risk quantification has become the next step of a risk journey for many companies. Over 80% of breaches involve the human element –– if organizations want to stop them, they need to understand how the people they employ affect their security posture.

[1 CPE] Demystifying Zero Trust: Simplifying Network Security

  Presented by Tanner Harrison, Systems Engineer • Fortinet

Today’s ever-changing threat landscape challenges traditional security models. The emergence of the Zero Trust model represents a transformative approach, reshaping how organizations protect their assets. This presentation aims to demystify Zero Trust, offering a comprehensive understanding that goes beyond buzzwords. We will explore the foundational concepts of Zero Trust, emphasizing the “never trust, always verify” philosophy. By the end of this session, attendees will be equipped with the knowledge to begin their Zero Trust journey, enhancing their security posture, and protecting critical data and systems from modern threats. Whether you are a security professional, IT manager, or organizational leader, this discussion will empower you to take decisive action toward a more secure future.

[1 CPE] Could You Recover from a Cyberattack?

  Presented by Jeff Polczynski, Director of Solutions Architecture • 11:11 Systems

Cybercrime continues to be the number one worry for most organizations, and for good reason. Cyberattacks are the most common reason for an outage — and the most impactful. But defending against cyberattacks is only one part of a holistic plan for surviving a ransomware attack. Could you recover if cyber criminals targeted your organization?

During our presentation, we’ll discuss how to create a holistic cyber resilience strategy that considers ongoing technical drift and changes.

Jeff T. Polczynski is the Director of Solutions Architecture at 11:11 Systems. Previously, he was a key member of the Network Engineering team, where he helped design and build the network infrastructure for the 11:11 Cloud. Jeff has more than 20 years of experience in data center, networking and security roles across government, financial services, and service provider companies. Outside of work, he loves backpacking and is always on the lookout for the perfect spot to hang his hammock for a night under the stars.

[1 CPE] Sprung a Leak! Unit 42’s 2024 Leak Site Analysis

  Presented by Palo Alto Networks & Structured

Unit 42 monitors ransomware and extortion leak sites closely to keep tabs on threat activity and monitors data from dedicated leak sites (DLS) that are often only accessible through the dark web. Throughout our analysis, we compare activity results so that we are accounting for any seasonal fluctuations that can occur due to annual holidays, travel seasons and other recurring events that may impact threat activity. Here we will take a dive into those key leak site trends impacting the state of cybersecurity.

[1 CPE] Proactive Threat Mitigation Through East/West Traffic Isolation

  Presented by HPE Aruba Networking & Structured

Ransomware and targeted cyber security threats are on the rise. A proactive prevention strategy should use both tried and proven methodologies as well as new and emerging technologies. East West traffic identification and isolation is key in preventing malicious content from spreading, both in the Data Center and at the Campus Edge of the network. We will focus on innovative approaches to address the security compliance, performance, agility, and scalability demands of today’s highly distributed, hybrid, network environments.