Topic: Information Security

Seminar Topics

[1 CPE] From Cyber Risk to Resilience: Turning Insight Into Action

  Presented by Chad Alessi, Managing Director, Cybersecurity • CTG

Many organizations generate cybersecurity assessments and compliance reports, but struggle to translate them into actions that meaningfully reduce operational risk. This session explores practical strategies for turning cybersecurity insights into decision frameworks that support operational continuity and executive risk management. Drawing on experiences from critical infrastructure and healthcare environments, the talk highlights how organizations can move from compliance-driven security to true cyber resilience.

[1 CPE] Observations from the Front Lines: The People Behind the Threats and Trends

  Presented by Brian Knopp, Principal Sales Engineer • Arctic Wolf

Cybersecurity threats don’t emerge in isolation—they are observed, analyzed, and stopped by real people working on the front lines every day. This session pulls back the curtain on modern security operations, focusing on the human-driven research that powers effective threat detection, incident response, and adaptive security strategies.

Drawing on Arctic Wolf Labs research, SOC analyst expertise, and real-world incident data, this talk examines how today’s attacks are identified, contextualized, and disrupted in live environments. Attendees will gain insight into the patterns behind the most persistent threats, how adversaries continually adapt, and why defenders must evolve just as quickly. Rather than focusing solely on tools or alerts, this session highlights the people, processes, and intelligence that transform raw telemetry into actionable defense – illustrating how to turn frontline observations into scalable protection for organizations of all sizes.

[1 CPE] Latest Data Breaches, Quantum Computing, External Key Management in the Cloud

  Presented by Thales

Welcome to our session on modern data threats and protection strategies. As cyber risks evolve, securing sensitive information is more critical than ever. We’ll explore how encryption and key management can help protect your most valuable assets, especially in cloud environments.

We’ll highlight the benefits of external key management, offering greater control and compliance. Additionally, we’ll touch on the growing impact of quantum computing—and why it’s vital to start preparing now.

Join us to discover the latest advancements in data security and learn how to stay ahead of emerging threats.

[1 CPE] Data Resilience in the Age of Attack: Protect What Matters

  Presented by Landra Pierce, Product Strategy Technologist • Veeam

Cyberattacks are no longer a distant threat; they are a reality every IT team must be prepared for. When an attack occurs, your data becomes both the primary target and the key to recovery. Many organizations still rely on backup strategies that are designed for hardware failures or accidental deletions, rather than today’s threats, like ransomware, insider risk, and automated attacks. This disconnect creates vulnerabilities, especially when backups become an overlooked entry point in your security strategy. In this session, we will address these challenges to help you better protect your organization.

This session is ideal for IT professionals who want greater confidence in safeguarding their data and peace of mind. We will examine the most common oversights that leave organizations, including those in government, education, healthcare, and other sectors, exposed to cyberthreats. You’ll discover how teams are advancing beyond basic backup to adopt a cyber-ready approach, including topics like immutability, threat awareness, rapid recovery, and intelligent automation.

Our focus will be practical and grounded in real-world scenarios, and what truly works when pressure is high and time is limited. Because when every minute counts and trust is at stake, data resilience means more than surviving an attack. It’s about protecting what matters most and emerging even stronger.

[1 CPE] From Assessment to Implementation: Inside a Live CMMC Journey

  Presented by Matt Palguta, Cybersecurity Director • Bering Straits Native Corporation

The Department of War’s CMMC program has lifted off for Stage One. This session will feature updates on the program from a CMMC Lead Assessor who will be wrapping up his own program assessment just before the conference with Bering Straits. Listen in on lessons learned from assessing and guiding other organizations while building a CMMC program. The final rule brought clarity and some new wrinkles. Not all of your OS crypto modules have yet to pass FIPS Validation… Hmm, is that an Enduring Exception or an Operational Plan of Action? What are those? There will be time for questions at the end, and Matt will be available to answer additional questions after the session as well.

Matt Palguta has 20+ years of cybersecurity experience in government contracting and manufacturing. As Cybersecurity Director for Bering Straits Native Corporation, he has built their CMMC compliance program to be certified and support future compliance needs beyond CUI data. Matt’s experience includes building a security operations center for the FAA and managing global cybersecurity operations for Cummins Diesel. He teaches as an adjunct professor of cybersecurity with Ivy Tech. Matt is also the founder and CEO of Alyeska Cybersecurity LLC, a CMMC and industrial control system consultancy.

[1 CPE] Cybersecurity and Compliance For 2026

  Presented by Structured

This session examines how organizations can align cybersecurity, privacy, and compliance programs with the realities of 2026. The presentation reviews current threat trends, executive accountability requirements, and the expanding impact of artificial intelligence on risk management. It then connects federal, state, and industry obligations, including NIST CSF 2.0, HIPAA, CJIS, PCI DSS 4.0, CMMC, and emerging privacy laws to practical security program design. Attendees will leave with a clear framework for building a complete security program that integrates governance, segmentation, risk management, Zero Trust principles, and penetration testing to reduce risk and support regulatory readiness.

[1 CPE] Go Hack Yourself: War Stories from over 170,000 Pentests

  Presented by Raakish Appasani, Sr Solutions Architect • Horizon3.ai

Join Raakish Appasani, Senior Solutions Architect, for an engaging session on “Offense-Driven Defense.” Raakish will challenge conventional risk assessment practices and unveil how focusing on real-world exploitability and impact can revolutionize your security approach. Drawing from insights gathered across more than 170,000 autonomous pentests, he’ll share compelling stories and actionable lessons that show how viewing your cyber terrain through an attacker’s lens can uncover hidden vulnerabilities, optimize resource allocation, and strengthen your defenses against advanced threats. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from a leading industry practitioner on why it’s time to “go hack yourself” and build resilience in today’s borderless threat environment.

[1 CPE] Speaking the Language of Risk

  Presented by Tom Ruoff, Principal Consultant • Image Source

Organizations face rapidly evolving cyber threats, yet many still view technology as a cost center rather than a strategic partner. This presentation reframes the conversation by translating technical risks into business and financial terms leaders understand. Attendees will learn how to identify Business Essential Functions (BEFs), quantify operational and financial impacts, and apply practical risk‑estimation methods. By establishing a common language of risk, leaders can align priorities, invest where it matters most, and meaningfully reduce enterprise exposure. The session equips both executives and IT teams with tools to build consensus and drive smarter, outcome‑based cybersecurity decisions.

Tom Ruoff serves as Principal Consultant for ImageSource, Inc. providing cybersecurity consulting services (risk assessments, threat hunting, pen testing, breach remediation, security architectures, policies, business impact assessment) to commercial clients including Native American Tribes and Tribal Casinos, he is also a founder and current CEO of Zorse Cyber. Tom retired from the Dept of Homeland Security (DHS), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) in June 2023, as Chief, Methodology Branch, supervising vulnerability assessments for elections, power generation/distribution, and pipelines, and Federal Government IT systems. Before DHS, Tom was the Director of Systems Division at Northrop Grumman, developing cross domain solutions (CDS) for National Security Agency (NSA) and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Air Force veteran with tours at NSA, CIA element of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and Defense Intelligence Agency He is a Level III Federally Certified Program Manager, PMP, CISSP, CMMI Associate, MS/BS degrees in physics and electrical engineering.

[1 CPE] New Era of Deception: AI, Deep Fakes, and the Dark Web

  Presented by Morgan Trust, Associate Penetration Tester • FRSecure

Explore how artificial intelligence is fueling a new wave of cyber deception through deep fakes, social engineering, and dark web activity. In this session, Morgan Trust, Associate Penetration Tester at FRSecure, will uncover real-world examples and emerging threats while offering strategies to spot and defend against them. Gain the knowledge you need to navigate this evolving landscape with confidence.

As an Associate Penetration Tester at FRSecure, Morgan brings five years of experience and holds both the eLearnSecurity Junior Penetration Tester and CompTIA Security+ SY0-601 certifications to the table. Morgan is an extremely valuable asset to the team who works directly on the front lines with FRSecure’s clients. In his free time, Morgan enjoys Capture the Flag competitions, weightlifting, cooking/baking, dancing, listening to music at max volume, hiking, thrifting, and spending time with family.

[1 CPE] Observations from the Front Lines: The People Behind the Threats and Trends

  Presented by Peter Ingebrigtsen, Sr Technical Marketing Manager • Arctic Wolf

Cybersecurity threats don’t emerge in isolation—they are observed, analyzed, and stopped by real people working on the front lines every day. This session pulls back the curtain on modern security operations, focusing on the human-driven research that powers effective threat detection, incident response, and adaptive security strategies.

Drawing on Arctic Wolf Labs research, SOC analyst expertise, and real-world incident data, this talk examines how today’s attacks are identified, contextualized, and disrupted in live environments. Attendees will gain insight into the patterns behind the most persistent threats, how adversaries continually adapt, and why defenders must evolve just as quickly. Rather than focusing solely on tools or alerts, this session highlights the people, processes, and intelligence that transform raw telemetry into actionable defense – illustrating how to turn frontline observations into scalable protection for organizations of all sizes.