Florida Technology Summit Agenda

Josh Karnes is a seasoned technologist and identity security expert serving as Principal Identity Architect at One Identity since 2021, where he specializes in identity governance and administration. With over 30 years in technology, Josh is a versatile engineer and inventor, holding eight patents in fields ranging from mechanical engineering to precision time synchronization. Beyond his professional achievements, he is an accomplished musician, an aspiring novelist, and a devoted grandfather, balancing his innovative career with a rich

Synopsis

This session explores a more practical approach to identity governance based on using multiple identity technologies together as an integrated identity fabric. Rather than forcing uniform governance everywhere, attendees will learn how to apply the appropriate level of control based on application risk, cost of non governance, and technical constraints. The talk highlights how overlapping capabilities between IGA and access management can be an advantage when used intentionally, extending governance coverage without increasing complexity or user fatigue.

Michael Bacon is a seasoned cybersecurity professional with over 30 years of experience in various technical, product, and marketing leadership roles in several well-known companies. In his current role as Product Marketing Director at Forescout Technologies, he oversees strategic planning and execution of solutions marketing, leveraging his extensive knowledge in cybersecurity solutions and services such as MDR, EDR, NDR, XDR, SIEM, SOAR, and more. His strong communication skills and business experience enable him to engage effectively with a diverse range of audiences, from technical to C-level executives. Throughout his career, Bacon has made impactful contributions such as launching new cybersecurity products and services, driving revenue growth, and enhancing customer satisfaction through innovative solutions. In addition to his professional accomplishments, Bacon holds an MBA in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. His career is marked by a consistent commitment to advancing cybersecurity solutions and strategies.

Synopsis

Specialized threats targeting OT environments have been around since at least 2010, with the reports of Stuxnet. Recognizing the criticality of these devices, Threat Actors have continued evolving, continuing to target OT devices, many of which are inherently insecure-by-design. Research, such as Vedere Labs’ OT:ICEFALL research project and Project Basecamp by Digital Bond from 10 years ago showed how significant the scope of vulnerable devices are that are pervasive in critical infrastructure systems. Today’s SOC needs to not only see those devices and the risks they pose while also ensuring accurate detection of the threats uniquely targeting those OT environments they’re deployed in. This session will explore this unique threat landscape and the capabilities required to combat the threats and automatically mitigate the risks specially targeting Operational Technology environments.

AI Transformation & Business Execution

Rick's Topic

Breaking the Mentality "This is How We Have Always Done It"

James' Topic

AI Fatigue

Synopsis

The executive roundtables are for attendees with VIP badges only. The roundtables are intended for audience participation so be ready to discuss, receive valuable information, and connect with others for further discussion.

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Synopsis

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Anthony Cusimano has worked in many tech roles for over a decade. He started as a developer, shifted to sales, and masterfully moved into marketing. He is a passionate gamer who stays current on everything technology to ensure he can achieve as many frames per second as possible on his gaming PC. He enjoys speaking at events and has previously shared the stage with astronauts and MARVEL superheroes.
Anthony enjoys the nerdier things in life, watching classic movies, building Gundams, and flying questionably legal FPV drones in abandoned mall parking lots. When he isn't geeking out on the latest fad, he and his wife, Sarah, enjoy visiting lesser-known Florida destinations and spoiling their three dogs, Luna, Smudge, and Penny.

Synopsis

If you assume attackers already have access to your passwords, secrets, and privileged accounts, what becomes your last line of defense?
What does true data resilience look like in a world where ransomware attacks, regulatory scrutiny, and cyber insurance requirements are all increasing?
How can organizations prepare for the worst-case scenario and ensure recovery when prevention fails?
Join Anthony Cusimano, Chief Evangelist at Object First, as he explores why recovery has become the ultimate cybersecurity metric and why data resilience is now a board-level business imperative.

Jon has spent the last 30 years at vendors including Citrix, Quest, Ivanti and ControlUp, delivering solutions that enable IT departments and Service Providers to support and deliver a first-class experience for their end users. As a co-founder at Tassient, Jon and his team are defining the future of this space, leveraging the power of Agentic AI. Jon is originally from the UK but has lived in the California since 2010.

Synopsis

Agentic AI enables new ways to support end users for both IT Teams and Managed Service Providers. This session will explore some of the different approaches to managing end users and intergating AI, as seen across the industry. It will evaluate their pros and cons, and their impact on IT administration, and the reality of delivering them. This session will also take a look at the changing economics of Software Vendors in an AI world, and will wrap up with a live demo of Agentic AI in action managing a fleet of desktops and servers.

Kathleen Mullin is an influential information security practitioner & international speaker with over 25 years of experience. She has been CISO at various organizations, focusing primarily on healthcare in the hospital, financial, insurance & cloud-based services.
Throughout her career, she has volunteered & contributed to infosec as a profession, including serving on multiple board & advisory positions. She has spoken at over 100 events worldwide & participated in exam development/review. Currently she is a Board member of the SABSA Institute (TSI), Deputy Chair of TSI EMEA Liaison Group and Treasurer of W. FL ISACA.
She holds a BSBA from St Joseph’s College, Maine, an MBA from Florida Metropolitan University; her current credentials include CISSP, APMG AT-CDPSE, CDPSE, SABSA SCF & NACD.DC.

Speaker's Bio

Johan Lidros is the founder and President of Eminere Group, which provides IT Governance and Risk Management Services. He has specialized in providing IT governance, IT risk management, IT audit, and information security assurance solutions to the higher education and healthcare industries for over 20 years. Johan has a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the Stockholm University. He is a Certified in the Governance of Enterprise IT (CGEIT), Certified Information System Auditor (CISA), Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC), HITRUST Certified Common Security Framework Practitioner, and certified in IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL-F). Johan is an AHIA IT subject matter expert and member of the Tech Talk Committee. He is also the previous President of the North and Central Florida HIMSS chapter and a 2012-2014 member of the ISACA CGEIT certification committee.

Synopsis

Tabletop Exercises with Executive Leadership can be challenging for CISO’s. Even when required by cyber insurers, regulators, and organizational policy, these are often checkbox exercises that can be costly and painful. Tabletop exercises can be one of the best ways for the CISO to align business goals to resilience capabilities in that they provide enlightenment for executive management of their role, accountability, and needed governance input to ensure business-aligned resilience.

In this facilitated sample exercise, where you get to play the roles of the other executives, we explore how to actively engage and provide value to those whose expectations and understanding are likely to differ from reality. The scenarios and “injects” will be based on the attendees. We will discuss what defines a successful vs. unsuccessful exercise and post exercise we will break down our results as well as an opportunity for participants to share their insights and experiences. Ultimately, this will provide tools to make a business case by the CISO, CIO, resilience team, risk management for executive sponsorship of the resilience program and ongoing tabletop exercises. Testing is the best way to ensure effective resilience.

With over 30 years of experience in the IT industry, Bill Mylchreest is a seasoned expert in IT channel development and management. His extensive career includes more than 20 years dedicated to IT channel development and management, with a significant focus on cybersecurity for over a decade. Bill possesses in-depth knowledge of the cybersecurity landscape, specializing in endpoint protection, EDR/XDR, and managed detection and response services.
Bill has shared his expertise at numerous notable events, including DataConnectors, FutureCon, and various regional partner events. His passion for public speaking is matched by his enthusiasm for music and outdoor activities, making him a dynamic and engaging speaker.

Synopsis

In today’s digital age, cybersecurity risk insurance and AI advancements are reshaping business security strategies. Cybersecurity insurance is crucial for mitigating the financial impacts of cyber threats, while AI offers both enhanced protection and new challenges. This presentation explores the evolving cyber insurance landscape and the transformative role of AI in cybersecurity. By integrating these insights, businesses can better navigate modern cybersecurity complexities. Leveraging cyber insurance and AI innovations, organizations can safeguard their digital assets in an interconnected world.

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Synopsis

How can a SMB Leverage Some of the Emerging Tools:
- Important conversations with the C-Suite
- Selling the vision to Operations
- Stretching beyond break/fix to becoming a business partner
- Vendor relations/ partnering

Neil’s education history includes an MBA in Management Information Systems, a BSEE, and is CompTIA Security+ certified. He is currently a Solution Architect at ESET, with over 30 years’ experience in information security, networking, and storage systems. Neil also has experience as an Adjunct Professor at various technical institutes for over 20 years. When not working, he enjoys spending time with his 2 grandchildren, competing in triathlons, and regular exercise.

Synopsis

AI adoption is accelerating across businesses, but security controls are not always advancing at the same pace. Organizations now face a dual challenge: defending against increasingly scalable AI-powered attacks while managing the data, access, and visibility risks created by their own AI use. In this session, we will explore how AI is reshaping the cybersecurity landscape, from AI-assisted malware and social engineering to the risks introduced by generative AI tools and autonomous agents. Through real-world research and practical examples, attendees will learn how organizations can use AI as a defensive advantage while protecting sensitive data, securing AI interactions, and maintaining visibility over emerging AI-driven activity.

Mark Benson is a tenured system engineering manager with over twelve years of running large national programs including healthcare at NetApp, Federal Sales at EMC and currently state, local and education at Nutanix. Prior to his sales career Mark was on the customer side for fifteen years at locations such as Florida State University, Florida Dept. of Health and John Deere.

Throughout both phases of Marks career successful project outcome has always been a driving factor. With wide knowledge across the data center stack as well as cloud services, Mark continues to drive innovation into the world of IT through the balance of successful technologies and efficient usage of funds.

Synopsis

Today’s hybrid and multi cloud infrastructures heavily utilize virtualization, software-defined infrastructure and automation. This has provided IT teams with more efficiency and agility but has also compounded security risks. These security threats are more acute for State, local, and education agencies as they carry confidential citizen, student and state information. The agencies and institutions face the constant threat of ransomware and other destructive forms of cyberattacks. Do you have the right infrastructure and processes to improve your security posture across the kill-chain?

Rick Stevenson is the Regional Sales Manager for the Eastern US and UK at CyberFOX, overseeing AutoElevate for privilege access management and Password Boss. With two years at CyberFOX, he combines technical expertise with a commitment to partner service. A proud Wolverine, he holds a degree from the University of Michigan and draws on his experience in the automotive and finance industries.

Synopsis

We’ll dive into how CyberFOX solutions proactively tackle today’s evolving cybersecurity landscape, including AI-driven threats, and how addressing common misconfigurations can make a big difference. Sometimes, better security starts with something as simple as putting a lock on the door!

Matt is Vice President of Sales, Mid-Atlantic and Southeast Regions, and has over 20 years of experience providing data center and network infrastructure solutions to enterprises and government entities.

Synopsis

Explore how data centers support AI, cloud computing, and digital transformation while driving economic development and innovation. Discover why infrastructure strategy is becoming a critical competitive advantage for organizations of every size.

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Synopsis

Security teams today are bombarded by alerts and struggle with disconnected tools, making it difficult to pinpoint and stop the threats that matter most. Join top SecOps experts as they share real customer stories and explore what it really takes to get to the bottom of endless alerts.
Learn from real-world SecOps transformations and discover proven methods to focus resources on what truly matters. Take actionable ideas back to your organization to strengthen your SOC, accelerate threat detection, and gain operational clarity.

Alicia Leone is a cybersecurity professional with more than 16 years of experience helping organizations strengthen security posture and improve threat detection and response. She has held security roles at Cisco, Radware, and TierPoint, where she works with enterprise organizations to assess risk, identify visibility gaps, and shape practical security operations strategies. Alicia’s expertise includes telemetry visibility, threat detection, and response readiness across hybrid and cloud environments. She is particularly focused on how security teams must adapt as attackers increasingly use automation and artificial intelligence.

Synopsis

AI adoption is accelerating across every industry — and with it, a growing number of entry points that most security programs weren't designed to protect. Every new AI tool, integration, and workflow your organization deploys expands your attack surface in ways that traditional security controls often can't see, let alone defend.

In this session, Alicia Leone, Security Sales Specialist at TierPoint, cuts through the AI enthusiasm to ask the question every IT leader needs to answer: as your AI strategy grows, is your security posture keeping pace?

Attendees will walk away with a practical framework for evaluating the security implications of their AI investments, understanding where the blind spots typically live, and knowing what a future-ready security program actually looks like in practice regardless of where they are on the maturity curve today.

Jeffrey Wheat is a seasoned cybersecurity expert with extensive experience in protecting organizations from sophisticated threats. As CTO at Lumu Technologies, Jeff specializes in strategically implementing continuous compromise assessment, providing deep insights into network vulnerabilities, and enhancing incident response. He is dedicated to educating businesses on the latest cyber threat trends and effective defense mechanisms.

Synopsis

In this session, we’ll examine the most common techniques used by adversaries against businesses across America, and how to defend accordingly. Learn how infostealer malware serves as a prime initial vector for ransomware attacks while also fueling the credential marketplace.

Anthony (Tony P) Pillitiere is the co-founder at Horizon3.ai. Prior to Horizon3.ai, he served for more than two decades in the United States Air Force on highly sensitive missions. His breadth of experience spans from supporting DoD research and development, plus education and training, to on-the-x tactical and enterprise communications across six duty stations and many deployments. Anthony's twilight position was as the former Deputy CTO for JSOC. His biggest passion of all is his amazing wife and children.

Synopsis

Join Anthony “Tony” Pillitiere, Co-Founder of Horizon3.ai, for an engaging session on “Offense-Driven Defense.” TonyP will challenge conventional risk assessment practices and unveil how emphasizing real-world exploitability and impact can revolutionize your security approach. Drawing from over 170,000 autonomous pentests, he’ll share compelling stories and actionable insights that reveal how viewing your cyber terrain through an attacker’s lens can uncover hidden vulnerabilities, optimize resource allocation, and fortify your defenses against advanced threats. Don’t miss this chance to learn from a leading industry trailblazer on why it’s time to “go hack yourself” to build resilience in today’s borderless threat environment.

Andrew Moore has a history of building great operational systems. He has worked in the IT arena for over 17 years and has been instrumental in the successful building of several businesses into multi-million dollar companies.

Synopsis

Businesses need to be aware of the changing threat to their organizations posed by cyber security criminals. This presentation walks business executives through the current issues facing companies, approaches on how to solve these issues and real world tactics employers can utilize for a safer network.

Gary Barlet currently serves as Illumio’s Public Sector Chief Technology Officer where he is responsible for working with Federal and SLED agencies, contractors and the broader ecosystem to build in Zero Trust Segmentation as a strategic component of the government Zero Trust architecture. Prior to joining Illumio, he served as Chief Information Officer for the Office of the Inspector General, United States Postal Service for almost 10 years. He is a retired Lieutenant Colonel from the United States Air Force where he served as a Cyberspace Operations Officer for 20 years where he held key leadership positions, including on the Air Force and Air National Guard CIO staffs.

Synopsis

No Security Prevention architecture will ever be 100% effective. Eventually, even the best-planned barrier will be breached, either from the outside or internally. An “assume breach” Security mindset needs to exist in parallel with efforts to prevent one, and the architecture needs to be able to address breaches which were not detected, and to contain them. Zero Trust needs to plan for the unexpected.

James Bowie is an accomplished leader with decades of cybersecurity experience and leadership in threat hunting, incident response, threat intelligence, and security operations. Strong leader and strategist with demonstrated ability to bridge between security, infrastructure, and business needs. Experience leading multiple areas in information technology, including cloud infrastructure and security, with strong results in employee engagement and productivity.

Synopsis

The executive CXO Forum is for attendees with VIP badges only. This session is intended for audience participation so be ready to discuss, receive valuable information, and connect with others for further discussion.

Ray Moore

Panelist

Ron Bevans

Panelist

Jo Cooey

Panelist

Ebony Pierce

Synopsis

The executive panel discussion is for attendees with VIP badges only. This panel will cover an array of different topcis, come and listen! This session will include audience Q&A.

Andrew Mazza is the Director of Quality Assurance at Atakama. Backed by extensive software development experience, he bridges engineering, product reliability, and client operations to ensure bulletproof delivery. Adept at deep technical troubleshooting and building automated test suites from the ground up, he mentors high-performing teams to resolve intricate defects, mitigate attack surfaces, and accelerate release cycles without compromising performance or regulatory compliance.

Synopsis

Please join Atakama for a practical discussion on why Shadow AI has made the browser one of the most significant blind spots in today’s security stack. As employees increasingly use AI tools, SaaS applications, web portals, and cloud-based workflows, sensitive data and business activity are moving directly through the browser session—often without IT or security oversight.

We will examine the emerging threats security teams need to address, including unsanctioned AI usage, SaaS sprawl, risky browser extensions, credential exposure, and browser-based data leakage. Attendees will learn how managed browser security can provide the visibility, governance, and policy enforcement needed to protect users and data while complementing the security tools already in place.

Partha is a cybersecurity expert, product builder, and entrepreneur. He began his journey as a cyber warfare officer in the United States Air Force, where he honed his practitioner skills in many facets of security operations. Partha then transitioned to the private sector, where he was a Product Leader developing cutting-edge security products at top-tier companies like Datadog and CrowdStrike. Now as a co-founder of a pioneering generative AI cybersecurity company, Partha is dedicated to transforming security operations and tackling today’s most pressing cyber challenges.

Synopsis

In today’s rapidly evolving cyber landscape, traditional security operations often struggle to keep pace with emerging threats and expanding attack surfaces. Discover how Kenzo Security harnesses the power of generative AI to empower security teams to respond to threats more effectively and pinpoint the most critical security issues within their environments. Join us as we explore the capabilities of generative AI in automating security operations, enhancing incident response, and streamlining security workflows. Attendees will gain valuable insights into real-world challenges, the limitations of current solutions, and strategies for leveraging generative AI to modernize their security frameworks and significantly reduce cyber risk.

Leonard A. Lans is an accomplished Sales Leader with over 14 years of experience selling SaaS, professional services, mobility, end-to-end communications, network services & security solutions across a multitude of industries in the Mid-Market space. He plays a critical role in leading a team of professionals responsible for a $20+ million-dollar customer portfolio. His team delivers game-changing solutions to enhance the agility, productivity and global reach of businesses. Using his entrepreneurial mindset, expertise in Consultative Sales and Sales Leadership he's assisted many organizations transform the way their communities live, work and play.

Synopsis

Join us for a conversation about business trends in Tampa and how Verizon is impacting local businesses through their network, products, and community engagement.

John Graham

Panelist

Gary Flowers

Panelist

Jason O'Neill

Panelist

Marcus Session

Panelist

Lisa Young

Synopsis

This panel discussion will cover an array of different topics, come & listen! This session will also include audiance Q&A

Jessica Lynn has held various roles in the cybersecurity industry for the past 9 years. Moving from distribution to channel development to enterprise sales – she has a pulse on the threat landscape that businesses face today in the age of digital. She thrives on helping partners and businesses solve their biggest problems. Today Jessi is Director of Partner Sales with UK based cybersecurity company Glasswall and loves her life at home with soon to be husband-to-be, her 13 yr old son, her 2 cats and a dog.

Speaker's Bio

For the last 5 and a half years Greg Rhein has been one of Glasswall’s Solutions Architects and is currently based out of our Reston VA office. Prior to this he was Security products Sales Manager and Technical Lead of an Arizona based Distributor. Previously to this he has held positions as an Enterprise Product Manager at HP/Compaq and Contract Product Support lead at Apple Computer. He has also worked as a Technical lead while consulting for MGM Studios, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Fox Studios, SunAmerica (AIG) as well as a number of Bi-Coastal Law firms.

Speaker's Bio

Pete Newman is US Sales Director for Glasswall based in the NYC area and has a background in financial and regulatory technology, software and market data. As a Sales Executive, Product Manager and software entrepreneur, Pete has helped large investment banks, wealth management firms and leading online brokers solve business problems with best of breed technology solutions. His company Gotham Software, a provider of compliance solutions for the fixed income market was acquired by Ipreo (IHS Markit) in 2004.

Synopsis

Real time prevention strategy is key to staying ahead of cyber criminals and to keep up with digital transformation and globalization trends. Come learn about an emerging technology – Content Disarm and Reconstruct (CDR) – which aims to restore trust to digital collaboration and give your security and business operations teams a fighting chance to operate in today’s climate. CDR is the next defacto standard to prevention based cybersecurity strategy by shifting from looking for potential bad to what a known good file content looks like. Trust your files again.

Melissa Pici is a GRC and cybersecurity leader who believes effective risk management starts with people, business understanding, and meaningful collaboration. As Global Director of Governance, Risk, and Compliance at Syniverse, she draws on more than two decades of experience spanning IT audit, cybersecurity, risk, compliance, and operational assurance to help organizations connect risk and controls to real-world business decisions. Melissa holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Information Security and Assurance, is continuing her studies in Cybersecurity with a focus on Artificial Intelligence and Data Science, and holds CISA certification.

Synopsis

This is a session you don't want to miss!