Rocky Mountain Technology Summit Agenda

Debbi Blyth, Executive Strategist, is part of the Executive Strategist Team at CrowdStrike, where she provides strategic advisory services related to enterprise cybersecurity solutions for all industry verticals including Government, Education and Healthcare. Prior to joining CrowdStrike, Deborah Blyth spent 7 years as Colorado’s Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). During her tenure she was successful at doubling the cybersecurity budget, recovering from a large-scale ransomware attack, and measurably reducing risk across the state. Deborah has over 25 years technology background and 15 years leading information security programs. Before joining the state of Colorado, Deborah led the IT Security and Compliance programs at TTEC (5 years) and Travelport (3 years). Deborah is a Colorado native, and graduated Summa cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree from Regis University.

Synopsis

Sophisticated adversaries have increased the frequency, speed, and impact of cyber attacks targeting all businesses and organizations. Join Deborah Blyth, former Colorado state CISO, and Executive Strategist, as she discusses the latest cybersecurity observations and attack trends. She will talk about the threat actors and their motivations, commonly observed attack methodologies, and recommendations to increase the resiliency of your organization.

Learning Outcomes:
• Learn about the adversaries targeting all industries, and why yours may be an attractive target.
• Understand the most common techniques used to gain and maintain access to victim environments.
• Gain knowledge of best practices for protecting your organization with actionable takeaways and recommendations to significantly reduce the risk and potential impact of a breach.

Ryan Bowman is the VP of Solutions Engineering at ThreatLocker, an Orlando-based cybersecurity firm providing Zero Trust endpoint security to customers around the world. Ryan is an IT and Security professional with 25+ years of experience in corporate IT and MSP leadership. Ryan leads of team of engineers who are dedicated to ensuring the success of Zero Trust implementations for all ThreatLocker customers' solutions to protect organizations from cyberattacks.

Synopsis

In a world where anyone can create successful malware or have AI generate it for them, it's important to know how malware can be successful so you can better defend. Starting from a default-deny posture, learn how adopting Zero Trust principles can keep your data safe and operations running regardless of hacking attempts by man or machine.

Nader Zaveri has over 15 years in the cybersecurity industry, and holds over a dozen industry-related certifications as well as an author and a regular speaker at industry events. Specializing in incident response and remediation, particularly against complex threats like nation-states and ransomware, he's also led post-incident transformational projects in security and infrastructure. Nader's experience spans leadership roles in top cybersecurity firms and multinational organizations. Apart from his professional pursuits, he mentors young professionals and has served on the boards of various startups, contributing significantly to their growth and success.

Synopsis

In today’s enterprise environments, secure email gateways play a critical role in filtering and scrutinizing email content for potential threats. Positioned at the intersection between the public Internet and corporate email servers, these gateways become highly coveted targets for malicious actors. The recently disclosed vulnerability in the Barracuda Email Security Gateway (ESG), CVE-2023-28686, had a significant impact on organizations worldwide while providing a level of access to threat actors in an environment that significantly enabled their overall objectives.

In this talk, we will dive into first hand encounters from our investigations into these intrusions right from their infancy. We will provide an insightful walkthrough of the threat actors' playbook and attack path, explore available logs and artifacts that aid in analysis, present a comprehensive methodology to shed light on these malicious activities, and actionable remediation actions to reduce the attack surface. By the end of this session, attendees will be empowered to identify malicious activity within their secure email gateways and possess the necessary defense strategies to combat such threats.

Bruce Johnson has worked in the IT industry for over 30 years with IBM, Cisco Systems and now Cradlepoint. He is a security CISSP and has been working in security for over 20 years. He loves speaking about relevant cybersecurity solutions and how they can address business issues. He has delivered presentations at security events around the world. In his current role, he focuses on 5G networking and security solutions for Cradlepoint.
Bruce has a B.S. degree in Computer Science and Statistics from Brigham Young University. He lives in the foothills of northern Utah and enjoys skiing, mountain biking, and woodworking.

Synopsis

Just as WD-40 has proven its versatility by finding numerous uses beyond its initial purpose, browser isolation technology is now demonstrating its own adaptability in the security realm. Originally a tool for web security, isolation has expanded its reach into other critical areas such as securing bring-your-own-device (BYOD) and unmanaged devices, safeguarding data shared via collaboration platforms like Zoom and Teams, and even addressing longstanding phishing challenges. Join us in this session to explore the diverse use cases of isolation technology and discover how it can help fortify your organization's defenses against an ever-evolving threat landscape. A true zero trust solution..

Justin Bortnick is an accomplished professional in the field of data protection, currently serving as the Manager of Sales Engineering for Forcepoint, a global leader in data-first cybersecurity solutions. He leads a team of sales engineers who bring simple yet comprehensive data security through leadership and technology suited to the market. With over 12 years of experience in sales engineering, including a significant period at Digital Guardian, Justin has become an expert in data protection holding certifications and skills in security, SPLUNK, DLP, mobility, and web services. Justin holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from UC Santa Cruz.

Synopsis

Working from home is no longer the outlier it’s the Normal, bringing along challenges like heartache, sleep loss, and dread of missing security access in places like Starbucks or public WiFi. To tackle these issues, let’s find solutions that keep data secure everywhere.

Jonathan is a transformational leader who has held roles as a CIO, CTO, and CISO. He specializes in high-performing teams delivering solutions that make organizations more nimble, profitable and efficient. He is a two time winner of the Arizona Technology Council's CIO of the Year award as well as being named one of Computerworld Magazine's Permier 100 IT Leaders. His experience spans multiple industries including Construction, Retail, Commercial Fitness, Food & Hospitality, Healthcare, Biotech, Blood Banking, Financial Services, Card Payments & Processing, Banking, Insurance and Telecommunications.

Synopsis

This roundtable is for executives to connect with peers across various industries. The Moderator will introduce and begin discussion on the topic of Successful Strategies as an IT Leader. This session is intended for audience participation so be ready to discuss, receive valuable information, and connect with others for further discussion.

Matt is Global Strategist for Telecom, Media at Splunk. Matt’s passion is the application of data analytics to drive value in the Communications and Media domains. With more than two decades of experience leveraging data analytics, Matt has served in various capacities, developing and supporting a wide variety of network-delivered services. Matt holds an MS in computer science from George Mason University and a BS from UC Berkeley. He currently resides with his family, on Bainbridge island, in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, where he takes every opportunity to get on the water, or up a mountain, or, via SeaTac, to various points around the globe.

Speaker's Bio

Wendel Wurzweiler has been with Splunk for almost 4 years and currently supports the Named Accounts and SLED accounts in the Western Region as an Observability Advisor. Wendel works with groups throughout these accounts to understand what is currently being discussed among DevOps, SRE's ITOps and Business owners to provide insights and help solve critical business needs. Currently, he lives in Denver, Colorado and enjoys being active in the outdoors skiing, bike riding, and supporting his hometown sports teams.

Synopsis

Today’s organizations are under constant pressure from cyber threats, outages and more. Economic and political uncertainty create even less room for error. At the same time, customers continue to expect seamless, always-on experiences. In the face of these disruptions, organizations are tasked with keeping their systems secure and reliable. But building digital resilience brings major challenges; increasing complexity through modern technology stacks, siloed teams and tools and an ever evolving threat landscape. Learn how Splunk helps organizations across all industries to innovate and adapt quickly while maintaining security, reliability and compliance requirements.

Dave spent the last 15 years working as a Sysadmin, Help Desk Manager, part owner of an MSP, and in technical sales roles. Working with MSPs and with SMBs up to Fortune 500 partnering to bring tech and user-friendly solutions at an affordable price.

Synopsis

In any leading security best practice framework, two core principles stand out: least privilege access and strong password management. Yet, in today’s IT landscape, managing Windows environments has become increasingly complex—resulting in admin access being at an all-time high. The reality? 9 out of 10 successful breaches stem from privilege misuse. Join us to discover a smarter, more secure approach to privilege management for Windows systems. Strengthen your security foundation, reduce risk, and even improve your cyber insurance standing—all while making privilege management easier than ever. Don’t just react to threats—stay ahead of them.

Over 25 years of experience in IT has taught Scott that you need to learn, develop, and nurture in order to succeed. Scott has led IT organizations in multiple municipalities, and has a track record of developing a high-trust culture where trust was previously lacking. Leadership development and empowerment are two of my most sought-after accomplishments in any organization.
On a more personal level, Scott has been involved with the 501st Legion (An international Star Wars Costuming organization) for over 14 years which has fed both his love for Star Wars and his commitment to Community and Charity. Scott was married to his best friend for almost 27 years before being widowed in March of 2020. Scott has two wonderful sons and a two fun puppy mill rescued pups.

Synopsis

It’s 2024 and this new CIO has just loaded the new ChatGBT App at work and is ready to unleash the power of AI. Come along as we explore how some seemingly innocent (and well intentioned) use cases can spell disaster for their organization. In this fun and interactive session, we will see how some seemingly trivial used of AI can be harmful, and how guidelines and governance are essential to protecting even the most well-intentioned user from the newly discovered world of AI.

Dave spent the last 15 years working as a Sysadmin, Help Desk Manager, part owner of an MSP, and in technical sales roles. Working with MSPs and with SMBs up to Fortune 500 partnering to bring tech and user-friendly solutions at an affordable price.

Synopsis

As cybersecurity evolves, protecting organizations from threats gets tougher. Verizon states 90% of Windows breaches arise from user privileges. Reduce risk by removing Admin rights despite potential frustration. Join CyberFOX to learn how to balance security and user ease, safeguarding your organization.

Marcus is a security sales overlay with TPx, providing technical expertise on our cybersecurity products and Security Advisory Services offerings. Bachelor of Science in Information Technology from the University of Central Florida. Network+ Certification.

Synopsis

The principles laid out by Sun Tzu in his Art of War have transcended time and directly apply to the realm of cybersecurity. Join us with your fellow IT professionals as we explore Sun Tzu's teachings and their impact on today's digital battleground. In an era where digital threats loom large, cybersecurity compliance has emerged as a modern-day battlefield for organizations. As we delve into our discussion, we’ll explore how companies grapple with the ever-evolving landscape of cyber risks. Prepare to be inspired and enlightened by the wisdom of a military strategist and its contemporary applications in the ever-evolving cyber landscape.

Michael Soule specializes in product development and innovation for public cloud technologies at Sentinel Technologies, a nationwide managed services provider. He has extensive experience in consulting on identity, governance, and administration for a wide range of customers.

Synopsis

Ensuring a secure identity is crucial in today's cybersecurity practices, but unfortunately, traditional identity practices are outdated and not entirely secure. In this upcoming exploration, we will delve into the challenges that many encounter when attempting to adopt more modern and secure identity practices. Prepare yourself for a wealth of informative insights as well as practical and actionable guidance that can help you improve your security practices.

Sajeel is the Director of services with 15+ years of experience in planning, deploying, managing and supporting multiple projects for SMB and large enterprises. Areas of technical expertise include but are not limited to Microsoft Entra, Active Directory, Exchange (on-premises, online, hybrid), Microsoft Teams with phone system, Endpoint Manger (Intune), Microsoft security and compliance including Microsoft Defender and XDR.

Synopsis

• What challenges do small and medium businesses face in the era of AI?
• Do you have comprehensive Zero-Trust and data security?
• Do you have the right tools to fuel productivity?
• How does the Microsoft 365 Purview (Data protection) enable secure productivity while helping reduce IT cost and complexity?

Microsoft 365 Business Premium is transforming the way small and medium businesses approach work by integrating AI-powered productivity with a robust Zero-Trust security model that protects your identities, devices, and data so you can embrace AI with confidence. Centralized management maximizes your IT investment, reduces complexity, and cuts costs by simplifying management from the Microsoft Cloud—enabling AI-powered productivity. The integrated best-in-class productivity apps and cloud services pave the way for faster time to value when you attach Copilot for M365.

Connor Beltran is an Enterprise Account Executive at Verkada, based in Denver, Colorado. He holds a BS in Finance from California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo. Connor has extensive experience in cloud networking and physical security solutions.

Speaker's Bio

Anthony Magliocchino is an Enterprise Account Executive at Verkada, specializing in the Colorado SLED market. Based in Denver, he holds a degree in Finance from the University of Utah. Anthony has extensive experience in sales and security solutions and is dedicated to modernizing physical security through IoT technology.

Synopsis

In today's world, IT leaders must integrate advanced physical security while maintaining ease of management. Verkada's hybrid cloud solution offers a transformative approach, combining on-site hardware reliability with cloud flexibility. This talk will explore how Verkada's platform enhances security, featuring:

-Real-time Monitoring: High-definition cameras accessible from any device, anywhere.
-Intelligent Analytics: AI-driven insights for proactive security measures.
-Centralized Management: Simplified multi-site management via an intuitive dashboard.
-Scalability and Flexibility: Seamless scalability for organizations of all sizes.
-Enhanced Data Security: Robust protocols ensuring data protection and compliance.

Join this session to learn how Verkada's hybrid cloud solution can revolutionize your physical security strategy, offering control, visibility, and peace of mind. Perfect for IT leaders seeking modern solutions for asset protection and safety.

Debbi Blyth, Executive Strategist, is part of the Executive Strategist Team at CrowdStrike, where she provides strategic advisory services related to enterprise cybersecurity solutions for all industry verticals including Government, Education and Healthcare. Prior to joining CrowdStrike, Deborah Blyth spent 7 years as Colorado’s Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). During her tenure she was successful at doubling the cybersecurity budget, recovering from a large-scale ransomware attack, and measurably reducing risk across the state. Deborah has over 25 years technology background and 15 years leading information security programs. Before joining the state of Colorado, Deborah led the IT Security and Compliance programs at TTEC (5 years) and Travelport (3 years). Deborah is a Colorado native, and graduated Summa cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree from Regis University.

Synopsis

This roundtable is for attendees with VIP badges only. The Moderator will introduce and begin discussion on the topic. This session is intended for audience participation so be ready to discuss, receive valuable information, and connect with others for further discussion

JP is a strategic leader who successfully combines C-suite management skills with technical capability. This unique combination allows him to serve in roles ranging from Functional Executive to Technical Consultant. With experience spanning industries including Healthcare, Financial Services, Telecom, Retail & Manufacturing, JP has helped profitably grow startup companies as well as Enterprise organizations. His technical knowledge in emerging technologies such as Blockchain, AI & IOT has allowed him to create and apply successful IT strategies for immediate and long-term results.

Sharon's Bio

Sharon is a senior technical executive focused on NLP, Cybersecurity, FinTech, as well as strategy for Data Monetization, Text Analytics, and Informatics. With over 30 years experience building teams and products for startups and early stage companies, Sharon has worked in data-intensive companies spanning connected devices, mobile services, banking, ecommerce, international product development, and information retrieval companies.

Dr. Georgianna's Bio

Georgianna is a Cybersecurity Executive, Technologist, and Board Advisor, who specializes in driving innovation, risk management, and threat mitigation for national security and critical infrastructure. With extensive experience leading cyber defense initiatives, AI & quantum security strategies, and policy development, she works to bridge the gap between emerging technologies and real-world cybersecurity solutions.
In her role as Chief Technologist at the Transformative Cyber Innovation Lab (TCIL), she leads initiatives to accelerate the adoption of cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions, ensuring they are tested, validated, and deployed effectively. As a board advisor and contributor, Georgianna engages in shaping industry best practices and advancing cybersecurity resilience.

Synopsis

This panel brings together national policy influencers, technology experts and industry leaders to discuss the evolving challenges of critical infrastructure (CI) resilience. From AI-driven threats and adversarial AI to cybersecurity and supply chain continuity, panelists will explore strategic approaches to safeguard the 16 critical infrastructure sectors, ensuring rapid recovery and operational continuity in times of crisis. The panel will discuss CI at a high level, different areas that can get impacted, and discuss a prominent local company as an example on how it can secure itself. This is a topic that touches on several areas necessary to operate in a disruptive environment.

This session will include audience Q&A.

Green Shoe Consulting (GSC) was created to help IT Security leaders find greatness. Greatness in the form of performing your best in your career, creating a healthy work life balance, building dynamic, innovative cultures, retaining talented employees and generating the confidence and trust needed to thrive.
Our founder, Steve Shelton, has decades of experience selling to IT Security practitioners with companies like Symantec, RSA, Proofpoint and Avanan (now Check Point). We leverage this knowledge with human and performance psychology to elevate IT Security practitioners to optimal performance levels.
GSC teaches skills that are scientifically tested and researched. Our mindset training has been used by the world’s top high performing leaders, from Olympians and professional athletes, to Fortune 100 executives, to A-list celebrities, and now you.

Synopsis

This presentation will explore the secrets to achieving a harmonious work-life balance. Whether you're feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or simply looking for ways to improve your well-being, this event is for you.
Attendees will learn the science behind stress, how it manifests into burnout, discuss the symptoms of burnout and walk away with simple (yet highly effective) skills you can begin using immediately to prevent and minimize the negative effects of significant stress and burnout. Learn from real-life stories and gain valuable insights to find the balance you deserve.
Join us in connecting with like-minded individuals, share experiences, and find inspiration.