RVAsec 14: Full Schedule

Streaming: https://mssvideo.vcu.edu/RVAsec

11:00am EDT

CISO of 2030 (a sequel of CISO of 2025)

Tuesday June 3, 2025 11:00am - 11:50am EDT

The role of the CISO has never been more critical—or more complex. Six years after my original predictions, the cybersecurity landscape has shifted under the weight of evolving regulatory scrutiny, rising boardroom expectations, and the explosion of third-party risks. But there’s a new force at play: businesses are driving security forward through peer accountability, applying market pressure to elevate standards across the ecosystem.

In this session, we’ll explore the major forces shaping modern security programs, revisit past predictions to uncover lessons learned, and share insights into how CISOs are influencing strategy at the highest levels of organizations. Looking ahead to 2030, we’ll discuss how leaders must balance compliance, operational resilience, and innovation to meet the challenges of a hyper-connected world. Join me as we reflect on where we’ve been and chart a path toward the next era of cybersecurity leadership.

Speakers

Dan Holden

CISO, BigCommerce

Dan Holden is an accomplished cybersecurity leader with almost 30 years of experience in IT and cybersecurity. As CISO at BigCommerce, he oversees the company’s global cybersecurity strategy, balancing risk management with business enablement while aligning with public company governance... Read More →

Tuesday June 3, 2025 11:00am - 11:50am EDT
Upstairs, Grand Ballroom D/E

Business

1:00pm EDT

Leveraging AI in Surveillance for Public Safety Amid Privacy Concerns

Tuesday June 3, 2025 1:00pm - 1:50pm EDT

Upstairs, Grand Ballroom D/E

During this session, we'll explore the dual-edged role of artificial intelligence (AI) in enhancing public safety through surveillance while navigating the complex landscape of privacy and legislation. As AI transforms law enforcement and emergency responses with its advanced monitoring and threat detection capabilities, it also prompts critical questions about privacy rights and ethical considerations. This talk will dissect the balance between leveraging cutting-edge AI technologies and adhering to evolving privacy laws. We’ll delve into the latest trends, discuss the implications of facial recognition and behavior prediction, and examine how legislation is adapting to these rapid technological advancements. Whether you're a tech professional, policy maker, or privacy advocate, this session will equip you with the insights needed to responsibly implement AI in surveillance, ensuring public safety enhancements do not compromise individual privacy.

Speakers

Vennard Wright

CEO, PerVista AI

Vennard Wright is the President & CEO of PerVista, an award-winning AI-weapons detection firm headquartered in National Harbor, MD. Prior to founding PerVista, his professional experience was comprised of multiple executive leadership roles including serving as the Chief Information... Read More →

Tuesday June 3, 2025 1:00pm - 1:50pm EDT
Upstairs, Grand Ballroom D/E

Business

2:00pm EDT

Vendor Management 2025 - How to Make Better Vendor Management Decisions

Tuesday June 3, 2025 2:00pm - 2:50pm EDT

Upstairs, Grand Ballroom D/E

Although vendor management has evolved, the core process remains the same: gathering and reviewing documentation to decide whether to continue business with a vendor. The key question now is how to ensure that vendors are genuinely protecting your data!

Speakers

Jon Waldman

President, SBS CyberSecurity

Jon Waldman is a co-founder and President of SBS CyberSecurity and the SBS Institute. Over the past 20 years, Jon has helped hundreds of organizations identify and understand cybersecurity risks to allow them to make better and more informed business decisions. Jon is incredibly passionate... Read More →

Tuesday June 3, 2025 2:00pm - 2:50pm EDT
Upstairs, Grand Ballroom D/E

Business

3:00pm EDT

AI: Who's Watching Whom?

Tuesday June 3, 2025 3:00pm - 3:50pm EDT

Upstairs, Grand Ballroom D/E

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has intersected with cybercrime and cybersecurity that forces organizations to leverage the technology in order to benefit the industry while at the same time understanding how to protect against AI based threats. How will your organization use AI safely and securely?

Speakers

Kyle King

Security Engineering Manager, Check Point Software Technologies Ltd

Kyle King has designed, implemented, managed, and secured information systems and networks for various industries throughout his 28+ year career, including construction, financial, and healthcare. A native of Hickory, NC, he has been employed by Check Point Software Technologies for... Read More →

Tuesday June 3, 2025 3:00pm - 3:50pm EDT
Upstairs, Grand Ballroom D/E

Business

10:30am EDT

What the Scope? Sh** my Consultant | Client Says

Wednesday June 4, 2025 10:30am - 11:20am EDT

Upstairs, Grand Ballroom D/E

Scoping a penetration test shouldn’t feel like negotiating a hostage situation—but here we are. In this engaging, no-holds-barred session, two seasoned cybersecurity professionals take the stage in a hilarious and painfully relatable discussion, showcasing the absurd, frustrating, and all-too-common conversations between consultants and clients.
Expect real stories, plenty of laughs, and insights that will make you rethink how you approach penetration testing and security assessments. Whether you're a consultant, security leader, or someone who’s just tired of hearing "We don’t need a pentest", this talk is for you.

Speakers

Luke McOmie

Offensive Security – Blue Bastion, Ideal Integrations, Inc.

Luke McOmie started in offensive security in 1994 and is a trusted advisor, security leader and mentor. With a career focus in offensive security and a strong technical background, he is recognized for his excellence in developing and executing enterprise security strategies and leading... Read More →

Qasim Ijaz

Director of Cybersecurity, Aveanna Healthcare

Qasim Ijaz is the Director of Cybersecurity at a leading healthcare organization, overseeing detection, incident response, vulnerability management, purple teaming, and cybersecurity engineering. With a strong background in offensive security and risk management, he has helped organizations... Read More →

Wednesday June 4, 2025 10:30am - 11:20am EDT
Upstairs, Grand Ballroom D/E

Business

11:30am EDT

Data Breach Management and Legal Issues for Information Technology Professionals

Wednesday June 4, 2025 11:30am - 12:20pm EDT

Upstairs, Grand Ballroom D/E

Please join us for a practical discussion (without the legalese!) about data breach management and minimizing the risk to your organization. In this discussion, we’ll talk through what it's like to be in a breach situation, and we'll cover some practical and legal considerations and suggestions that will help your organization achieve a better outcome.
Learning Objectives:
1. Gain a better understanding of what it's like to be in a data breach situation.
2. Increase awareness of risks to your organization.
3. Increase awareness of the various people and workstreams involved in working through a data breach.
4. Increase knowledge of proactive measures to improve the outcome and minimize risk to the organization.

Speakers

Bobby N. Turnage, Jr.

Attorney - Cybersecurity and Technology, Sands Anderson PC

Bobby Turnage is a business-minded attorney with more than 25 years of experience advising organizations dealing with technology and data-related matters, including cybersecurity, data security, data privacy, technology contracts, and conducting business on the web. Bobby advises... Read More →

Wednesday June 4, 2025 11:30am - 12:20pm EDT
Upstairs, Grand Ballroom D/E

Business

1:00pm EDT

How to Win Budgets and Influence Stakeholders: Articulate Cyber Value to Non Technical Audiences

Wednesday June 4, 2025 1:00pm - 1:50pm EDT

Upstairs, Grand Ballroom D/E

Limited budgets are a reality we all must live with. Security tools are getting pricier, and management is demanding stronger justifications for every dollar spent. Often, we in cyber struggle to explain the return on investment for all this security technology. Risk management frameworks and heat maps are not the saving grace they are made out to be. We as cyber professionals need to be fluent in financial discussions to guide the business toward informed decisions. I'll walk you through some proven methods to bridge the communication gap between security and the business.

Speakers

Jeremy Dorrough

Client Director, Consortium

Jeremy has built his career around protecting assets in the most critical IT sectors. He started his career working in a Network Operations Security Center for the US Army. He then went on to work as a Network Security Engineer defending Dominion’s North Anna Nuclear Power Station... Read More →

Wednesday June 4, 2025 1:00pm - 1:50pm EDT
Upstairs, Grand Ballroom D/E

Business

2:00pm EDT

Cybersecurity is Ready for Local Models

Wednesday June 4, 2025 2:00pm - 2:50pm EDT

Upstairs, Grand Ballroom D/E

This talk explores how a custom, local AI/ML model can be built internally at an enteprise for cybersecurity decision support. We'll walk through data, methods, and pitfalls of building your own models rather than using off the shelf or vendor solutions.

Speakers

Michael Roytman

CTO, Empirical Security

Michael is the CTO of Empirical Security. Previously, he was the Chief Data Scientist of Kenna Security, and a Distinguished Engineer at Cisco. He served on boards for the Society of Information Risk Analysts, Cryptomove, and Social Capital. He was the co-founder and executive chair... Read More →

Wednesday June 4, 2025 2:00pm - 2:50pm EDT
Upstairs, Grand Ballroom D/E

Business