2026 Cybersecurity Conference Presenters

ePlus

Chris has over a decade of technology and cybersecurity experience. He currently serves as the Client Security Principal for ePlus, a global VAR focusing on delivering positive business outcomes for its clients. In this role, he consults with clients across New York State to help them achieve their security goals and prepare for the challenges the future will bring. Chris has held consultant roles in the past at both Cisco and Palo Alto Networks and has extensive experience in both the large enterprise and healthcare industries. Chris lives in Rochester, NY with his wife Mary and twin daughters (Mercy and Grace).

Harter Secrest & Emery

Dan takes a business-oriented approach to his legal practice. He begins each engagement by taking a moment to understand the client: who they are, what is important to them, and what their goals are. This enables him to provide practical solutions customized to fit the client’s needs. He prides himself on his responsiveness, hands-on work style, and his ability to jump into the conversation to quickly understand all the pieces of the puzzle and how they fit together.

Privacy and Data Security: As an integral part of HSE’s established privacy and data security team, Dan quickly identifies potential legal issues pertaining to security and works closely with clients to address them in an efficient manner. In education, healthcare, retail, manufacturing and other industries, Dan provides guidance on best practices to avoid a data breach, regulatory compliance and risk assessments, post-incident response, due diligence in acquisitions, potential litigation, or regulatory action, and more.

Litigation: Dan advises clients on all aspects of commercial litigation from pretrial matters through trial and appeal. He has tried many cases to verdict and successfully argued before the Supreme Court of the State of New York Appellate Division. Clients trust Dan to resolve disputes swiftly—both in and out of the courtroom—to achieve their business and legal objectives.

HONORS & AWARDS

• Selected by peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® for Commercial Litigation
• Selected by peers for inclusion in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America™ for Commercial Litigation (2021-2022);
• Litigation – Banking and Finance (2022)
• Selected to the Upstate New York Super Lawyers Rising Stars list, 2017‑2020

GlobalCISO Leadership Foundation

Chirag Arora, an esteemed Cyber Security Executive Advisor based in New York, is widely recognized for his exceptional contributions to the cybersecurity domain. With more than 15 years of distinguished experience, he has been a driving force in strengthening the cybersecurity programs of global enterprises, earning numerous awards and accolades for his visionary leadership. As Chair of the GlobalCISO Leadership Foundation, Chirag guides and mentors top executives, shaping the future of cybersecurity leadership worldwide. His role as an Ambassador at the Center for Internet Security (CIS) further highlights his dedication to promoting global best practices and standards in cybersecurity. Chirag's expertise spans conducting comprehensive security gap assessments using frameworks such as CIS Critical Controls, NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF 2.0) and ISO 27001. His deep knowledge of cyber governance and risk management has positioned him as a thought leader and innovator in the industry. A staunch advocate for advancing cybersecurity resilience, Chirag continues to champion research, innovation and collaboration to address emerging threats and challenges. His unwavering commitment to excellence ensures organizations worldwide achieve robust, scalable and sustainable cybersecurity practices.

USTelecom

Brianna Bace is a project manager at the SUNY Research Foundation and an adjunct lecturer at the University at Albany, where she previously earned an MPA with a focus on cybersecurity, as well as a B.A. in Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security, and Cybersecurity (EHC), and Political Science. She is a Cyber Fellow at USTelecom. Brianna has published research on several critical topics, including catastrophic cyber risk management, the applicability of international law on cyberattacks, and the cybersecurity of the space sector. 

Splunk, LLC

Jeffrey Baez is a cybersecurity executive and advisor focused on helping organizations modernize security operations, improve visibility, and align cyber strategy to business outcomes. Before joining Splunk, Jeffrey served as the first CISO for the New York State Department of Financial Services, and later the first CISO for the New York State Board of Elections. During his tenure, he helped ratify a governance charter establishing the Secure Elections Center, led a series of statewide tabletop exercises, and has spoken at numerous conferences including the National Cybersecurity Summit and annual MS-ISAC Conference. He works at the intersection of security, observability, governance, and emerging technologies, with particular interest in how organizations can adopt AI-enabled capabilities responsibly. Jeffrey brings an executive-friendly and practitioner-grounded perspective to topics such as threat hunting, operational resilience, monitoring strategy, threat detection, automated response, and secure innovation.

SVAM International Inc

Strategic IT Account Executive with 14+ years of progressive experience growing government technology portfolios for New York State, New York City, and regional public-sector clients. Proven track record leading a 200-person staff augmentation practice, and positioning complex solutions through consultative, relationship-driven sales and capture. Recognized for fearless ownership of new territories and offerings, strong internal and external partnerships, and an ability to organize ambiguous growth goals into executable plans that deliver results. Recognized as an “Albany 40 Under 40 Rising Star” by City & State New York.

SVAM International Inc

Kiran Bhujle is Global Managing Director at SVAM International, a 30+ year MWBE-certified IT services company, where he leads managed service provider (MSP) operations, cybersecurity initiatives and government contracting across New York State and City agencies. He concurrently serves as faculty in Columbia University’s Master’s in Enterprise Risk Management program, teaching strategic execution and organizational change. Kiran holds advisory positions with the Harvard Business Review Cybersecurity Advisory Council and Forbes Technology Council, where he publishes on zero trust security, cyber risk quantification and the intersection of technology and human-centered leadership. He is recognized as a CRN Inclusive Channel Leaders honoree and City & State NY “Who’s Who in Emerging Tech” recipient. His work bridges the gap between technical cybersecurity operations and C-suite strategic decision-making, with deep expertise in NIST CSF, ISO 27001, CMMI and government procurement compliance frameworks.

USTelecom

Christopher Braccia is a National Security, Cyber & Artificial Intelligence Policy Researcher and Advisor, and author of “From Vietnam to Volt Typhoon.” His work sits at the intersection of national security, critical infrastructure protection, artificial intelligence governance, supply chain risk and Indo-Pacific security. His research has been cited by Five Eyes cyber leadership and syndicated through policy and defense outlets including The Diplomat, RealClearDefense, ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, the Australian Centre for International Studies, and Indian Strategic Studies, reaching policy and defense audiences across four continents. His recent work examines Chinese, Russian and Iranian cyber operations against critical infrastructure, the risks a Taiwan contingency poses to global supply chains and subsea cable systems, and emerging vulnerabilities in low-Earth-orbit satellite infrastructure. He serves as Cross-Committee Coordinator for the Communications Sector Coordinating Council and helps lead the International Communications CISO Council. He has presented at U.S., European, and Indo-Pacific forums, including the New York State Cybersecurity Conference, CyberSecAsia Vietnam and the InCyber Forum in Lille, France. He has worked with the White House Office of the National Cyber Director, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on cyber, AI governance and critical infrastructure policy projects. He has been based between Saigon and New York for over a decade."

Cribl

Nick Calderan is a Solutions Engineer with 10 years of experience helping state and local government organizations modernize cybersecurity and observability operations. His background includes supporting teams as they migrate from legacy security platforms, modernizing and strengthening existing operations, and developing data strategies across security, search and observability. He brings a practical, field-tested perspective on security operations, data retention and the tradeoffs between visibility, cost and long-term value. 

Fortinet

Bill Carter is a dynamic cybersecurity leader with a passion for securing the digital world and educating others on the evolving threat landscape. Currently serving as a public sector cybersecurity strategist at Fortinet, Bill previously protected Ohio’s 12 million citizens as the Chief Information Security Officer for the Department of Commerce and Deputy Chief Information Security Officer for the State, overseeing security strategies across 80+ agencies. With a career spanning additional roles as Field CTO, Senior Systems Engineer, and Technical Consultant, he brings deep expertise in cybersecurity strategy, infrastructure and risk management. A hands-on technologist and sought-after public speaker, Bill holds a master’s degree in Cybersecurity and multiple industry certifications, including CISSP, SecurityX and all MITRE credentials. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Cybersecurity, as well as an active member of the Ohio Cyber Reserve and the FBI’s InfraGard. Beyond his professional pursuits, Bill is dedicated to philanthropy in serving as CEO for an 80,000-person strong non-profit organization.

MS-ISAC

Elijah Cedeno is a Member Experience & Engagement Manager for the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center™ (MS-ISAC®), a division of the Center for Internet Security, Inc.®. He is a member of the Stakeholder Engagement team, which works with our nation’s State, Local, Territorial, and Tribal (SLTT) governments and public education institutions to provide no-cost cybersecurity resources and services. Elijah manages the MS-ISAC® members in the Northeast regions, supporting their overall cybersecurity posture.

Oracle Cloud

J Debole is a cybersecurity professional and Field CISO at Oracle, where she advises enterprises on multi-cloud security, risk management and secure adoption of emerging technologies, including AI. Before joining Oracle, AJ was Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. She has held senior security leadership roles in both the public and private sectors and holds advanced degrees and industry certifications in cybersecurity.

Center for Internet Security 

Curtis W. Dukes joined CIS as the Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Best Practices and Automation Group in January 2017. The CIS Benchmarks® and CIS Controls™ program provides vendor-agnostic, consensus-based best practices to help organizations assess and improve their security. Prior to CIS, Curt served as the Director, Information Assurance for the National Security Agency, Central Security Service. In that role Curt was responsible for securing systems that handle classified and critical information for military and intelligence activities.

Dukes joined the National Security Agency in 1984 as a Computer Scientist. He served in a variety of organizations within NSA, and earned the Distinguished Executive, Meritorious Executive, as well as Exceptional Performance and Meritorious Civilian Service Awards. He completed an overseas assignment and an intelligence community assignment for the Department of Defense. In Germany, Curtis had operational responsibilities for implementing Information Assurance activities across the European command. Following his community assignment, he became Deputy, then Chief of the Network Architecture and Applications Division, then Chief of the Systems and Network Attack Center. He later led highly skilled technical workforces as Director NSA/CSS Commercial Solutions Center. His last roles of responsibility at NSA were Deputy Director, then Director, of the Information Assurance Directorate.

Dukes earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science from the University of Florida, and a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from Johns Hopkins University. He is a 2004 graduate of the Intelligence Community Officer Training Program.

NYS Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services 

Jon Easton is an Information Security professional specializing in offensive security, industrial control systems (ICS/OT), and cybersecurity program leadership. He currently serves as the head of the ICS/OT assessment with the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES), where he leads the design and execution of statewide industrial control system assessments. Previously, as a Cybersecurity Advisor with the CISA, Jon focused on critical infrastructure assessments and strengthened public-private partnerships. He has also led offensive security teams with the State University of New York system, building standardized methodologies and mentoring cybersecurity talent. A dedicated educator, he has taught cybersecurity, networking and programming across multiple academic institutions throughout his career.

CDWG

Andy has over 20 years of experience in identity and access management starting his career in integration and development, moving on to architecture, design and building IAM programs. In 2007 Andy Joined Aptec as the third employee an first integrator, focusing on technical presales, integration and design. In 2017 Andy assisted Aptec in being acquired and renamed Focal Point Data Risk. In 2020, Andy joined Sirius Computer Solutions where he focused on IAM presales and program development, assisting clients in creating IAM roadmaps, selecting tools and platforms and ensuring they receive the most for their purchase. Sirius was acquired by CDW in 2022 where Andy continues to provide clients with guidance and expertise in their IAM program.

Red Hat

Holden Fenner is an Automation Specialist at Red Hat, where he works with government institutions on the East Coast to develop automation solutions bridging next-generation technology with legacy systems. He is passionate about helping operations teams adopt automation practices that improve security posture, auditability and consistency at scale.

LexisNexis Risk Solutions

George is a subject matter expert for customers in the government space. George provides illustrated use cases and workflow designs to mitigate identity cyber fraud resulting from increasing use of stolen identities, fake identities and malicious BOTs. Workflow solutions include data-driven digital identity risk assessment with physical identity verification and step-up authentication via LexisNexis Risk Solutions physical identity products. George works with various LexisNexis Risk Solutions business development teams to scope identity solutions from rapid shifts in various internet threat landscapes. Use cases include solving state agency public benefits web portal fraud, integrating with leading identity and access management (IAM) vendors, as well as work-from-home remote access fraud.

NYS Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services

Patrick Furlong is a Senior Security Analyst at NYS Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) where he performs Industrial Control System and Operational Technology security assessments. Patrick has been with NYS in different capacities since 2022. Initially working in the NYS Executive Chamber as an IT Support Specialist and then moving to the NYS Information Technology Services (ITS) Chief Information Security Office (CISO) as a Security Analyst and then acting Information Security Officer, supporting the Labor and Workforce Portfolio and NYS Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) where he performed enterprise security assessments. Patrick recently received his Certified Information Security Systems Professional (CISSP) certification.

SailPoint

Matt Giblin is an Identity Security Strategist at SailPoint with 7+ years at the company and over 25 years of enterprise technology experience. Specializing in identity governance for state, local and higher education (SLED), he designs custom SailPoint Workflows, PowerShell scripts, and REST APIs to deliver production-ready Joiner-Mover-Leaver (JML) automation. A frequent speaker at industry events like the Educause Cybersecurity Forum and the ACCS VA Conference, Matt is passionate about translating complex identity technology into clear business value for stakeholders ranging from CISOs to HR and Finance leaders.

Cribl

Derek is an accomplished technology leader with over a decade of expertise in the public sector technology domain. His career began with federal service at the U.S. House of Representatives, setting a solid foundation for his subsequent venture into the private sector. Derek’s notable roles at leading companies such as Cisco, AppDynamics (a Cisco company) and Cribl underscore his extensive experience and success both within both public sector and commercial markets. Presently at Cribl, Derek leads the Public Sector Solutions Engineering team, dedicated to serving state, local and educational institutions, as well as the U.S. Federal government, across the United States. His leadership and experience in both government and private industry has been critical to navigating and understanding the unique technological needs and challenges of IT and security professionals in the public sector space.

NYS Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services

Noor Gravelle is the communication and outreach lead and a member of the phishing team on the Cyber Incident Response Team (CIRT) at NYS Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (NYS DHSES). Noor joined NYS DHSES in 2020 and worked for the Office of Emergency Management for two years before moving to the Office of Counter Terrorism. Noor holds a Bachelor of Arts from the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security, and Cybersecurity at the University at Albany/SUNY.

Harter Secrest & Emery LLP

F. Paul serves as chair of the firm’s Privacy and Data Security and Artificial Intelligence and New Technologies Practice Groups. He has been widely recognized as an authority at the intersection of technology, data protection and business, and he advises clients on how to maximize the benefit of their technology, while minimizing risk. F. Paul has obtained industry leading certifications in the data protection field, has been recognized as a Fellow of Information Privacy by the International Association of Privacy Professionals, and was inducted as a Distinguished Fellow of the Ponemon Institute in 2017. F. Paul regularly speaks and publishes internationally on data protection and AI subjects, including frequent columns in the New York Law Journal. F. Paul’s dual background as an academic and commercial litigator brings added depth to his advice. His doctoral work focused on themes of identity, text generation and simulation that are core to concerns surrounding AI development and deployment. On the litigation front, he is deeply experienced in issues surrounding forensic investigation, e-discovery, internal investigations and technology.

Dorf Nelson & Zauderer LLP

Antony K. Haynes is a Partner at Dorf Nelson & Zauderer LLP and Head of its Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Practice. He also serves as a Professor of Law at Albany Law School, where he leads initiatives in cybersecurity, data privacy and emerging technologies. With nearly 30 years of experience, Professor Haynes advises organizations on cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI) and complex technology-related legal issues. His earlier career includes practice at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP and Williams & Connolly LLP, as well as service as an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the U.S. Air Force Academy and an Intelligence Officer in the U.S. Air Force. He holds a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center, an M.S. in Computer Science from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and a B.S. from the United States Air Force Academy, where he graduated as the top computer science student. 

NYSTEC

Jeannine Jacobs is a Principal Consultant with NYSTEC on the Cybersecurity and Privacy Team with technical experience in software development, testing, security control implementation assessment and project management. Early in her career, she worked in healthcare, in and out of hospital, as an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant gaining experience working with complex cases that required both technical expertise and the soft skills needed for direct patient care. After moving into the field of software development, Jeannine translated her skills and experience to work for the Naval Nuclear Lab as a developer, tester and project manager before coming to NYSTEC to work in the field of cybersecurity. Jeannine has a master’s in engineering management and holds the Project Management Professional (PMP) and Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certifications. 

Halcyon

Jordan Jeffer is a cybersecurity executive and operator who has built, led and transformed security programs at scale across financial services and critical national infrastructure. Currently serving as Field Chief Information Security Officer at Halcyon, he partners with CISOs and security leadership teams to architect defensible programs against today’s most consequential threats, including ransomware and advanced persistent adversaries.

With executive tenures at Fiserv, Mastercard and BNY Mellon, Jordan has spent his career in environments where the cost of failure is existential. At Fiserv, as VP of Cybersecurity, he drove measurable program maturity – accelerating detection capabilities, sharpening vulnerability prioritization and embedding risk-informed decision-making across the enterprise. He began his career in U.S. Government national security, where he developed the adversary-centric mindset that has defined his approach to enterprise defense ever since.

Jordan operates at the intersection of threat reality and business strategy — helping organizations move beyond compliance-driven security toward programs built to withstand genuine attacks.

Tenable

Christopher (Chris) Jensen is the Director of Public Sector Business Development at Tenable, where he develops strategic cybersecurity initiatives and supports programs in federal, state and local markets. Prior to joining Tenable in 2017, Chris served in a broad range of leadership roles in public sector IT contracting, including business operations, contract and program management, and business development. Chris began his professional career as an officer in the U.S. Navy. After leaving active service, he continued to serve in the U.S. Navy Reserve, retiring at the rank of Captain. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Chris also holds a J.D. from The George Washington University Law School.

Semel Consulting 

Rose Ketchum is a Certified HIPAA Security Professional with more than 30 years’ experience in IT and compliance. She has worked with many businesses, governments, BOCES and school districts throughout New York.

Tanium

Sam Kinch is a Solution Engineer for Tanium with more than 22 years of cyber offense operations expertise – building, optimizing and streamlining Department of Defense (DoD), intelligence community, and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) cybersecurity initiatives. Kinch brings a strong passion for solving complex challenges, leading multi-disciplinary teams, building coalitions and establishing international partnerships and programs to his role, supporting Tanium’s public sector customers. Highlights from Kinch’s career include founding the DoD’s federal COVID Response Technical Security Team for DHS, serving as the National Guard’s Chief Advisor to U.S. Cyber Command, and providing critical expertise to the Defense Science Board on studies supporting the DOD scientific and technical enterprise, among other notable accomplishments. Kinch gives back to several important nonprofit causes that focus on cyber education and holds numerous service decorations and honors from the DoD, as well as the United Nations and NATO.

KPMG

Rahul is a Principal in KPMG’s cybersecurity practice, co-leading the firm’s AI security initiatives. With deep expertise in data analytics and security, he advises Fortune 500 clients on building secure and responsible AI programs. Rahul specializes in developing frameworks for managing AI-driven risks, ensuring that organizations can innovate with confidence while protecting their critical data assets.

KPMG

Venoth is a Director in KPMG’s Cyber Security & Tech Risk practice. He has extensive experience advising clients on data governance, risk management, and the implementation of security frameworks to address emerging threats in cloud and hybrid environments.

Verizon

Philippe Langlois is the Lead Data Scientist and co-author of the “Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report” (DBIR). Before joining Verizon, he led data-driven initiatives at CIS, including the CIS Controls and the MS-ISAC Nationwide Cyber Security Review. Based in Upstate New York, Philippe spends his time away from the data enjoying the outdoors with his wife and son. 

FBI

Computer Scientist Roderick Link serves as one of FBI Albany Division’s subject matter experts on digital forensics and incident response (DFIR). His deployments include containing attackers accessing Super Bowl infrastructure, mitigating Akira at NBA franchises and responding to nation-state intrusions against sensitive US government targets. He’s testified as an expert throughout New York and Vermont on cases involving kidnapping, murder, espionage, fraud, child exploitation and computer intrusion.

NYS Office of Information Technology Services

Valerie A. Lubanko has served as Deputy General Counsel to NYS ITS since January 2022. In this role, she assists in managing the daily operations of the Division of Legal Affairs, which includes addressing a wide variety of topics related to litigation, procurement, electronic discovery, ethics, policy and legislation. Prior to joining ITS, Valerie worked for the NYS Executive Chamber since 2017, first as the Chamber FOIL Counsel and then as an Assistant Counsel to the Governor, managing a portfolio of technology, local government and judicial related matters. Valerie has spent her entire legal career in public service. Her first position out of law school was with the Town of Colonie as an Assistant Town Attorney, and then for the City of Albany as a First Assistant Corporation Counsel. Valerie’s experience in the public sector and government is a valued asset to ITS. Valerie holds a Juris Doctor (JD) from Albany Law School where she graduated magna cum laude, as well as a bachelor’s degree from Mount Holyoke College. She lives in Niskayuna and enjoys going to the Troy Farmers Market with her family on the weekend.

Global Risk Management Network LLC

Dr.-Eng.-Prof. Yogesh Malhotra, also known as ‘Yogi,’ is the Founder, Chairman & CEO of the New York State Pentagon-Air Force Post AI-Quantum Risk Management Networks ventures firm, Global Risk Management Network LLC, the AWS Accredited-Certified Partner leading New York State Post AI-Quantum Work Force Education as Stanford University certified AWS Machine Learning University Educator. 

His firm is the three-decade Silicon Valley-Wall Street-Pentagon Digital CEO-CTO-CFO practices pioneer engineering Quantum Minds QASANs ahead of Stanford University AI-ML having advanced MIT-Princeton AI-ML-NLP-Cyber-Crypto-Quantum-Risk Computing Management & Leadership Executive Education and Pentagon Joint Chiefs ABMS-JADC2 innovations. 

With R&D impact ranked-recognized among AI and Quant Finance Nobel laureates, he has served as Faculty-SME for programs such as MIT Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Lab, MIT Sloan School of Management, and Princeton University Quant Finance and Trading and FinTech-Crypto Conferences for Wall Street Quantitative Finance Leaders-Risk Managers. While serving as invited Chief Scientist on Pentagon C4I-ISR CTO team for USAF Secretary and JAIC CTO, as Chief Scientist of his New York State IDEA Award-winning Pentagon-USAF-AFRL Post AI-Quantum Network ventures MVP for DoD-wide AI-ML enablement, he had invited interviews for the U.S. Air Force top-Science role of Pentagon USAF Chief Scientist. Dr. Malhotra is profiled in Who's Who in America®, Who's Who in the World®, Who's Who in Finance & Industry®, Who's Who in Science & Engineering® since 1999.

Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) 

Dom serves as the NYS Office for People With Developmental Disabilities' (OPWDD) Chief Information Security Officer. He is dedicated to building a strong security posture and fostering partnerships to create a safer digital environment for people with developmental disabilities. With nearly two decades of experience in cybersecurity and information security, Dom has been a driving force in the creation of the first information security program at OPWDD.

Before joining OPWDD, Dom served for 18 years at the Office of the New York State Comptroller (OSC), where he held numerous roles in operational security. He then served as the Assistant Information Security Lead for the New York State and Local Retirement System (NYSLRS). During his tenure, he played a key role in the overhaul of the state's retirement system, one of the largest of its kind globally.

His career began in desktop support, where an unexpected interest in cybersecurity sparked a passion that has defined his professional journey.

Beyond his executive roles, Dom has contributed to community cybersecurity efforts by conducting security assessments for small local organizations, helping them strengthen their defenses against potential threats.

Dom holds the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification, recognized globally as one of the most challenging and esteemed credentials in the cybersecurity profession. This accomplishment reflects his commitment to excellence and deep expertise in the field. 

CGI

Gaby Martin is a Director at CGI’s National AI and Alliances Team in U.S. where she plays a pivotal role in shaping enterprise-scale AI initiatives. As a seasoned principal data scientist, she has partnered with 30+ clients over the past decade across a diverse range of industries, where she has designed, implemented and scaled impactful AI solutions. With deep technical expertise and a strategic mindset, Gaby brings thoughtful insights into what it truly takes to deploy AI successfully in complex enterprise environments, along with the real-world lessons learned along the way.

USTelecom

Robert Mayer is Senior Vice President of Cybersecurity & Innovation with the USTelecom Association (USTelecom), with responsibility for leading cyber and national security policy and strategic initiatives. He is the current Chairman of the Communications Sector Coordinating Council (CSCC), which represents the broadcast, cable, satellite, wireless and wireline industries in connection with the DHS and public-private partnership activities across the U.S. government. Mr. Mayer also serves as Co-Chair of the Department of Homeland Security’s ICT Supply Chain Risk Management Task Force. Mr. Mayer was appointed to the FCC Communications Security Reliability and Interoperability Council (CSRIC V), after having led a 100-person team of cybersecurity professionals that produced a landmark report to adapt the NIST Cybersecurity Framework to the broadcast, cable, satellite, wireless and wireline industries. Prior to USTelecom, Mr. Mayer served as the top telecommunications official for New York State as Telecom Director of the New York Public Service Commission and held consultant positions with KPMG and Deloitte.

Cohesity

Jonathon Mayor is the Chief Security Advisor of the Americas at Cohesity, the world’s largest data protection software provider. A founding member of the Security Center of Excellence, Mayor brings over two decades of experience in multiple security domains, especially security operations, forensics and incident response. Mayor guides Cohesity’s Cyber Event Response Team, an operation doubling in size in three months. He leads threat intelligence development, oversees response protocol and consults on lessons learned with customer security executives. Earlier, Mayor’s extensive technical security experience included leading teams of systems engineers at groundbreaking tech companies such as EMC, Dell and Verizon. At Dell, the largest technology company in the world with an annual revenue of over $101 billion, he specialized in business continuity strategy and delivering data protection solutions to meet recovery time objectives in complex environments. Mayor worked for seven years at Verizon, the largest telecommunications company in the U.S, with over 146 million customers. He oversaw the delivery of more than $15 million in IT and security services for tens of thousands of devices across hundreds of sites globally leading a network operation center (NOC). Mayor’s team managed business continuity for core business services; it also performed security operations for multiple global clients, including mitigation for several high-profile security incidents. Before that, he worked at Applied Materials, building server environments, performing root cause analysis, and ensuring software and hardware viability for the semiconductor equipment company operating in over 150 cities globally. Mayor holds a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology with a concentration in Computer Forensics from American InterContinental University.

eMazzanti Technologies

Carl Mazzanti, CISSP, is the Co-Founder and President of eMazzanti Technologies, a leading IT consulting firm serving 500+ clients across the New York metropolitan area and internationally. The company specializes in outsourced IT support, cloud migrations, and cybersecurity. A Georgetown University graduate with a triple major in Finance, New & Small Business Management and International Business, Carl is known for assembling world-class teams to solve complex business challenges. Speaking at conferences and attending industry events, he connects with more than 10,000 people annually. Family focused and deeply loyal, he views every partnership as long term and more meaningful than a transaction. Under Carl’s leadership, eMazzanti delivers advanced cybersecurity solutions and IT services for Microsoft technologies, including Azure Cloud. Additional capabilities include network management and troubleshooting, threat hunting, PCI DSS compliance, security awareness training, mobile workforce solutions, malware remediation, cloud computing, business continuity and disaster recovery. The firm has earned significant industry recognition: eleven placements on the Inc. 5000 list (including eight consecutive years), Microsoft 4× Partner of the Year, WatchGuard 5× Partner of the Year, and multiple NJBIZ awards as Small Business of the Year and NJ Digital Innovator (2019–2024). Renowned for rapid disaster recovery, eMazzanti restored 100% of customer operations within 72 hours after Hurricane Sandy.

Nelnet

Jeremy Miller is a Senior Cyber Threat Intelligence Analyst at Nelnet, where he has worked since 2022. In this role, he focuses on identifying emerging cyberthreats and helping the organization better understand and respond to the evolving threat landscape. Prior to joining Nelnet, Jeremy spent 12 years with the FBI as an Intelligence Analyst and Staff Operations Specialist. During his tenure, he served at the Albany Field Office, FBI Headquarters and the Sarasota Resident Agency of the Tampa Field Office. He supported a wide range of investigations, including criminal, counterterrorism and cybercrime matters. Jeremy also led and supervised a squad of intelligence analysts, helping coordinate intelligence support for complex investigations.

Palo Alto Networks

Preston Miller, a Senior Director at Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42, is an accomplished cybersecurity professional with deep subject matter expertise in digital forensics & incident response, as well as experience leading high-level, complex investigations. He has co-authored several books on digital forensics, including The Python Digital Forensic Cookbook, which was named Digital Forensics Book of the Year by Forensic 4:cast. Preston joined Unit 42 in 2021 after six years at Stroz Friedberg, where he managed complex incident response and digital forensic matters for clients across a wide range of industries. He helped establish Stroz’s mobile device working group and provided expert testimony on forensic analysis in the cases he worked. As a graduate student, Preston worked with the West Virginia State Police Digital Forensics Unit, where he developed a digital evidence database and assisted analysts by inventorying evidence, preparing evidence for preservation and analysis, and maintaining case logs.

FBI

Supervisory Special Agent Kyle Neuberger, a graduate of the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law with a Master’s in Cybersecurity Law, currently leads the FBI Albany Cyber Task Force. Throughout his career, SSA Neuberger has managed significant domestic and international investigations. In 2023, he directed operations to disrupt a cybercriminal enterprise linked to the Angler Exploit Kit and Ransom Cartel. His international experience includes coordinating with INTERPOL to address the attempted misuse of its Red Notice database and partnering with the Department of State to establish a national Security Operations Center (SOC) in the Ivory Coast to enhance regional threat intelligence and response capabilities.

NYSTEC

Lily is an associate consultant based in the Albany office, and she serves as a cybersecurity and data privacy subject matter expert. She brings large language model and security mitigation skills to her role, having previously held internships at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Albany’s Responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI) Lab and Cyber Resilient Interdependent Systems and Infrastructure Solutions (CRISIS) Lab. Lily earned a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity, with minors in public policy and emergency preparedness, homeland security, and cybersecurity from SUNY Albany. 

Deloitte

Brad Reimers is a senior software engineer at Deloitte partnered with the New York Security Operations Center (NYSOC) team. He has been working in the data and artificial intelligence (AI) field for 7 years, specializing in applied AI for cybersecurity. His recent work includes designing the NYSOC ingestion pipeline, building a cybersecurity detection capability using BigQuery and developing the NYSOC AI Assistant chatbot to increase efficiency within the SOC.

Amazon Web Services 

Andy is an Executive Security Advisor with AWS Public Sector, where he specializes in supporting state, local government and higher education customers. Prior to joining AWS, Andy served as the Deputy Chief Information Security Officer and Chief Cloud Architect for the State of Tennessee, leading the state’s cloud adoption and application migration initiatives. He has extensive experience in IT service management and cybersecurity, including leading Cloud Center of Excellence (CcoE) best practices implementations. At AWS, Andy works with security and technology leaders to enable secure, compliant cloud transformations, helping customers develop holistic security strategies and leverage the cloud in solving their toughest security challenges.

Aspire Technology Partners

John Rossiter possesses over 20 years of engineering and consulting experience in network infrastructure, datacenter and advanced security solutions. Prior to joining Aspire, John spent three years at Cisco Systems as a systems engineer. His primary role was to understand customer’s business needs and design technology architectures to meet those requirements. John’s expertise covers numerous aspects of consulting and solution delivery including requirements analysis, solution design, implementation and project management. Prior to his current role, John led Aspire’s Datacenter Practice specializing in architecting and implementing Cisco Advanced Technology solutions including: datacenter switching (Nexus), unified computing system (UCS), unified access (WLAN, ISE), and security. Currently, John serves as Principal Consulting Engineer for Aspire’s Digital Architectures practice. He holds numerous certifications, including Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) in Security since 2006.

Black Duck

Brett Sagenich currently works as a Principal Sales Engineer at Black Duck, supporting the public sector business. He has a strong technical background spanning multiple industries. His career journey includes roles such as an Applications Developer at the American Cancer Society, a Senior Solutions Architect at Micro Focus, and most recently, a Senior Sales Engineer at Synopsys. A Penn State University graduate, he has built a career around solving complex technical challenges and driving impactful results through innovative software solutions. Currently based in Atlanta, GA, he is always looking for ways to leverage technology to create value for his customers.

NYS Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services

Yaarub Salih is cybersecurity and networking professional currently working as a team member in ICS/OT assessments for the NYS Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES), supporting New York State’s critical infrastructure in identifying risks and strengthen the security of critical systems. His background includes networking, cyber defense and offense with a focus on building resilient and secure environments.

He has worked as a Senior Network Engineer and later as Network and Security Manager, where he led teams responsible for network infrastructure and cyber operations. He is passionate about developing strong security programs and being part of a team that protects and improves organizational resilience.

Semel Consulting

Mike is a Complianceologist at Semel Consulting, focused on regulatory compliance and Business Continuity planning. Mike is a CMMC Certified Assessor (CCA), CMMC Certified Professional (CCP), CMMC Registered Practitioner (RP), Certified Security Compliance Specialist, ISC2 Certified Governance Risk Compliance, Disaster Recovery Institute Certified Business Continuity Professional & Certified Cyber Resilience Professional, Certified HIPAA Security Professional, and Certified Health IT Specialist. He has owned or managed MSP companies for over 30 years; served as Chief Information Officer (CIO) for a hospital and a K-12 school district; and managed operations at an online backup company. Mike is the only expert who consulted with CompTIA on the original Security Trustmark (2008), the Security Trustmark Plus (2014) and the Cybersecurity Trustmark (2023). He is the best-selling author of “How to Avoid HIPAA Headaches.”

NYS Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services

Scott Sparks is the Cyber Threat Intelligence Lead for the Cyber Incident Response Team (CIRT) at the NYS Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES). The CIRT provides cyber services and incident response to local governments, non-executive State agencies and State authorities. Scott is responsible for identifying, tracking and assessing emerging threats across New York State’s cyber landscape, and he specializes in translating complex technical intelligence into actionable insights for both technical teams and executive leadership.

HPE

With more than 25 years of experience leading global network and infrastructure initiatives, John Spiegel is a recognized industry leader in network transformation and modern cybersecurity strategy. An early pioneer in software-defined networking (SDN) and software-defined WAN (SD-WAN), he has helped organizations modernize complex environments and navigate large-scale technology change. He is a frequent speaker at major industry conferences and executive forums, where he addresses topics including network transformation, cybersecurity leadership and Zero Trust strategy. Throughout his career, he has served as a trusted advisor to leading technology providers and high-growth startups, helping shape product direction, refine go-to-market strategies and guide solutions from early innovation through successful market adoption and acquisition. John currently works as a CTO covering security for a major networking vendor. In addition, he co-hosts the podcast “No Trust”, where he explores cybersecurity leadership, as well as the evolving role of the CISO, SASE, SSE and zero trust strategy, focusing on execution and organizational impact rather than product hype. When he’s not helping organizations modernize and secure their networks or assisting companies refine products, he can often be found cycling the backroads of Oregon or out on a walk with his trusted four-legged sidekick.

NYS Office of Information Technology Services

Marcy S. Stevens serves as the General Counsel and Chief Privacy Officer for the New York State Office of Information Technology Services (ITS). Serving as Chief General Counsel since January 2020, in June 2025, Marcy also took over the role of Chief Privacy Officer, as well as responsibility for oversight of the agency’s internal and external audit functions. In this role, Marcy is responsible for all legal, policy and privacy matters pertaining to and affecting ITS, a large consolidated public sector IT organization with nearly 5,000 employees serving more than 50 agencies with an end user base of 150,000 and an annual budget of nearly $1 billion. Marcy has been with the agency since 2016, previously serving as ITS Deputy General Counsel and Director of Litigation & eDiscovery. Marcy has a diverse range of legal and policy experience, having held roles in the public and private sector. Prior to joining NYS, Marcy worked as a civil litigation attorney, most recently at a national law firm in the commercial and liability defense litigation practice, where she served as a member of the national eDiscovery triage team and represented corporate clients in high-exposure tort claims and employment matters. Marcy is a key member of the ITS leadership team, as well as a respected resource across the state for her ability to bridge the gap between complicated legal and policy matters and their intersection with technology tools, information security and data privacy issues. Marcy holds a Juris Doctor (JD) and Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Western New England University Schools of Law and Business, as well as a bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University where she graduated cum laude. Marcy is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) as designated by the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) and is working toward the IAPP’s AI Governance Practitioner (AIGP) Certification. A native of the capital region, Marcy lives in Loudonville with her husband and two young children, where she enjoys spending quality time with her people.

Center for Internet Security

Valecia Stocchetti is a Senior Cybersecurity Engineer at the Center for Internet Security (CIS), where she plays a key role in advancing the CIS Critical Security Controls. She has led and contributed to several high-impact initiatives, including the CIS Community Defense Model (CDM) v2.0, CIS Cost of Cyber Defense for IG1, CIS Risk Assessment Method (RAM) v2.1, “Living off the Land” threat guidance, and the Blueprint for Ransomware Defense.

With a strong background in both offensive and defensive security, Valecia previously served as CIS’s Information Security Audit Manager and led the Cyber Incident Response Team, where she supported the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) and its state, local, tribal and territorial (SLTT) partners.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Digital Forensics from the University at Albany and a Master of Science in Information Security from Champlain College. Valecia also maintains several industry certifications, including GIAC Certified Forensic Examiner (GCFE), GIAC Certified Forensic Analyst (GCFA), GIAC Security Essentials Certification (GSEC) and GIAC Information Security Professional (GISP).

NYS Technology Enterprise Corporation

Rachel is a Senior Consultant with NYSTEC on the Security & Privacy Team. Earlier in her career, she worked for the SUNY System administration, where she was a procurement manager, handling contract creation as well as procurements with both state contracted and non-state contracted vendors. Previously, Rachel worked for the Student Conduct Institute, where she was integral to the transition from a small, in-person training program to a nationally recognized online training platform for more than 600 universities to receive Title IX and Student Conduct Training. Rachel recently completed her MBA from the University at Albany. 

Arctiq

Tim Tipton Jr. is the Executive Cybersecurity Strategist at Arctiq, where he leads national security initiatives across government, education, healthcare and other sectors, helping organizations navigate threats ranging from ransomware to AI-driven attacks. He has served multiple stints as a CISO, including in the U.S. Air Force and later in the private sector, with deep experience aligning security programs to risk and compliance expectations. Known for connecting “people problems” to technical outcomes, Tim’s work focuses on bridging psychology, strategy and engineering to build security that holds up under real adversarial pressure. He is a 4x author and 4x New York Times Best Seller, and he is a frequent global conference speaker recognized for making complex security concepts practical and actionable.

NYSTEC 

Michele Warner is a Senior Principal Consultant with IT experience focused on privacy, eDiscovery and quality assurance. Earlier in her career, she worked for Rational Retention, where she held positions as a quality assurance analyst testing eDiscovery and document-management software, as well as a client manager for the eDiscovery platform. Previously, Michele was a staff attorney with Boies, Schiller & Flexner, LLP. Since passing the bar, she has taken several HIPAA, healthcare and privacy-related continuing legal education classes. She is a member of the New York State Bar Association and the International Association of Privacy Professionals. She has given several presentations focusing on privacy. Michele holds CIPP/US, CIP, and FIP certifications. 

Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) 

Margaret Vijayan has 6 years of experience leading the OPWDD privacy program, working collaboratively across the agency's divisions to achieve and sustain privacy compliance for the protected health information that the agency maintains. She has worked extensively on major agency endeavors to expand and improve service delivery while protecting the privacy of the people the agency serves.

Major projects include building and deploying the agency Electronic Health Record, the introduction of service provision via telehealth, and the connection of the agency to Qualified Entities in order to leverage the Statewide Health Information Network for New York. Margaret also serves as co-chair of the Privacy and Cybersecurity Affinity Group for the National Association of Women Lawyers.

Prior to joining OPWDD, Margaret worked in private practice litigating contract and consumer protection cases. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and a Juris Doctor degree from Albany Law School. 

RSA

Christopher is a leading voice in the convergence of operational IT practices, identity, governance audit and compliance programs. His career features 14 years as a practicing manager of data centers, including operations and technical services, as well as 30 years creating and managing Identity solutions and consulting teams for fortune 500 companies and DOD contractors, technical process consulting services, engineering and product management. In the mid 1990’s, Christopher was part of the team that launched the first identity management/security administration solutions to the industry. This included a strong emphasis on global technical consulting and multi-discipline identity practice integrations oriented around process control conversion mappings, and multi-regulatory control optimization analysis. Furthering the integration of operational services, security services practices and customer experience processes, Christopher was an ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) instructor/proctor, which led to the development of the Business Technologies Assessment Methodology process set, now the cornerstone of RSA’s global Business Value Assessment practice. Today, Christopher now serves as Field CTO & Director for RSA’s Governance and Lifecycle solutions.

NYS Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services

Nick Waugh is an Information Technology and Cybersecurity specialist in the NYS Office of Counter Terrorism’s Critical Infrastructure Unit. Working with critical infrastructure owners and operators throughout New York State, Nick assists by evaluating their current IT, OT and physical security posture, offering recommendations for improvement based on industry best practices. Nick maintains multiple cybersecurity certifications from organizations such as CompTIA and the SANS institute.

Leet Cyber Security

Tyler Wrightson is the author of two books published by McGraw Hill, “Advanced Persistent Threat Hacking, The Art and Science of Hacking Any Organization” (2014) and “Wireless Network Security: A Beginner’s Guide” (2012). Tyler is the founder of Leet Cyber Security, which exists to fundamentally change the way organizations build their cybersecurity programs based on three principles: threat-centric wisdom, pragmatism and the context of their business. Leet focuses on offensive security services, such as penetration testing and red teaming, to secure organizations against real world attackers. Tyler has over 20 years of experience in the cybersecurity field across many industries including healthcare and financial services, with extensive experience in many areas of technical security including networking, systems architecture, offensive security and penetration testing. Tyler holds industry certifications such CISSP, CCSP, CCNA, CCDA and MCSE. Tyler has also taught classes for CCNA certification, hacking and penetration testing, wireless security and network security. He has been a frequent speaker at industry conferences including the NY Bankers Association (NYBA), NYS Cybersecurity Conference, Derbycon, Bsides, Rochester Security Summit, ISACA, ISSA and others. Follow his security blog.

Gartner

Emma is a Senior Executive at Gartner, working with state and local government IT leaders throughout New York to identify both business and technology requirements and to guide implementation and execution of Governor-directed and enterprise-wide strategic IT plans. 

A born-and-raised New Yorker, Emma has spent 20 years empowering her clients and partners with the tools, insights and resources to be successful. 

Emma received a B.S in Business from Wake Forest University.