Keynotes

Thursday Morning Keynote:

Mystery Company: The case of the ghost on the wire

Rachel Giacobozzi

Congratulations! You have all been hired as incident responders for Mystery Company. Today you will be assigned to work on our newest case, the ghost on the wire. You will be dispatched to our clients super creepy mansion during today’s thunderstorms. Hopefully, you remember your training and can help solve this mystery. This talk is a choose your own adventure story with audience participation. We will be navigating an incident response case, highlighting the importance of incorporating analytical principles and cyber threat intelligence into your investigation..

Thursday Afternoon Keynote:

Hack the Hackers: Outsmarting Cyber Criminals with Deception Technology

Yiannis Vassiliades

Welcome to the world of Deception Technology where the good guys play mind games to protect their networks! Packed with technical tips, industry insights, and a touch of mischief, this session shows you why deception is the ‘wild card’ every cybersecurity strategy needs in today’s threat landscape. What if you could fool hackers into chasing shadows? We’ll take a closer look at how deception traps, fake databases, and decoy IoT devices keep attackers spinning their wheels while your data stays safe. We’ll explore real-world examples of how Deception can outsmart ransomware, outwit supply chain attacks, and uncover insider shenanigans while turning cyber criminals’ efforts into your advantage. Let’s make hackers work harder for zero payoffs!

Thursday Wrap Up Keynote

Ben Palmer

Ben Palmer, also known as PalmerTrolls, is a comedian and internet personality renowned for his distinctive blend of satire, trolling, and social commentary. He initially gained fame by posing as corporate accounts, government entities, and other official organizations on social media, responding humorously to customer complaints.

Ben’s content often involves elaborate pranks, such as impersonating customer service agents, creating fake court cases to appear on TV, or pretending to be a journalist to trick CEOs and multilevel marketing figures..

His work has gone viral across platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, accumulating over a billion views. His live performances mix digital storytelling with traditional stand up comedy, creating a unique blend that resonates with audiences.

Thursday Afternoon Keynote:

Hackers Don’t Hack, They Log In

Dr. Louis DeWeaver III

Cyber threat actors are evolving their tactics, moving away from traditional methods to more sophisticated approaches. Instead of exploiting vulnerabilities or brute-forcing passwords, they now heavily rely on stolen credentials to breach systems efficiently. A key facilitator of these breaches is the emergence of stealer logs. These logs contain a range of pilfered data, including usernames, passwords, cookies, and session tokens gathered through info stealer malware. Backed by statistics, real-life examples, and insights into current hacking trends, this talk delves into the pivotal role these logs play and how they can evade even the best cybersecurity solutions available today.

Friday Wrap Up Keynote:

F’k Phish Testing: 30 Years of Failures

Wolfgang Goerlich

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the first phish. For three decades, we have been on the back-foot trying to counter this tactic. The last decade, thanks in large part to vendors, it has all been about the phishing simulation. Phish our users. That’ll teach them. But simulated phish tests have failed to meaningfully change user behavior. And simulated phish tests provide a false sense of security. Worse, the tests have done real damage to real people, the very same people we need to protect. F’that. This talk is rallying cry to kill the simulation, stop blaming people, and embrace better technical controls.

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