Speakers-2024
Come take a look at our exciting list of experts, leaders, and practitioners who are going to give us an amazing conference. If you haven’t bought your ticket yet, you will want to after this!
John Strand - Keynote Speaker
Presentation: “Keynote”
John Strand has both consulted and taught hundreds of organizations in the areas of security, regulatory compliance, and penetration testing. He is a coveted speaker and much loved SANS teacher. John is a contributor to the industry-shaping Penetration Testing Execution Standard and 20 Critical Controls frameworks. https://www.blackhillsinfosec.com/team/john-strand/
Matt Hansen
Presentation: “Beyond No: InfoSec’s Role in Enterprise Success”
Matt is a Cloud Solution Architect at Microsoft who focuses on Azure Infrastructure and Security. He has been in the industry for 15 years as an Engineer and Architect, and serves as a Subject Matter Expert, Advisory Committee Member, and as a Professor for Cloud and Security Technologies. Matt holds over 50 industry certifications such as the CCSP, CISSP, Azure Security Engineer, Azure Network Engineer, and has held all versions of the Azure Solutions Architecture Certifications. Matt holds a B.S in Network Engineering and M.S in Engineering Management, and a M.S in Information Systems Security and an Executive Certificate in Cybersecurity Management.
Seif Hateb
Presentation: “The Three Musketeers, one of them is Purple”
Seif Hateb, a Security Engineering Leader, with over a decade of experience in spearheading large-scale projects and leading engineering teams in the cybersecurity field. His expertise spans across Cyber Defense, Cryptography, Product Security, AI and LLM Security. He has designed and implemented security solutions in various industries, including Software, Tech, Telecom and Healthcare.
Michael Miller
Presentation: “Building a Detection Engineering Lab at Home”
Michael is a cybersecurity leader, practitioner, speaker, and educator with 12+ years’ experience in enterprise cybersecurity, networking, server administration, and programming. He specializes in security engineering, automation, and operations. He is passionately focused on attracting, developing, and retaining talent, and advocates on improving diversity, equity, and inclusion in both his teams and the cybersecurity industry. He has a B.S. in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance from WGU, and an A.A.B. in Network Administration and Computer Programming from NSCC where he also sits as a member of the IT advisory board and is a part time instructor of cybersecurity courses. Michael holds a variety of industry certifications including the CISSP, CCSP, SSCP, GISP, CEH, ECES, and CySA+ just to name a few. Michael lives in Northwest Ohio with his wife and their two children. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and kids, traveling, cooking, public speaking, and tinkering with his home lab.
Rob Rodriguez
Presentation: “Cutting Through The Noise: Lessons From a Decade of Electronic Warfare”
Rob Rodriguez is a cybersecurity professional with over 25 years of experience. Leveraging his diverse background in the Intelligence Community and cybersecurity, he provides valuable experience in securing sensitive systems and data. Dedicated to the next generation of Cybersecurity, Rob actively mentors aspiring cybersecurity professionals through initiatives like the Marine Corps Cyber Auxiliary and Veterati. Outside of his professional focus, Rob is a published author with several articles featured in various publications such as 2600 magazine. In his downtime, you will find him diving into a good book, playing guitar in his band, or his favorite, spending quality time with his wife and three sons.
Steve Saylor
Presentation: “Winning the Battle for Budget”
Steve Saylor, an accomplished IT and Cybersecurity leader, brings over two decades of experience guiding a diverse number of organizations. His expertise lies in leading the process of planning, implementing, and securing business technology environments. Specializing in “translating the language of the server room to the language of the board room”, Steve has helped build and execute technology strategies and roadmaps for more than 60 companies in the healthcare, financial services, non-profit, and professional services fields. Steve currently leads the IT and Cybersecurity Team at SYM Financial, a $4 billion investment advisory firm. He holds several industry certifications, including the CISM and is active in the local cybersecurity community.
Chistian Ebel-Orr
Presentation: “Cyber Threats and Criminal Trends”
Technical Special Agent Christian Ebel-Orr has been with the Secret Service for 21 years. During that time, he has been assigned to the Counter Assault Team, Presidential Protective Division, Obama Protective Division, and the Indianapolis Field Office. He currently manages the Indianapolis Digital Forensics Lab and the Indiana Cyber Fraud Task Force.
0DDJ0BB
Presentation: “Nothing Went to Plan….. Because You Didn’t Have a Plan”
0DDJ0BB has been Blue since 2013. he has quickly risen from the ranks as an engineer, consultant, IR analyst, Vulnerability Management Lead, and Senior Director. His background in education, bio-sciences, finance, retail, manufacturing, and healthcare give him a unique view on what it takes to build an InfoSec program given limited resources. He is host of the Glass of 0J YouTube Channel and is a Founding member of CircleCityCon (RIP)
Dale Fay & Meridith Russell-Fay
Presentation: “Hack Your Mind: Practical Mental Health Insights for Technical People”
Richard Rieben
Presentation: “The Audit: A Significant Emotional Event”
Richard Rieben is a Partner and HITRUST practice lead at Linford & Co., where he leads audits and assessments covering various frameworks including HITRUST, SOC, CMMC, and NIST. With over 20 years of experience in IT and cybersecurity and various certifications including PMP, CISSP, GSNA, and CASP+, Richard is skilled in helping growing organizations achieve their information security and compliance goals. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and an MBA from Western Governors University. In his spare time Richard enjoys the outdoors and participates in the hobby of amateur radio, licensed as KE4WLE.
Alissa (DNSPrincess)
Presentation: “Preventing and Recovering from Burnout”
I’m a seasoned cybersecurity professional with over a decade of experience, specializing in cybersecurity solutions architecture and penetration testing. I’ve enjoyed a robust academic career and now apply my deep knowledge to practical challenges in the field. As a mentor, I guide aspiring tech professionals towards achieving their Security+ certification, leveraging my extensive experience to foster their growth. Beyond my professional life, I’m a devoted dog parent and a supportive friend, especially adept at navigating the complexities of burnout. My journey has not only been about advancing my own skills but also about uplifting others in their personal and professional endeavors.
Stephen Heindel
Presentation: “Leveling Up Your Scripting”
- Software engineer with over 10 years of experience across a multitude of commercial and consumer sectors.
- Married 10 years to my beautiful wife Sarah and have two beautiful children
- Currently working as head of software at Rogo Ag, formerly worked for the excellent Fort Wayne software firm Logikos. Before Logikos worked for API Alliance in Huntertown.
- Technical experience includes a wide variety of programming applications and platforms
- Have worked across a multitude of commercial and consumer sectors, including audio electronics, refrigeration, air conditioning, building supply, medical equipment, agriculture, robotics, and self-driving
- Worked in an electronics capacity designing and debugging integrated circuits for production deployments and test fixtures
- Worked on production code in over 10 different programming languages across all major operating systems
- Deployed and managed applications on all three Big Cloud providers, including several smaller ones
- Specialize in broad system architectures, especially as it relates to IoT
- Passionate about educating others and sparking joy in programming
- Hobbies include woodworking, home renovation, and 3D printing