Kevin Johnson is the Chief Executive Officer of Secure Ideas. Kevin has a long history in the IT field including system administration, network architecture and application development. He has been involved in building incident response and forensic teams, architecting security solutions for large enterprises and penetration testing everything from government agencies to Fortune 100 companies. In addition, Kevin is a faculty member at IANS and was an instructor and author for the SANS Institute. X (Twitter): @secureideas

Orion’s Quest: Navigating the Cyber Wilderness – Tales of Modern Penetration Testing (<– add to your schedule)

Focusing on real stories from the trenches, Orion’s Quest walks through a series of modern application and API attacks Kevin and his team have pulled off. The talk describes how we found and exploited the flaws and provides information so you can test yourself.

Come see Kevin Johnson at RVAsec 13!

David is a Staff Security Strategist on Splunk’s SURGe research team. He is also a SANS Certified Instructor, where he teaches network forensics. David has more than 20 years of experience in the information security field, primarily in incident detection and response, threat hunting, and Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI). He is the creator of both the Pyramid of Pain and the Threat Hunting Maturity Model, both widely cited defensive security models. Really, he just wants to make security better for everyone, and he has a special interest in helping people get started in their cybersecurity careers. You can follow David on Twitter as @DavidJBianco or on Mastodon as @DavidJBianco@infosec.exchange. X (Twitter): @DavidJBianco

My Way is Not Very Sportsman-Like: Shaping Adversary Behavior to Strengthen Defenses (<– add to your schedule)

We’re taking a fresh look at how to beat cyber attackers at their own games! It’s all about using our defender advantages wisely, controlling, constraining, and shaping the adversary’s moves before the attack even begins. We’re ditching the old “”Defender’s Dilemma”” mindset and showing how smart defense strategies can make a huge difference. Let’s shift our thinking, use our advantages better, and boost our defense without breaking the bank.

Come see David J. Bianco at RVAsec 13!

Tucker Mahan currently leads emerging technology initiatives at MAXX Potential, expanding capabilities and coaching others to build careers in technology.

He is a lifelong learner with a passion for all things Technology, and loves to share his ever-evolving knowledge on the subject. When he’s not helping others learn the fundamentals, he’s actively involved in many community and personal passion projects.

Trained in qualitative and quantitative data analysis to recognize trends and patterns
MicroMasters from The Georgia Institute of Technology in Analytics: Essential Tools and Methods
MAXX Potential Distinguished Alumni
VCU, BSc Sociology, minor in Math & Religious Studies

Defending Against the Deep: Is your workforce ready for Generative AI Adversaries? (<– add to your schedule)

Gain insight into the evolving landscape of cybersecurity in the age of AI Generated Content. From defending against multi-vector cyber attacks to empowering your workforce through AI-powered cybersecurity awareness, Defending Against the Deep delves into the intricacies of Generative AI. Together, we will look at case studies, a technical demonstration of current capabilities, keys for leveling up your workforce, and an opportunity to test your ability to recognize AI Generated Content. In this talk, explore how the same technology used for malicious intent can be harnessed for good, offering innovative solutions to safeguard enterprise environments.

Come see Tucker Mahan at RVAsec 13!

Aqeel Yaseen transitioned into Offensive Security from over a decade of teaching yoga professionally, and is currently working with Blue Bastion Security. That might seem like a curious combination, but Pentesting and teaching yoga both help people cultivate awareness of blind spots, and find ways to learn and grow from that awareness. Aqeel has been teaching himself that art and skill of hacking by creating home labs, owning machines on HTB and Offsec’s Proving Grounds, and participating in CTFs. He has already earned the Security+, OSCP, and OSWA certifications, and is currently working towards the CRTO. He also has a website with two years of recorded yoga and meditation classes that are available for free. He is eager to learn and to share!

Mindfulness, Meditation, and Cybersecurity (<– add to your schedule)

We are meant to enjoy our lives; both personal, and professional.
As human beings, and as professionals, we all have to learn how to cultivate even-mindedness, balance, and fortitude to meet life/work challenges. Cybersecurity is fascinating because it requires us to constantly learn, and find ways to optimize our process. Burnout is a huge problem many fields, but especially in Cybersecurity. Cultivating a mindfulness or meditation practice is one of the most efficient ways we can support our process, and manage the stress and anxiety that comes with our professional and personal lives.

The focus of this talk is not specifically on work, because it addresses thoughtful ways to approach every aspect of our lives from our mental and physical health, to our relationships both personally and professionally. Whether new to the industry or a seasoned veteran, this talk with give you some insights, guidance, and the opportunity to practice.

Come see Aqeel Yaseen at RVAsec 13!

Samuel S. Panicker specializes in cyber security and data protection. He is currently the CISO for NTS with over twenty-six years of experience in the field. Sam has authored several security awareness programs for SANS and Black Hat including “A healthy level of paranoia”.

Quickstart to building your own Private AI Chat (<– add to your schedule)

Join our quick start guide to building your very own Private AI! In this presentation, we’ll explore the key differences between Public and Private AI and the components needed for success. You’ll get hands-on experience setting up your development environment, preparing data for training, and using popular libraries to train a simple AI model. We’ll also discuss best practices in AI development and provide guidance on evaluating and fine-tuning performance. Don’t miss this opportunity to take control of your very own AI and build a system tailored to your unique needs and goals. Join us for an engaging and informative session that will empower you to start building your Private AI today!

Come see Sam Panicker at RVAsec 13!

Ben Haynes is a data scientist at Flashpoint, leveraging analytics and his cybersecurity expertise to solve practical problems in the industry. Previously, he worked at Risk Based Security, where he dedicated his time to enhancing and implementing the organization’s cybersecurity intelligence products. He is responsible for multiple innovative risk models for vulnerability and breach intelligence, as well as pioneering ways to make that intelligence actionable for clients.

Ben earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Astronomy & Planetary Sciences from Stony Brook University, and subsequently a Master of Mathematical Sciences, specializing in Statistics, from Virginia Commonwealth University. He is an amateur archivist, data hoarder, and prolific collector of hobbies.
X (Twitter): @atbenhaynes

Prioritization Myths Busted with Better Vulnerability Data (<– add to your schedule)

A good prioritization plan should let you know where to start when tackling risk. And yet, people don’t know where to start when developing a good prioritization plan! Even worse, we make a number of bad assumptions when trying to navigate this labyrinth.

Which method is the best? Are many methods better than one? How many is too many? What does “best” even mean?

Ask 10 different practitioners these questions and you might get 10 different answers. There’s no better example of this situation than with the plethora of vulnerability prioritization methods available today. Luckily, we’ve been able to collect an unprecedented amount of data on vulnerabilities, and it’s taught us a lot about what makes sense, and what doesn’t.

Join us as we use this vulnerability data to dispel myths, avoid pitfalls, and conjure some solid recommendations that will put you on a better path.

Come see Ben Haynes at RVAsec 13!

Darryl MacLeod works for the Lares Advisory Services team and has over 20 years of experience in the IT security sector, having been responsible for developing, managing, and assessing information security programs for all levels of enterprise and government-level organizations. He has spoken at multiple conferences such as Security BSides St.John’s, GoSec, and the Texas Cyber Summit. He also sits on the Board of Directors for AtlSecCon and is the former lead organizer for Security BSides Cape Breton.

Strategic Alliances: How GRC Teams Can Empower Offensive Security Efforts (<– add to your schedule)

Collaboration between Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) teams and offensive security teams is vital for a strong security stance. This presentation highlights the role of GRC teams in augmenting offensive security efforts. Traditionally, GRC teams are seen as policy makers, compliance assessors, and risk managers. Their role, however, significantly contributes to offensive security strategies, going beyond these conventional duties. The presentation emphasizes how GRC teams can enhance offensive security through risk-informed strategies, ensuring that offensive measures align with policies and compliance, optimizing resources, and bridging communication between technical and executive teams. The session aims to provide cybersecurity professionals and organizational leaders with a thorough understanding of the importance of GRC teams in offensive security and practical approaches for integrating these functions within their organizations.

Come see Darryl MacLeod at RVAsec 13!

Steve is an experienced computer systems and security architect with a passion for standards-based security and compliance; cloud computing; and DevSecOps. He brings over a decade of experience in the defense industry, working for multiple federal defense contractors, and has directly supported customers in organizations across the health care, retail, financial, pharmaceutical, and other verticals.

As president and CTO of Alpine Cyber Solutions, Steve and his team have built a full-featured IT and cybersecurity service company from the ground up. Today, Alpine Cyber is a leader in security managed services, vCISO services, risk assessment, and DevSecOps consultation.

The ABCs of DevSecOps (<– add to your schedule)

Application Security is the most oft-ignored, yet critically vulnerable attack vector in many businesses today. Development teams are encouraged to create new features first and foremost, at the expense of fixing vulnerabilities. It’s not until a breach or an audit finding when they pay attention to patching security holes.

So how does a thoughtful CISO get in front of this?

Application security has to exist across the application lifecycle. DevSecOps is the philosophy of imbuing proper security controls at every stage of the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC). This session will introduce you to core DevSecOps concepts so you can bring them back to your company and make some proactive changes to “drive defects left” and reduce the risk of a catastrophic security breach in your applications

Come see Steve Pressman at RVAsec 13!

Ayush Priya is a Cyber Security Engineer specialising in Cloud and Data Security, and DevSecOps practices. He loves to develop automation for security controls and processes. He has delivered talks at various conferences and security communities like GrayHat’20, and Cyber Security Global Summit to name a few. He also contributes to the OWASP Ranchi chapter as the Chapter Lead. He currently works at CRED as a cloud & data security engineer.

Saksham Tushar specializes in various aspects of Threats, including intelligence, detection, analytics, and hunting. He has experience leading teams and collaborating with organizations such as Informatica, Microsoft, and IBM to establish multiple global Security Operations Centers. Currently, he holds the position of Head of Security Operations at CRED India. He possesses extensive expertise in developing, refining, and transitioning Threat Management programs, including Advanced MDR Operations across ASEAN & EMEA regions. Additionally, he creates threat detections and hunts and shares them with the community through analytical Notebooks.
X (Twitter): @ayushpriya10

Building Illusions in the Cloud: Deception Engineering (<– add to your schedule)

Deception engineering is a defence-in-depth strategy which many organisations overlook. Post achieving certain level of maturity over their infrastructure security processes, deception engineering is a great security project to enhance monitoring via high fidelity alerts and targeted knowledge of an attack in terms of where the attack’s epicentre exists, what actions are the attackers taking, etc.

This session aims to share the overview of what entails when building a deception engineering charter, how to plan for deploying honeypots and honeytokens, and finally how to handle a potential incident that was detected via a honeypot.

Come see Ayush Priya / Saksham Tushar at RVAsec 13!

With over 5 years of experience in the information security industry, Ali has performed a wide variety of security assessments including network penetration testing, application security assessments, full-scope red team engagements, adversarial simulation, and physical penetration testing. Prior to joining Atredis Partners, Ali performed network penetration tests as a Security Consultant on Optiv’s Attack and Penetration team.

Outside of work, Ali enjoys researching software vulnerabilities and malware techniques on Windows Systems. Ali has created open source tooling and authored blog posts focused on evasive Command and Control (C2) techniques and implant development to give back to the information security community. Ali also holds the Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP) certification. X (Twitter): @aahmad097

Hacking Exchange from the Outside In (<– add to your schedule)

Microsoft Exchange 2019 uses the Oracle Outside-In libraries to parse specific file types when attached to emails. This talk covers the process of discovering memory corruption vulnerabilities within the technology using AFL and Jackalope and the results of the fuzzing process. Outside-In was deprecated as a result of this research.

Come see Ali Ahmad at RVAsec 13!