West IT & Security Leaders Forum 2025

As the digital economy continues to expand, institutions must adapt to remain competitive and relevant. This session will explore the key trends shaping the future of the digital economy and how institutions can effectively enable their digital transformation. Topics will include advancements in digital infrastructure, the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning, the importance of data analytics, and the shift towards digital-first business models. Experts will discuss the challenges and opportunities presented by these trends, providing practical insights on how institutions can leverage technology to enhance efficiency, innovation, and customer engagement. Attendees will gain a comprehensive understanding of the strategic steps necessary to thrive in the digital economy.

In today’s digital landscape, the traditional network perimeter has dissolved. Identity has emerged as the new security perimeter, representing the most critical attack surface for adversaries. As organizations increasingly adopt cloud-based services, remote workforces, and interconnected applications, managing identities and Identity Providers (IDPs) has become central to ensuring security. However, these same identities are also being targeted, manipulated, and abused by cybercriminals to gain unauthorized access to valuable data and resources.

This session will explore the evolving role of identity in cybersecurity, providing a deep dive into how identities and IDPs are leveraged—both legitimately and maliciously. Attendees will gain a comprehensive understanding of the Zero Trust model and why it is essential for today’s security strategy. We will discuss common security failures, such as overprivileged access, poor password hygiene, and inadequate monitoring, and identify tools and best practices that can help organizations strengthen their identity security posture.

Participants will walk away with actionable insights on how to better protect identities, implement effective Zero Trust principles, and adopt identity-focused security strategies that mitigate risks in an ever-evolving threat environment. Armed with these best practices, security leaders will be well-equipped to build resilient defenses against today’s most sophisticated cyber threats.

Presented by: Tenable

In the past 12 months, 87% of F1000 businesses were affected by significant cyber incidents as a result of a third-party. And yet, most rely on ‘snapshot in time’ questionnaires. While necessary, snapshots are insufficient by themselves, and must be augmented with continuous monitoring in support of ongoing security operations. This requires a different approach, that includes external threat detection capabilities by using AI across Public Data.

• The Public Data opportunity: collect, process, alert across multiple languages / modalities
• Real-time external threat detection on a rapidly evolving threat landscape
• The most advanced AI techniques for automating the collection, processing, delivery, and initial analysis of millions of public data sources

Presented by: Dataminr

Check back for updates on this session.

Presented by: SecurityScorecard

In the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity, staying ahead of threats is imperative. As we reflect on the past, embrace the present, and prepare for the future, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into security infrastructure has emerged as a disruptive technology in safeguarding digital assets. Join us at this exclusive event led by Trend Micro as we delve into the dynamic journey of AI’s impact on cybersecurity. From historical insights to current advancements and future projections, discover how AI is reshaping the defense mechanisms against cyber threats, fortifying your infrastructure, and empowering organizations to navigate the digital frontier with confidence.

Presented by: Trend Micro

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Join us for an engaging and insightful journey through the evolution of AI, from the pioneering days of Turing to today’s cutting-edge generative models. In “Not Your Grandparent’s AI: New Age of Cybersecurity and IT Management,” we explore how AI is revolutionizing IT operations and cybersecurity, transforming our approaches to data analysis, threat detection, and endpoint management. We’ll delve into the emotional rollercoaster of technology adoption, address the new risks posed by generative AI, and discuss how to balance the need for speed and real-time data with security imperatives. This talk will equip you with a deeper understanding of the current landscape and future trajectory of AI in our industry. Come discover how to harness AI’s potential while navigating its challenges.

Presented by: Tanium

As organizations increasingly adopt web-based applications and remote work models, traditional security measures are proving insufficient to safeguard against modern threats. This session explores the transformative role of secure enterprise browsers in elevating web access from a potential vulnerability to a robust security advantage. Attendees will learn how innovative browser technologies can provide enhanced data protection, mitigate insider threats, and seamlessly integrate with existing security frameworks, ensuring both productivity and resilience in today’s dynamic digital landscape.

Presented by: Seraphic

In today’s dynamic business environment, companies face the imperative of delivering instant answers and assistance to customers engaging with digital channels. This informative discussion addresses the vital elements needed to produce tangible results to meet this demand. While AI tools and smart agents can minimize human intervention, professionals across sales, marketing, and customer service must navigate customer interactions and team collaboration in new ways. In this chat we will address the challenges to be aware of in the strategic deployment of these technologies and steps to take to ensure they deliver expected value.

Presented by: RingCentral

Join an intimate group of industry peers to experience a simulated cyber-attack, taking on a leadership role in a fictional company during a ransomware negotiation. Engage in a dynamic agenda with a realistic storyline inspired by recent high-profile breaches, confronting challenges and making critical decisions along the way.

Topics discussed:

• Security Assurance
• Identity and Access Management
• Social Engineering, Threat Detection
• Cyber Incident Response
• Ransomware
• Governance and Reporting Regulation in USA.

Guided by Commvault Security expert, attendees will navigate the ransomware journey and leave this session with an actionable toolkit and recommendations to evaluate their own company’s disaster recovery plan.

Our goal is for attendees to experience a realistic simulation of a complex cyber-attack scenario, enabling them to navigate demands and determine the next steps to protect their company’s data and restore business operations

Presented by: Commvault

Open seating, Buffet-style lunch. Serving food for all tastes, palates, and preferences. Vegan, vegetarian, halal options available

In today’s multi-cloud world, managing network performance, security, and scalability has become more complex than ever. Join us for an insightful discussion on the latest trends and strategies in cloud networking, where we’ll explore how to optimize your cloud infrastructure for maximum efficiency and resilience. Learn from industry experts about best practices and innovative solutions to navigate the evolving cloud landscape successfully. Don’t miss this opportunity to stay ahead of the curve in cloud networking!

We’ll explore the transformative impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on Security Operations (SecOps). As cyber threats become more sophisticated and dynamic, traditional security models struggle to keep up. AI-driven SecOps leverages machine learning, automation, and advanced analytics to enhance threat detection, incident response, and overall security posture.

We’ll dive into how AI can identify anomalies faster than human analysts, automate repetitive tasks, and prioritize security incidents with greater accuracy. By reducing response times and improving decision-making, AI empowers security teams to be more proactive and efficient.

Speaker: Jeff Urnaza, Vice President of System Engineering, Majors, Fortinet

Presented by: Fortinet

With the growing reliance on SaaS applications, misconfigurations and emerging threats pose significant risks to your cloud environment. This session will dive into how SaaS Security Posture Management (SSPM) can provide advanced detection and response strategies to identify vulnerabilities, secure configurations, and respond to threats in real-time. Join us to gain actionable insights into strengthening your SaaS security posture and protecting your organization’s critical data.

Presented by: AppOmni

Achieving PCI compliance is crucial for organizations handling payment card information, yet the process can be complex and challenging. This presentation explores the concept that a robust security framework is the foundation for achieving compliance, rather than compliance driving security measures. We will examine how prioritizing security best practices not only mitigates risks but also naturally aligns with regulatory and industry standards. Focusing on three core areas—Identity, Data security, and Application protection—offers the most efficient path to PCI compliance. By concentrating on these key areas, organizations can not only streamline their compliance efforts but also enhance their overall security posture. Attendees will leave with actionable insights on how to integrate these focus areas into their PCI compliance strategy to achieve both efficiency and effectiveness.

Presented by: Thales

In this presentation we will provide insights around the inherent risks related to using Generative AI, self-trained LLMs and AI workloads. With data at the heart of any AI usage, we will cover efficient methodologies for identifying and mitigating your own risk to safely enable AI, making your workforce more productive and driving toward the innovation AI promises. Specifically the topic will engage the audience to consider how understanding the data set, its sensitivity, the access to it from internal employees to third parties, and how data will be used and created. Protecting data wherever it goes and ensuring compliance through the AI journey.

Learning Objectives: In this presentation the audience will learn about the inherent risks surrounding AI and therefore data within the enterprise. Marrying key objectives around cloud security, governance risk and compliance, risk management and threat detection/prevention through the AI lifecycle.

Presented by: Varonis

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As organizations adapt to technological advancements, remote collaboration tools, and changing workforce dynamics, the CIO emerges as a key strategist, orchestrating digital transformation initiatives and ensuring seamless integration of technology into the fabric of the modern workplace. This Panel will discuss how CIOs can drive innovation, enhance cybersecurity measures, and foster a flexible and inclusive work environment to meet the challenges and opportunities presented by the future of work.

In most markets, there is an abundance of open IT jobs with fewer people able to fill them – and the positions are getting more expensive. Working remotely is the norm, but not optimal (usually). There is less off-shoring and more resources are focused locally or within the same hemisphere.

Additionally, we are still not recruiting enough woman and minorities in to the rank and file, especially senior IT roles, and we’re losing talent to major tech hubs.

Join us as we dive into solutions to tackle the following challenges:

• How do you scale staff / team without losing them to major tech hubs?
• How do you create more diversity – not only among race and gender – but diversity of thought – Old vs New Thinking?
• How do we mentor universities to implement actionable steps for supplying more IT talent?

Today, the primary CEO priority is growth, with technology as a key enabler. However, vendor policies pose major roadblocks to innovation, growth and competitive advantage by forcing you to spend limited budget, resources and time on projects that may not drive your business. ​Learn how you can take control of your IT roadmap by choosing a Business-Driven Roadmap designed around your business objectives and not the vendor’s. Leverage vendor software, but do it on your terms, on your timetable and with the flexibility, funding and freedom to focus on initiatives that support growth and competitive advantage.

Aggressive attacks on Enterprise computer networks are continuing with increased frequency and threatening economic and national security. Actions like vulnerability reduction and passive defenses on their own simply are not cutting it and there needs to be a functional shift in the way we mitigate this substantial threat. Companies can seek to protect their most sensitive data by implementing an environment of actionable intelligence and detection to bring the fight to the adversaries and ensure a proactive approach to securing data. This session will discuss best practices in managing the constant evolution in the security environment.

Everyone’s journey to being data-driven is unique. It’s like making an apple pie. It’s easy to get the ingredients, but you need to know how to put together the right recipe for a great apple pie. In this interactive discussion I will share insights and lessons learned in leading data modernization initiatives and in sharing the journey with customers. Data literacy, culture, governance, quality, technology stack modernization and architecture are all ingredients in driving towards the right data driven recipe. The discussion will include tips and tricks for reducing friction points and how to build the right recipe for your organization.

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The result of digital transformation: It’s easier to do business with your customers and partners. But with new architectures, web apps and APIs now deployed from on-prem servers to the cloud, it is harder than ever to get a holistic view of all of these potentially vulnerable assets – never mind defend them.

What are your biggest challenges today in defending these diverse assets? What are the known gaps in your current defenses? What are you seeking in the future to defend your apps and APIs?

Topics covered will include:

• How are adversaries preying upon unprotected web apps and APIs?
• How are traditional web application firewalls deployed, and what are they missing?
• What does the future look like with unified web app and API security solutions?

To meet the speed and agility demands of digital business, CIOs are transforming their IT departments and shifting a growing share of IT work from projects to products. At the same time, growth in business-led IT has expanded the span of employees across the enterprise who are responsible for technology initiatives.
This session will explore a cost management model and discuss how evolving IT cost management efforts to focus on value over pure cost will reduce (and even eliminate) reactive calls to cut IT costs. This session will provide a model and tactics to elevate the maturity of IT to focus on value over costs, while still meeting the business directives.