Government agencies are tasked with maintaining a strong cybersecurity posture while facing evolving threats and greater expectations of compliance and protection.  To keep pace, it is crucial that organizations continuously adapt their defensive capabilities and optimize their efforts.  In today’s talk, we will discuss strategic planning techniques that organizations can employ to maximize their effectiveness and efficiency over time, to achieve the goals of tomorrow.

Matthew Rosenquist is a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), cybersecurity strategist, and industry advisor to global businesses, academia, and governments.  With over 30 years of experience, Matthew has become an outspoken advocate and respected authority in the field of cybersecurity.  He speaks to audiences and clients around the globe on emerging threats, privacy, regulatory compliance, digital ethics, disruptive technologies, and best practices for cyber risk management.

Representative Giovanni Capriglione

Giovanni has been married to his wife Elisa for 23 years, and has three children, two of whom attend Carroll ISD schools, and one who attends Texas A&M University. After receiving his BS in Physics, he pursued his MBA in Finance from Santa Clara University. After school, Giovanni pursued a semiconductor design career in Silicon Valley before going on to work for a DFW-based venture capital/private equity firm.

Giovanni currently serves as Chairman of the House Committee on Pensions, Investments & Financial Services and Chairman of the Innovation & Technology Caucus.  As a leader in technology policy that comes before the legislature, Giovanni is looked to for guidance on a multitude of different important topics.  He has passed several key pieces of legislation such as the Texas Cybercrime Act, the Texas Cybersecurity Act, and the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act.  He has also passed legislation creating an Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council, created harsher punishments for doxing, addressed IT workforce shortages, and thoughtfully regulated digital asset service providers.  He has previously chaired several technology-focused committees, such as the Texas Data Privacy Advisory Council, the House Select Committee on Cybersecurity, the Joint Oversight Committee on Investment in IT Improvement and Modernization Projects, and the Appropriations Subcommittee on State Infrastructure, Resiliency, and Investment. In recognition of his work, Giovanni was awarded the 2023 Technology Champion Award from the National Association of State Chief Information Officers and the 2022 Champion of Innovation Award from TechNet.

Steve Pier, Deputy Executive Director, DIR

Steve Pier is the Deputy Executive Director at DIR. He has served the State of Texas as a House of Representatives staffer and with three agencies before coming to DIR. Steve has over 20 years experience working with governments and international organizations at the state and national level in areas such as: governmental relations; communications; management and leadership; and strategic initiatives. He has a bachelor's degree from Miami University with a double major in Philosophy and Political Science.

The cybersecurity landscape is in a constant state of flux, marked by an escalation in the sophistication, speed, and scale of cyber attacks. This challenging environment necessitates not just a response, but a proactive and strategic approach to defense.   Palo Alto Networks has a certain level of telemetry that can accurately make sense of the attack trends in order to help create and implement better, stronger cyber-defenses. In this session, Sam Rubin, Global Head of Operations for Unit 42 at Palo Alto Networks, will share critical insights into the state of the evolving threat landscape - and what organizations need to consider about attacks as they confront how to secure against them.

Sam Rubin , the global head of operations at Unit 42, is responsible for all client delivery as the leader of the Professional Services team. He also directs the strategic development of the firm’s procedures and overhead processes and maintains an active docket of cases, serving as an expert witness in digital forensics engagements. He has deep expertise in matters involving theft of intellectual property, incident response, e-forgery, leaks of confidential information, and information security best practices.

Prior to joining the team, Sam was a managing director with a specialized risk management firm. There, he led technical teams in a variety of cyber- related engagements, including digital forensic investigations, IT security risk assessments, and data breach incident response. He also oversaw its U.S. western region digital forensic practice and was actively involved in the strategic development of the firm’s cyber and eDiscovery service offerings.

In today's rapidly evolving threat landscape, security operations centers struggle to keep pace protecting vital government assets and data.  During this session, we’ll introduce how Google leverages Generative AI technology to empower security teams to be more productive, effective and accurate in their operational tasks:  streamlining threat detection and incident response; accelerating discovery and incident triage; automating recommendations for protective tasks; managing risks and vulnerabilities overall.