Aug, 16
2019
Awards and Honors, Business, Free News Articles, Regional Events

CyberTexas Foundation will host 2019 San Antonio Cyber Hall of Honor Induction Ceremony

SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- The CyberTexas Foundation will host the 2019 San Antonio Cyber Hall of Honor Induction Ceremony on Tuesday, August 20, 2019 at 5 p.m. at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) Downtown Campus, Buena Vista Building. The Hall of Honor recognizes cyber pioneers who innovatively forged new paths across the city of San Antonio, the state of Texas, the nation and abroad.

Inductees are recognized for their efforts to understand and accept the pronounced risks and challenges and profoundly lead the way in creating one of the preeminent cyber ecosystems in the country.

The CyberTexas Foundation is proud to announce the 2019 Inductees:

PIONEERS

J. Michael Kretzer, Technical Director, 688th Cyberspace Wing, Joint Base San Antonio
* Program manager for the first Air Force Information Warfare (IW) focused planning and targeting tool initiative in 1996-2002;
* Program manager for the first DoD Advanced IW Concept for IO Planning 1997-2002;
* Established Cooperative Research Agreement between UTSA and Air Force that assisted in early development of the Center for Infrastructure Assurance and Security as well as the Dark Screen metropolitan-based exercises;
* First Technical Director for the Air Force Information Operations Center, 688th Information Operations Wing, and 688th Cyberspace Wing;
* Provided cyber expertise to several Air Force Chief Scientist studies to include CyberVision 2025, Air Force Technology Horizons, and Science and Technology Strategy 2030.

Daniel M. Teal, Principal Engineer, Sophos, Austin
* Co-Founder and Chief Scientist of WheelGroup Corporation;
* Created NetRanger - the first commercial network intrusion detection system;
* Senior technical engineer and architect for the Distributed Intrusion Detection System (DIDS);
* Designed architecture for the first Automated Security Incident Measurement (ASIM) site;
* Co-Founder and CTO of CoreTrace Corporation;
* Researched and developed Bouncer, the first commercial application control whitelisting product;
* Awarded patents in many areas of cyber security.

Kevin J. Ziese, (Posthumously), Senior Computer Scientist, Cisco Systems, Dripping Springs
* Owner of numerous U.S. Patents: Method and system for dynamically distributing updates in a network (2008); Method and system for providing tamper-resistant executable software (2003); Method and system for dynamically distributing updates in a network (2002); System and Method for rules-driven multi-phase network vulnerability assessment (2001); Method and System for adaptive network security using network vulnerability assessment (2001);
* Senior Computer Scientist, Cisco Systems; Co-Founder and Senior Scientist at WheelGroup Corporation; Air Force Engineer and United Nations Peacekeeping Inspector Computer Expert-United States.

ALL-STAR

Josh Beck, Networking Engineering Instructor, Roosevelt High School, San Antonio
* Developer and instructor of one of the best CyberPatriot programs in the city at the Engineering and Technology Academy (ETA) at Roosevelt High School;
* Lead one of his 13 teams to the CyberPatriot National Competition where the Army JROTC team placed 3rd in Service Division;
* Army JROTC team won the All-Service Cisco Networking Challenge;
* Developed a program resulting in nearly 30 students earning industry recognized IT and security certifications.

"Members of this year's Pioneer inductees soundly represent the Air Force's foundation and technological advancements in what we now call cybersecurity," said Joe Sanchez, Executive Director, CyberTexas Foundation and Founder of the SA Hall of Honor.

The Pioneer Category was established for an individual who devoted an extended period (20+ years) or a career to the field. The All-Star Category was established for an individual (or team) who has made substantial contributions over the course of the past year or more. The All-Star Category has three segments: Workforce/Education, Government/Operations and Industry/Technology.

Sanchez offered insight into the work of pioneer Mike Kretzer by highlighting his ability to "carry forward in the Air Force tradition of advancing the mission by helping shape the cyber tools, tactics and techniques into weapon systems." Sanchez continued: "Mike has a superb eye for finding golden nuggets in national labs, startups and academic institutions and turning them into tools used by our cyber warriors."

In describing why Dan Teal and Kevin Ziese were selected, Lee Sutterfield, CEO and co-founder of SecureLogix, and inaugural Hall of Honor inductee stated that "the innovative technology and processes developed by Dan Teal and Kevin Ziese were groundbreaking in the field of detection and defense, which are widely found today in military and commercial devices and software. Their work brilliantly continued into the collective standup of WheelGroup, into Cisco Systems and into the development of numerous patents."

Chris Cook, Senior Advisor at CyberTexas Foundation described Josh Beck as the "developer of one of the more prominent and successful high school CyberPatriot programs in the region at Roosevelt High School's Engineering and Technology Academy." Cook stated that, "Beck's drive to teach students led to an Army JROTC team placing third in the country in the CyberPatriot National Competition Service Division. They also won the All-Service Cisco Networking Challenge."

The induction ceremony will start at 5 PM. It will be followed by a reception. To learn more or to attend, contact Victor Malloy, General Manager, CyberTexas Foundation at vmalloy@cybertexas.org.

More information: https://www.cybertexas.org/

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Aug, 15
2019
Business, Free News Articles, Regional Events, Safety and Security Solutions

Top 5 Reasons Not to Miss CyberTexas 2019

SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- Cybersecurity leaders are set to convene at the annual CyberTexas conference, cyber job fair and Hall of Honor Induction Ceremony in San Antonio, August 20 and 21, 2019, produced by the CyberTexas Foundation.

Defend, protect, secure - three words we often use to define the state of engagement on the battlefield. But in an age of heighten cybersecurity threats, physical warfare isn't the only battle worthy of preparation. Cybersecurity has become a critical issue for all private industries, on every level of local, state and federal government, military and academia which leaves public and private institutions on the front line of defense for protecting critical infrastructure.

Texas, a state known for its big, and often, non-traditional approaches to problem solving, has been on the forefront of cybersecurity dating back to the early 1980s when computer networks were just starting to develop. In the years that followed, cities like San Antonio, Houston and Austin became leaders in building the cybersecurity ecosystem in the region, which led to not only the development of a strong cybersecurity workforce, but the creation of innovative cyber products and services, and the installation of the world-class U.S. Air Force Cyber Command at Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA).

The Lone Star state is a hotbed for network security, cyber risk mitigation and threat intelligence. It is this reality alone that opens the doors to cybersecurity events like the CyberTexas Conference. Now in its ninth year, the conference is a platform for industry thought leaders from across the state and abroad to collaborate, problem solve, retool and prepare for the next wave of cyber threats. During the two-day event, August 20th - 21st at the University of Texas at San Antonio's (UTSA) downtown campus, cyber leaders will gather to hear from speakers, learn about products and services during an exhibitor's showcase, participate in a cyber job fair hosted by Cleared Jobs, and witness the 2019 San Antonio Cyber Hall of Honor induction ceremony. However, if industry enthusiasts are still uncertain about attending this year's conference, here are five reasons not to miss CyberTexas 2019:

1 - Two is better than one

Unlike the past eight years, CyberTexas is being held in collaboration with UTSA's International Information Sharing Conference (IISC). The back-to-back events will draw hundreds of cybersecurity and information sharing leaders and offer attendees the opportunity to experience three high-impact days of networking and collaborating with cyber professionals from across the state. CyberTexas will take place on August 20th and 21st and IISC will start on August 21st and conclude on August 22nd.

2 - It's more than a cyber conference

San Antonio has nurtured the cybersecurity industry's most renowned leaders, educated thousands of cyber warriors at world-class institutions, like UTSA, trained mission-ready military cyber warriors at Air Force Cyber Command, and inspired the development of high-growth information technology companies. In recognition of these efforts, CyberTexas brings a unique opportunity for cyber professionals to learn from the expertise of the city's most recognized IT leaders.

3 - It's all about Texas

With over 40 speakers, the event will bring industry, government, military and academia leaders to the main stage, including keynote speakers: Steve Povolny, Head of Advanced Threat Research, McAfee; Joe Sanchez, Director and Executive Director, CyberTexas Foundation; Maj. Gen. Robert J. Skinner, Commander, 24th Air Force; Commander, Air Forces Cyber and Commander, Joint Force Headquarters-Cyber, JBSA-Lackland, Texas; Brig. Gen. George M. Reynolds, Vice Commander, 25th Air Force, JBSA-Lackland, Texas; Umesh Verma, Founder, Cyber Houston and CEO, BLUE LANCE and Jim Perschbach, President & CEO, Port San Antonio. This year's theme, Cybersecurity Communities Throughout Texas, illustrates the event's focus on educating attendees about Texas' growing cyber ecosystem.

4 - Network security can't wait

No matter if your interests are machine learning, cyber threat intelligence, risk mitigation, or smart cities, or if your most immediate cyber concerns are security issues regarding elections, maritime, or cloud security, the importance of preparing for the next cyber threat could be the difference between total business disruption and network resiliency. Therefore, there's no time like the present when it comes to building a better cyber defense toolbox to combat new threats.

5 - Texas' cyber communities are trailblazers

This year's CyberTexas will provide opportunities to learn about new policies and programs across the region including, Cyber Houston, UTSA National Security Collaboration Center, Cybersecurity Pathways for Texas High Schools legislative initiatives, the New Horizons Learning Center, and CyberPatriots National Youth Cyber Education program.

"Texas is more than a Lone Star State," said Victor Malloy, CyberTexas Foundation's general manager. "The people here are leaders pioneering to the north star in cyberspace. Our solution for securing our community when the next cyber incident occurs, is to build relationships from the interactions during conferences like ours that helps to reduce the level of complexity in how we manage risks."

The conference will kick-off on Tuesday, August 20 at UTSA downtown campus located at 501 W. Cesar E. Chavez Blvd., San Antonio, TX 78207. The opening plenary sessions will start at 8:45 a.m. followed by breakout sessions that will continue until 4:15 p.m. The following day activities will start at 8 a.m. and end at 12 p.m. The Hall of Honor Ceremony will take place at 5 p.m. on August 20, 2019.

To register for the speaking sessions and Hall of Honor Ceremony, visit https://www.cybertexas.org/iisc-cybertexas-combined-conference-2019/.

Discounts are offered to attendees of both the CyberTexas and IIS Conferences, InfraGard members, students, and educators. DOD civilians and military with a valid ID can attend at no charge. Space is limited. To participate, DOD civilians and military should email Victor Malloy at vmalloy@cybertexas.org.

The cyber job fair will take place from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. on Tuesday August 20 in the Durango Building on UTSA's campus. Registration is free. Attending companies include, Abacus Technology Corporation, Accenture Federal Services, AECOM, Air Force Civilian Service, Applied Research Solutions, Def-Logix, IPSecure, Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Pacific - C2E2 Department, Raytheon and USAA.

To learn more about exhibiting and sponsorship opportunities, email mjackson@cybertexas.org.

Learn more about CyberTexas at: https://www.cybertexas.org

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