Description
This program is intended for cyber security practitioners, please. Business development roles are discouraged from registering.
The Nashville Technology Council welcomes you to join Avertium, the FBI, Baker Donelson and Built Technologies for an informative Tech Talk and panel discussion on Thursday, November 11th moderated by Kathryn Rickmeyer, technology reporter for the Nashville Post. Cybersecurity is a growing concern for businesses of all sizes as cyber criminals’ increasingly sophisticated tactics continue to disrupt organizations. It is projected that businesses will spend 38% more on security in 2022 than in 2020. And the pandemic exacerbated the issue - the use of malware increased by 358% through 2020, and ransomware usage increased by 435%. July 2020 alone saw a 653% increase in malicious activity year-over-year.
The panel of experts will focus on what is lurking around the corner for 2022 in cybersecurity and what you need to know to stay ahead and vigilant with unique perspectives, information, and stories.
Moderator
Kathryn Rickmeyer
Reporter
Nashville Post
Kathryn Rickmeyer is a reporter for the Nashville Post, covering technology, commercial real estate and infrastructure. Prior to joining the Nashville Post she was a research analyst for Red Shoe Economics, a commercial real estate consulting firm led by CCIM Chief Economist KC Conway and before that a television news reporter and producer for an NBC affiliate in Huntsville, Alabama for 2.5 years. Rickmeyer got her start in journalism with Alabama Center for Real Estate, where she served as Chief Contributor.
Panel
Paul Caiazzo
CISO and SVP Corporate Development
Avertium
Paul Caiazzo, CISO and SVP of Corporate Development at Avertium, oversees technology alliances and strategic initiatives guiding clients through challenging security problems. Caiazzo is a leader and educator in threat detection, threat intelligence, incident response, and ransomware. He manages Avertium’s internal security and compliance initiatives and is lead negotiator for ransomware threats. Caiazzo was recently named 2021 CISO of the Year by CyberSecurity Breakthrough Awards and provides threat briefings to American Hospital Association members, FBI cyber field agents, Fortune 500 companies, and businesses associations across the world. Caiazzo has recently been featured in CIO Review, The CyberHub Podcast, Cyber Security Heroes, and American Hospital Association Leadership Summit.
SSA Kevin M. Varpness
Cyber & Counterintelligence
FBI Memphis - Nashville RA
Kevin M. Varpness is the FBI’s Supervisory Special Agent for the Cyber and Counterintelligence Squad in Nashville, Tennessee, and he has a B.A. in Computer Science from Macalester College as well as multiple GIAC certifications. SSA Varpness has been in Nashville for about two years and over 14 years in the FBI. Prior to this assignment, SSA Varpness was in the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit near Quantico where he consulted on a variety of criminal and national security cases but focused most of his time on cyber investigations. SSA Varpness has a heavy background working national security computer intrusions in Chicago and FBI's Cyber Division headquarters, and he also worked counterintelligence, white collar, and other criminal matters in Chicago as well.
Justin Daniels
General Counsel
Baker Donelson
Justin Daniels provides corporate advice to growth-oriented and middle market domestic and international technology businesses. A key facet to Justin’s technology practice is his pragmatic approach to addressing cyber as a business enterprise risk at every stage in the business lifecycle. He specifically advises the c-suite and boards on identifying and managing cybersecurity risk with respect to mergers and acquisitions, investment capital transactions, vendor and customer contracts and cyber insurance. He leads breach incident response teams on ransomware and wire fraud cases in industries ranging from medical IT, healthcare Saas and logistics to manufacturing.
Richard (Russ) Russell
Director of Information Security
Built Technologies
Richard (Russ) Russell is the Director of Information Security & Internal IT Infrastructure for Built Technologies, Inc. in Nashville, TN. A unicorn as a Nashville native at a rapid growth unicorn company and with over 25 years in Security, and Technology, Russ has built programs in healthcare, fintech, education, media and more. He emphasizes a focus on partnership between pure technological security and risk and compliance requirements and teaches teams that if you want to protect your company, “Think bad but do good”.