SecureWorld Houston 2025

Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology enables computers and machines to simulate human learning, comprehension, problem solving, decision making, creativity and autonomy. Applications and devices equipped with AI can see and identify objects, understand, and respond to human language, learn from new information and experience. AI-based applications (a classic example being a self-driving car) can make detailed recommendations to users and experts and act independently, replacing the need for human intelligence or intervention.

Recognizing the importance of technical standards in shaping development and use of AI, the U.S. President’s October 2023 Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence (EO 14110) calls for “a coordinated effort… to drive the development and implementation of AI-related consensus standards, cooperation and coordination, and information sharing” internationally.

This PLUS Course focuses on how the development of AI capabilities, technologies, and tools impact cybersecurity. Instructor Larry Wilson breaks down the course into four digestible lessons:

Lesson 1: What Is Artificial Intelligence: Includes an overview of Artificial Intelligence, how AI is used today (case studies), the current / future state of international AI standards.

Lesson 2: AI Security Threats: How threat actors are using AI to automate stages of the attack lifecycle, including reconnaissance, evasion, privilege escalation, lateral movement, and exploitation.

Lesson 3: AI Security Standards: (1) Secure Design – risks and threat modelling; (2) Secure Development – supply chain security, documentation, asset and technical debt management; (3) Secure Deployment – protecting infrastructure from compromise, threat or loss, incident management, and responsible release; and (4) Secure Operation and Maintenance – logging and monitoring, update management and information sharing.

Lesson 4: AI Risk Management Playbook: (1) Govern – policies, processes, procedures and practices across the organization related to the mapping, measuring and managing of AI risks are in place, transparent, and implemented effectively; (2) Map – context is measured and understood; (3) Measure – appropriate methods and metrics are identified and applied; (4) Manage – AI risks based on assessments and other analytical output from the Map and Measure functions are prioritized, responded to, and managed; (5) Roadmap – key activities for advancing the NIST Artificial Intelligence Risk Management Framework.

Upon completion of the class, attendees will have an up-to-date understanding of AI and its impact on cybersecurity. They will learn what actions organizations should take to benefit from the many advancements available with adopting AI into their security design, development, deployment, operations, and maintenance.

Have you ever wondered how to actually use the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and apply it to your business or organization?

In this course, you will get an inside look at how cybersecurity, information technology (IT), and business professionals use the NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) Version 2.0 to understand and actively manage their risk posture.

You will begin by learning the fundamentals of the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, including:

• What are the components of the framework?

• Why is the framework is valuable?

• What type of organizations can use the framework?
  

Then, you will dive deeper into the framework to fully understand the Framework Core, the Framework Tiers, and the Framework Implementation Profile.

You will also review various case studies from diverse organizations across the globe, including critical infrastructure organizations, technology companies, governmental organizations, and others.

Finally, we will spend the majority of this course walking you through how to implement this framework within your own organization by conducting a Cyber Risk Mapping (CR-MAP). This CR-MAP of your organization will aid you in identifying your weaknesses and creating a remediation plan to achieve higher levels of security by minimizing your cyber risk.

We even include a free bonus digital workbook that helps you conduct a step-by-step Cyber Risk Mapping at the conclusion of the course.

Come to the Registration desk in the lobby to check-in and get your badge. SecureWorld staff will be available throughout the day if you have any questions.

Your opportunity to visit our solution vendor partners, whose sponsorship makes SecureWorld possible! Booths have staff ready to answer your questions. Look for participating Dash For Prizes sponsors to be entered to win prizes.

Moderated discussion for SecureWorld Advisory Council members. By invite only.

Participating professional associations and details to be announced.

Measuring one’s cybersecurity framework against others in the same industry, or even outside of their vertical, can provide valuable insights into areas to improve or adjust.

Visit the Exhibitor Hall to network with attendees and connect with our vendor sponsors and association partners.

Visit the Exhibitor Hall to network with attendees and connect with our vendor sponsors and association partners.

As AI continues to revolutionize the business landscape, organizations face the critical challenge of harnessing its potential while mitigating associated risks. This panel session brings together experts from varying industries to explore the intricacies of developing comprehensive AI strategies and governance policies.

Our presenter(s) will delve into:

• The current state of AI adoption across various industries and its impact on cybersecurity
• Key components of an effective AI strategy, including alignment with business objectives and ethical considerations
• Designing governance frameworks that ensure responsible AI use while fostering innovation
• Addressing AI-specific risks, including bias, privacy concerns, and potential security vulnerabilities
• Regulatory landscape and compliance requirements for AI implementation
• Best practices for data management and protection in AI-driven environments
• Ethical considerations in AI development and deployment
• Strategies for building AI literacy within organizations
• Future trends and preparing for the evolving AI landscape

Gain valuable insights into creating balanced, forward-thinking AI strategies that maximize benefits while maintaining robust security and ethical standards. The session provides practical guidance on navigating the complex intersection of AI, business objectives, and regulatory requirements.

Session description to come.

Hear directly how someone who has spent years reviewing and prioritizing bug bounty program submissions approaches the task. In this talk, discover how to craft reports that stand out, ensuring your findings are presented for maximum impact and value. Discover the most common pitfalls to avoid, tips on how to structure your reports for clarity and precision, and hear highlights of the key elements triagers focus on to determine the severity and validity of vulnerabilities.

Tabletops are not new in incident response training. But oftentimes, they’re pretty dull or ridden with anxiety. But, what if we applied gamification and game-based learning techniques? By transforming tabletop exercises into interactive, engaging scenarios, with Dungeons & Dragons-style play, we can make them more memorable and effective!

This approach allows participants to practice critical skills, with a structure that encourages more balanced team involvement and participation, and dice-rolling to determine success and failure (that does a remarkable job in simulating a real-world experience). Enter HackBack Gaming! Why not build incident response “muscle” memory in a fun way? This session provides a foundation for you to start conducting exercises like this yourself right away.

Visit the Exhibitor Hall to network with attendees and connect with our vendor sponsors and association partners.

In the era of rapid technological change, the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity presents both tremendous opportunities and complex challenges. This presentation will explore how AI is transforming security awareness programs and shaping security culture within organizations. Attendees will learn how to leverage AI to build a more resilient and proactive security culture that empowers individuals to become active participants in the fight against cyber threats. We’ll discuss the importance of human behavior in security, practical tools for implementing AI-driven training, and how to create a dynamic culture where employees continuously adapt to emerging threats.

In today’s interconnected digital ecosystem, the security of any product is only as strong as its weakest link. This panel session explores the critical role of trusted partnerships in developing and maintaining secure products throughout their lifecycle.

Our distinguished panel delves into the challenges and opportunities of fostering collaborative relationships between vendors, suppliers, and customers to enhance product security. They examine how these partnerships can lead to more robust security measures, improved threat intelligence sharing, and faster response times to emerging vulnerabilities. Key topics include:

• Establishing trust in the supply chain
• Collaborative approaches to secure software development
• The role of transparency in building and maintaining trust
• Balancing intellectual property concerns with security needs
• Leveraging partnerships for more effective incident response
• Case studies of successful security-focused partnerships

You’ve experienced a cyber incident. Does cyber insurance really pay? What’s actually a recoverable expense? How can insurance help? And when the insurance does pay, how do you balance the amount of insurance with cybersecurity priorities? In this session, we’ll evaluate the data and dig into recent real-world examples of how cyber insurance pays claims, what’s covered, the role of insurance in incident preparation and response, and how organizations are using analytics in decision-making.

Session description to come.

Moderated discussion for SecureWorld Advisory Council members. By invite only.

Visit the Exhibitor Hall to network with attendees and connect with our vendor sponsors and association partners.

Small and medium businesses (SMBs) are the backbone of the U.S. economy, generating over half of the annual GDP and employing millions of Americans. But they also face unique cybersecurity challenges that can threaten their survival and growth. In this talk, learn how to assess and mitigate the cyber risks that SMBs face, and how to implement a robust cybersecurity program with limited resources and expertise.

We cover the following topics:

• The state of SMB cybersecurity in the U.S.
• The cost and impact of cyber breaches on SMBs
• The main cyber threats and vulnerabilities that SMBs face
• The best practices and frameworks for SMB cybersecurity
• The steps to build or improve your cybersecurity program

Whether you are an IT manager, a cybersecurity professional, or a business owner, this talk is informative and practical. Walk away with a better understanding of the cyber landscape and the tools and techniques to protect your SMB from cyberattacks.

Session description to come.

This presentation will cover accelerating skill development and cross-department collaboration efficiently and economically. Key takeaway: How to build a cyber guild and utilize it for expanded upskilling and role development.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) have emerged as powerful tools for cybersecurity professionals, offering the potential to revolutionize how organizations and individuals detect, analyze, and respond to cyber threats. Join us as we delve into the world of AI- and ML-powered cybersecurity, exploring the hidden potential of these technologies and their ability to transform cybersecurity superheroes into formidable defenders of the digital realm.

Our panel of experts unravel the intricate world of AI and ML in cybersecurity, shedding light on the latest advancements, emerging applications, and the challenges involved in harnessing the power of these technologies effectively. They discuss the use of AI in threat detection and analysis, ML-powered threat prediction, and the potential of AI-driven automated response capabilities.

Our panel provides a comprehensive overview of AI and ML in cybersecurity, empowering attendees to understand the hidden potential of these technologies and explore how they can be leveraged to enhance their organization’s cybersecurity posture. Learn how to identify and implement AI and ML solutions, overcome the challenges of data privacy and ethics, and embrace the future of AI-powered cybersecurity.

Visit the Exhibitor Hall to network with attendees and connect with our vendor sponsors and association partners.

Session description to come.

Session description to come.

Phishing is one of the leading cyberattacks worldwide, resulting in numerous social engineering training exercises to train average users to defend against these attacks. This discussion focuses on research that took a pool of users with three different phishing campaigns. Each campaign progressively has a phish that should be more advanced to spot than the previous phish presented. The research shows the psychological reasoning behind why a user will interact with a phish, regardless of educational awareness. Results include why a 0% or 100% report rate is unrealistic and how to use phishing metrics to quantify risk in a business.

In today’s dynamic cyber risk landscape, risk managers must stay informed and adapt their strategies accordingly. Recent global cyber events have had a profound impact on critical functions across multiple sectors, underscoring the gravity of cyber events. Risk managers also face complexities from trends like reliance on third parties and evolving data protection laws.

To successfully navigate these challenges, risk managers are tasked with learning from significant cyber events, implementing best practices for managing third-party cyber risk, and staying updated on privacy regulations. This session assists risk managers in effectively mitigating cyber risks and safeguarding their organizations by discussing strategies for managing third-party cyber risk and providing updates on privacy regulations.

Visit the solution sponsor booths in the Exhibitor Hall and connect with other attendees.

Participating sponsors will announce their Dash for Prizes winners. Must be present to win.

Join your peers for conversation and complimentary beverages. This is a great opportunity to network with other security professionals from the area and discuss the hot topics from the day.