SecureWorld Midwest Virtual Conference 2024

Krista Arndt is the Associate CISO at SLUHN. As the Associate CISO, Krista is responsible for managing the security program's day to day operational effectiveness. Krista has been working in information security in various capacities for more than 15 years. In her previous roles, Krista assisted with developing and leading security programs in national healthcare, crypto, finance, and the Department of Defense. She currently holds her CISM and CRISC certifications and NHRA competition driver's license.

Krista is an active member of ISACA, serves as InfraGard Philadelphia Chapter’s Healthcare Sector Chief, serves on Neumann University's Business Advisory Council, and is Marketing Committee Chair for Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS) Delaware Valley Affiliate. Through this service, Krista's mission is to give back to her community by providing mentorship and support for aspiring cybersecurity professionals, especially for women who wish to enter the field.

When off the clock, Krista takes her affinity for overcoming challenges to the garage and the race track, where she enjoys building and improving her own race car, competing as a driver in national drag racing events with her family, and using her racing as a forum to advocate for neurodiversity awareness and inclusion.

Reanna Schultz is from Kansas City, MO, and attended the University of Central Missouri (UCM). She graduated in 2018 with her Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity: Secure Software Development and in 2020 for Master of Science in Cybersecurity: Information Assurance. While being in the industry, Reanna has been exposed to numerous SANS hosted classes. Reanna volunteers as a National Cyber League coach and provides her industry expertise by doing guest speaker talks for numerous colleges and high schools across the Midwest to STEM students. Reanna currently works as a Team Lead at Garmin and directly reports out of their SOC.

Cedric Leighton is a CNN Military Analyst and a retired United States Air Force Colonel. On CNN, he has provided incisive commentaries on the Israel-Hamas War, the War in Ukraine, the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, and numerous other conflicts around the world. His analysis has been seen by millions of viewers around the world and provided much needed context to some of the most pressing national security issues of our time. As a U.S. Air Force officer, Colonel Leighton served at U.S. Special Operations Command, the Joint Staff, and the National Security Agency, where he helped train the nation's cyber warriors. A Middle East combat veteran, he is the recipient of numerous military awards, including the Defense Superior Service Medal and the Bronze Star. After serving 26 years as a U.S. Air Force Intelligence Officer, Col. Leighton founded a strategic risk consultancy and became the co-founder of CYFORIX, where he advises multinational businesses on developing better cyber strategies designed to reduce risk and unpredictability.

VJ Viswanathan is a seasoned technology executive recognized and awarded for innovation, business capability transformation, and thoughtful mentorship. Most recently, VJ is the founding partner at CYFORIX, a global cybersecurity research, advisory, and strategic consulting firm delivering solutions to public and private sectors. He also serves as the CEO at TORQE, a specialized advisory firm focused on analytics, automation, and convergent technologies. VJ is the co-host of ELEVATEINTEL, a podcast series at the nexus of technology, social, and defense.

With more than 25 years of pioneering enterprise technology, cybersecurity, privacy, and compliance & risk management experience, VJ has a detailed track record of designing, implementing, and leading highly successful programs, products, and services at multinational Fortune 100 brands spanning CPG, telecom, media, supply chain, healthcare, and finance segments. As a strategic thought leader, VJ has delivered the first of its kind "Supply Chain Security" & “Omni-channel Risk Management” frameworks. As a published author and featured keynote speaker at global industry events, he approaches disruptive digital paradigms with innovation, creativity, and active collaboration with his key industry peers, researchers, national & international law enforcement, and defense groups.

VJ is an active mentor at various incubators and accelerators groups, serves as an advisory board member for growth stage companies. As a strategic adviser to VC & PE firms, he specializes in developing market analysis, competitive product road maps, and guides in opportunity mapping. As a board member and subject matter advisor to CEOs and corporate directors, VJ evaluates and audits enterprise technology and cybersecurity programs for veracity and operational effectiveness.

VJ is passionate about animal rights and giving back to the technology and security industry. He has created a rescue and foster care group for large breed dogs. He is actively engaged with academic institutions and purpose-driven professional groups like Minorities in Cyber Security, where he serves as a board member and chair of mentorship programs to develop the next generation talent through coaching and facilitating scholarships for technology and cybersecurity education.

David focuses on complex cyber, privacy, technology, and professional liability issues and is a dedicated and fierce advocate for his clients.

Sam Masiello has been working with email, messaging, and fighting internet pollution for over 25 years. Prior to The Anschutz Corporation, he served as the CISO at Gates Corporation, where he was responsible for the company's data security, risk, and global compliance initiatives. Before that, he was CISO at TeleTech, where he oversaw the protection of employee, consumer, and customer data for all of the organization's clients, which included many Fortune 500 companies.

Sam has also been the Chief Security Officer, Head of Application Security, and Head of Security Research at companies such as Groupon, Return Path, and McAfee. He currently serves as Director-at-Large of The Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email (CAUCE), National Advisory Board Member for SecureWorld, and is an Executive Board Member of Colorado Cyber. He has previously served as a member of the Board of Directors for the Messaging, Malware, and Mobile Anti-Abuse Working Group (M3AAWG), the Steering Committee of the Online Trust Alliance (OTA), and a member of the Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG).

Violet Sullivan works with insurance carriers, trade associations, and individual business clients from around the world providing expert guidance on cybersecurity threat management and response. She represents Crum & Forster within the legal, insurance, and risk management channels to develop long-term relationships, recurring revenue, and new business growth. Ms. Sullivan is a licensed attorney in Texas and Pennsylvania and a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US), with her JD and MBA degrees from Baylor University. In addition to her full-time role, Violet serves as a professor of Cybersecurity & Privacy Law for Baylor Law School’s LL.M. Degree in Litigation Management, the first of its kind nationwide. Her diverse practice experience at both the individual and policy levels has prepared her for developing new tools and approaches to solving what is fast-becoming a pervasive and costly challenge in modern industry: how to respond to a cybersecurity incident.

Early in her career, Violet worked on the incident responses for some of the largest and most notable data breaches to date, including: Home Depot, Sony, and Anthem. Her experience in managing scaled breach responses led to her expertise and proficiency in proactively preparing organizations for cyber incidents. In the past eight years, she has facilitated over 450 cyber incident simulations (tabletops) for public and private sector companies, including many Fortune 100 companies.

As a cybersecurity and privacy attorney, Violet provides consulting services to respond to the needs of various cybersecurity programs. She reviews and develops customized incident response plans to ensure organizations are prepared to respond efficiently and effectively to a data breach. Violet also helps improve internal coordination by facilitating customized tabletop simulations focused on "pressure-testing" an organization's incident response procedures and protocols. Each of these customer-facing services mentioned has been built and developed for the purpose of creating long-standing relationships that turn to Violet for guidance, referrals, questions, and future projects.

As a cybersecurity and privacy professor, Violet developed the entire curriculum for an innovative course on cybersecurity and privacy law for licensed attorneys working toward their LL.M. degree. The specific focus on litigation management has made Sullivan’s course and her lecture series uniquely valuable to experts across the United States.