Six Top Practitioner-Focused Sessions at ISC West
ISC West 2023 is coming up March 28-31 in Las Vegas, and the Security Industry Association (SIA) and ISC West recently revealed full conference details for the SIA Education@ISC West program, including keynote presentations from top luminaries and 65+ sessions on the most current business trends, technologies and industry developments.
Among the robust lineup of conference sessions are several informative offerings geared toward practitioners and end users. Here are six sessions you won’t want to miss; make sure to add them to your ISC West calendar!
All Times PDT
Breaking Down Silos in the Convergence of Physical and Cyber Security
Tuesday, March 28, 11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
What we know today, physical and cyber security professionals reside in large organization. The two groups have different skill sets and reporting structures. Typically, the physical security professional may wear many hats and is responsible for operations, facilities and business continuity, while the cyber security is responsible for the IT functions and reports to the chief information officer. As well, some organization include an operational technology security professional. As organizations are seeing more and more cyberthreats from ransomware attacks, supply chain disruption and growing attack surface on physical security devices, organizations are actively looking at converging the two groups under a chief security officer. This session, covered by two industry executives from the physical security and cybersecurity profession will discuss some of the challenges, best practices and how technology plays a key role in the convergence in physical and cyber domain.
Speakers:
- Jasvir Gill, founder and CEO, AlertEnterprise Inc.
- Joey St. Jacques, director for business development, ACRE Operating Group
Making a Business Case for Security: An Interagency Security Committee Best Practice
Tuesday, March 28, 2:15-3:15 p.m.
Organizational facilities and assets of all sizes face unprecedented demands and increasingly complex security challenges. While there is no one-size-fits-all solution for prioritizing security investments, this session offers a flexible framework that can be tailored to any organization’s industry, size, geographic location, threat environment, vulnerabilities, operational priorities and available financial resources.
Making a Business Case for Security: An ISC Best Practice, 2022 Edition provides an in-depth understanding of organizational vulnerabilities, operational priorities and return on investment. The business case evaluates and weighs benefits, cost and risk of a preferred solution against alternative options to solve an identified problem/gap.
“To reduce organizational risks and implement essential security functions, security professionals need to present a convincing business case for security as they compete for scarce organizational resources. The Making a Business Case for Security session will take participants through these scenarios and conclude with lessons from a case study on this topic.”
Daryle Hernandez, chief, Interagency Security Committee
This session offers organizations insight on how to build a business case for security, methodologies for completing a benefit-cost analysis, how to apply these concepts to risk management and how to measure success.
Speakers:
- Scott Dunford, senior security specialist, Interagency Security Committee (ISC), Infrastructure Security Division, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
- Daryle Hernandez, chief, ISC, Infrastructure Security Division, DHS CISA
- Chris York, compliance program analyst, ISC, Infrastructure Security Division, DHS CISA
How to Partner With Other Departments in Your Organization
Tuesday, March 28, 3:30-4:30 p.m.
This session will explore trends in video surveillance. An expert panel will discuss the evolution of loss prevention and the future of the “smart retail store,” the benefits of our system’s data and what it can do for other departments such as marketing, HR, IT, and operations.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, security specialists have reported an increase in fraud, crime and overall risk. Violence and organized crime have become a greater priority. In 2021, there were 595 reported fatalities reported at stores across the United States due to crime. The panelists will discuss the primary barriers that retailers face in upgrading video surveillance and other security systems and how to generate buy-in from other departments.
Speakers:
- Jeff Cox, vice president of loss prevention, Public Storage
- Jim Fairbanks, senior executive, Prosegur
- Tom Kilgallon, vice president of asset protection, Saks 5th Avenue
Proper Planning for a Security Improvement Project
Wednesday, March 29, 10:00-11:00 a.m.
For many in the industry, learning how to plan a security improvement project, and a larger construction project overall, is very much a “trial by fire” experience without much traditional curriculum available to prepare the newcomer. This presentation will address this gap by providing an understanding of how large construction projects operate and how the end user should prepare for security improvements in all facets of the project.
“Large construction projects have many moving parts, making it easy to get mired in the minor details. This presentation aims to enable the end users to keep their focus on the security goals for the project and be an effective member of the team. We will cover the key concepts for a security improvement project’s design basis, the design process itself and technology considerations that the end user can be prepared for. We hope that this presentation will provide clarity for those supporting a large construction project and enable them to perform their role with confidence.”
Mark J. Schreiber, security engineer and technical consultant, Safeguards Consulting, Inc.
This session, presented from the end user perspective, covers the inception of the expansion from upper management, all preparation phases for the project kickoff and the ultimate construction of a planned project. The presenter is an engineering professional who has covered this topic in workshops across the globe, and this presentation will encapsulate the lessons learned from the design of many mega-projects and interfacing with all professional roles within a construction project.
Speaker:
- Mark J. Schreiber, security engineer and technical consultant, Safeguards Consulting, Inc.
Securing Places Where People Gather: Leveraging Security Technology to Enhance Community Experience
Wednesday, March 29, 1:00-2:00 p.m.
Community spaces where people gather are more security-focused than ever before. At meeting houses, churches, charitable or other communal resources, threats are evolving and constant. Security risks, such as crime, terrorism and overall safety concerns, continue to be front and center, while cybersecurity risks have become more prevalent.
In these challenging times, and often in limited-infrastructure environments, communities are looking to come together, reconnect and tend to those in need. Community meetings, concerts, conferences and masses have returned, and crowds – while on edge – are more prominent than in recent years. As more people gather, security leaders must prepare and plan for how to maintain the careful balance between a secure space and a welcoming environment.
“Human beings connect and thrive when they feel safe. This panel provides end-user, security integrator and solutions provider perspectives on why we come together as trusted partners with a service-based approach to solve complex security challenges and empower people to make better decisions so communities can live smarter, safer and happier lives.”
Maureen Carlo, global director of strategic partnerships, Arcules
In this interactive panel discussion, speakers will examine the physical and social elements that can help protect these spaces from the potential threats and risks. Panelists will share insights on practices and technologies that can be used to ensure safe gatherings, but also enhance community experience, now and into the future. Attendees will gain ideas and knowledge on how to design, plan and manage security practices to ensure that public spaces are safe, accessible and open to all.
Speakers:
- Maureen Carlo, global director of strategic partnerships, Arcules
- Julie McGregor, director of customer experience, Arcules
- Aaron H. Simpson, president, chief technology officer and co-founder, Stone Security
- Ken Smaellie, solution manager, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
Emerging IT Trends That Impact Physical Security
Wednesday, March 29, 2:15-3:15 p.m.
IT teams are used to incorporating the latest technologies into their data centers to simplify deployment and management, increase efficiencies, optimize applications they run, lower costs and protect against the latest cyberthreats. So why have physical security teams been reluctant to adopt IT technologies that could improve their physical security operations in the same way? Much of it comes down to lack of knowledge, fear of implementing an “unknown” technology, lack of staff with the right IT skills and just plain old “I’ve always done it that way.”
This panel session of professionals with both IT and physical security experience will explain IT technologies and practices that have delivered tremendous benefits to organizations and provide applicable ways for physical security teams to leverage the same technologies to improve physical security operations in their organizations, even without specialized IT skills.
Speakers:
- Dave Fleming, director of product development, Affinitech, Inc.
- Tom Larson, president and managing partner, Velasea
- Dave Schatz, director of channels and business development, Quantum Corporation
- Matt Stoller, area director, technical sales and system engineering for video surveillance, Quantum
Learn more about SIA Education@ISC West, view the full session lineup and register for the conference on the ISC West website.
Back to Top