ISACA Chicago 2026 Annual Conference

Attending the ISACA Chicago Chapter Annual Conference last week was wonderful. The start of the day had presentations and panels from some of the sharpest CISOs and security leaders in the world, including Bjørn R. Watne, Katherine Kuehn, Greg Hetrick, and Bobi Gilburd.

Hearing their thoughts on how to tackle the threats of today was insightful. A couple quick thoughts and takeaways:

1. The attackers and defenders are now working with the same tools. Script kiddies are no longer a thing with the availability of AI.
2. Communication and relationships are the best line of defense. Even if I didn't already believe this, hearing it from the CISO of Interpol really drives it home.
3. Don't hide from AI. Roll it out to your team in a secure, structured format that allows your team to learn and ethically work creatively.
4. Red team your systems because AI is already being used to do it. Create deep fakes of your CEO (with their permission) and use that for security training delivered to your team.

Which is these resonates with you or your organization the most?