Type: CyberBay Summit 2026

Buck Bell, head of the Global Security Strategy Office at CDW, cuts through the typical AI marketing hype to deliver a practical framework for achieving modern cyber resilience. Armed with real-world incident metrics from 2025—including a sobering 181-day mean time to detection for standard enterprise breaches—Buck explores why preventing 100% of attacks is no longer a realistic operational goal. Instead, true resilience relies on an organization's capacity to continuously deliver intended business outcomes while actively compromised.

Palanivel Monoharan ("Mano"), a veteran identity security architect with 16 years of experience in Identity and Access Management (IAM), delivers a vital reality check for modern enterprise environments.

In this panel discussion, global cybersecurity experts break down the staggering reality of the quantum migration timeline. While the corporate world remains completely captivated by artificial intelligence, quantum technology is quietly moving at an even faster velocity. From Florida Atlantic University purchasing its first D-Wave quantum computer to Colorado mandating K-12 quantum education, the localized ecosystem is shifting rapidly underneath our feet.

Mark Mahovilich, Vice President of Strategy and Execution at ICM Cyber, cuts through the buzzword fatigue surrounding quantum computing and Artificial Intelligence. Operating inside the specialized "ICM Futures" division, Mark analyzes macro trend lines and technical tipping points to predict how the imminent intersection of AI and quantum arrays will alter the global threat landscape.

In this highly practical technical presentation from Deral Heiland, Veteran Penetration Tester and IoT Research Lead at Rapid 7, breaks down the core methodology required to build an enterprise-grade IoT testing program. Moving far beyond traditional Windows network testing, Deral explains why IoT must be treated strictly as an interconnected ecosystem consisting of embedded hardware, mobile/management applications, and cloud APIs.

Dr. Francia explains the design of an automated evidence repository, the critical role of keeping data secure within localized SLMs to avoid public internet leakage, and why keeping a "human-in-the-loop" is non-negotiable to counter AI hallucinations.

This session with David Kim (DK), seasoned Virtual CISO and Chief AI Officer, tackles the wild west of shadow AI, unvetted GenAI/LLM tools, and the shifting landscape of state-level AI regulations. Discover a practical, real-world methodology for conducting third-party vendor risk assessments, building an organizational "allow list," and utilizing data loss prevention (DLP) to secure the intersection of people, process, and technology.

This session with Maria Olavella, Senior Crime Intelligence Analyst with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's Cyber Crime Division, dives deep into the psychology, history, and operational patterns of dark markets. From the template laid out by the original Silk Road to the dead-drop delivery mechanics of Hydra and the recent takedown of Archetype, Maria explains how law enforcement tracks pseudonymous threat actors who think they are invisible.

Gary Vano of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) breaks down why the blockchain is a nightmare for criminals trying to hide their tracks. While bad actors attempt to use "bureaucratic violence" to overwhelm law enforcement with complex webs of transactions, FDLE’s CyberFAST team uses advanced data patterns to map out entire laundering ecosystems.

True partnership means giving students the keys to the most advanced research toys in the world to solve real-world problems. Join April Augustine and the workforce development team at Idaho National Lab (INL) as they discuss their strategic collaboration with Cyber Florida and academic institutions.

This session explores how artificial intelligence is reshaping education, workforce development, and the future of human learning. The speaker examines the current state of AI adoption in education, the growing disconnect between traditional teaching models and rapidly evolving technology, and the challenges schools face as students increasingly use AI tools independently. Topics include large language models, neural networks, automation, adaptive learning, workforce disruption, AI-driven productivity, robotics, personalized education, and the long-term impact of AI on white-collar and hands-on professions alike. The presentation also explores how future learning models may shift toward more immersive, hands-on, apprenticeship-style education, while raising important questions about cognitive dependency, changing workforce needs, and what skills humans will ultimately need in an increasingly automated world.

This session explores how modern attackers bypass hardened environments by exploiting human behavior, identity systems, misconfigurations, and overlooked attack paths rather than relying solely on traditional malware. Travis Weathers walks through real-world offensive security techniques used during red team engagements, demonstrating how organizations that appear secure on paper can still be compromised through credential abuse, social engineering, privilege escalation, weak operational processes, and gaps in visibility across cloud and identity infrastructure. Topics include adversary simulation, phishing resistance, lateral movement, MFA bypass techniques, detection blind spots, identity-focused attacks, operational security failures, and the importance of thinking like an attacker when designing defensive strategies. The session emphasizes practical lessons organizations can apply immediately to strengthen resilience, improve detection capabilities, and close the gaps attackers most commonly exploit.