Early Conference Talks and Panel Participation
This collection showcases some of my selected early conference talks and panel participation from 2015 onward.
On-boarding a CISO to your digital transformation journey – an utmost necessity, or an overrated luxury?
4th Infocom Security Cyprus – 08 December 2022
The presentation explains why adding a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), either full-time or virtual, is now essential to any digital transformation effort. While threats are growing quickly and regulations are increasing, the cybersecurity market is crowded and confusing.
Modern businesses must balance efficiency, security, and trust. A CISO provides the leadership needed to manage risk and align security with business goals. They also help ensure resilience across the organization.
It also explains how a virtual CISO can deliver the same governance, planning, incident-response readiness, security architecture, and compliance support as a full-time CISO. This model offers expert guidance and continuous security improvement at a much lower cost than hiring a full in-house executive.
See presentation slides.
Secure Agile, or Agile Security – Which One Fits Better Today’s World
3rd Infocom Security Cyprus – 08 December 2021
The presentation explores the tension between organizational agility and information security. It shows how security is often seen as an obstacle, even as modern threats and regulatory pressures increase.
It argues that fast delivery cannot replace quality and security. It also offers practical ways to combine both, using ideas like Minimum Viable Security (MVS) and the Minimum Viable Secure Product (MVSP). While these approaches use risk-based controls, prioritization, and clear, collaborative guidelines, by adding essential security early in agile processes, organizations can balance speed with safety and keep security aligned with business needs.
The presentation also draws lessons from “Squid Game.” It highlights key security principles such as defense-in-depth, preparing for unknown threats, recognizing insider risks, and building strong teams with the right tools.
The New Era CISO – Fantasy Unicorn or Superhero
A first 120 Days Roadmap
9th Infocom Security – 17 April 2019
The evolving threat landscape, growing regulatory pressures, and increased business impact of cyber incidents require the modern CISO to move far beyond traditional “protect and prevent” security functions.
Due to the expanded expectations placed on today’s CISO, who must balance governance, risk management, education, detection, response, and strategic business alignment while navigating digital transformation and complex stakeholder environments. the success in this role depends on executive sponsorship, clear communication of business value, and a focused 100-day roadmap that demonstrates commitment, improves maturity, and builds the foundation for a resilient, modern security program.
See presentation slides.
Cyber Security & Data Privacy in Light of Modern Cyber Threats and Regulatory Requirements
7th Security Project – 01 March 2019
Today’s digital environment, shaped by rapid technological change, escalating threats, and an expanding web of regulatory requirements creates a landscape in which every organization, regardless of size or sector, is a target. Organizations face the rising scale and cost of global breaches, the broad impacts of cyber incidents, and the critical need for strong cyber hygiene, effective incident response, and true cyber resilience.
Prioritizing foundational controls, such as those defined in the CIS Top 20, adopting an 80/20 approach to maximize impact, and recognizing the growing convergence of cyber and physical security become essential. Ultimately, cybersecurity is an ongoing process of continuous improvement, preparation, and smart prioritization.
See presentation slides.
Proactive Security – The Intelligent Way
5th Infocom Security – 01 April 2015
In this session we describe how cyber threats have grown increasingly sophisticated, requiring to shift from traditional, reactive security measures to a proactive, intelligence-driven approach.
We highlight the growing challenges posed by evolving attacker motivations, rapidly changing IT environments, and increasing regulatory demands, and emphasize the need for an integrated, adaptive security model that leverages analytics, cyber intelligence, and coordinated controls to reduce risk, disrupt adversaries, and improve overall operational efficiency.
See presentation slides.
Looking back on these early conference talks and panel participation, I see how much the field of cybersecurity has changed. Each talk captures a moment in time. They show both the challenges we faced and the solutions we explored.
Each talk also reflects my own growth. From mobile and cloud security to early thoughts on AI and cybersecurity leadership, they chart a journey of curiosity and learning.
Technology evolves fast, but some principles stay the same. Understanding complex systems. Connecting technical ideas with human needs. Sharing knowledge to help others.
These early works remind me that progress builds over time, where small insights can have lasting impact. They are a record of the past and a foundation for the future.
The journey continues and there is still much to explore.
