The Cybersecurity Meetup 2024: Toronto Executive Edition
The Cybersecurity Meetup 2024 brought together a focused group of cybersecurity professionals and industry executives for a day of strategic discussion and networking. The event was held at the Sheraton Parkway Toronto North Hotel & Suites, providing a central location for experts tackling the contemporary threat landscape.
Core Themes and Highlights
The meetup focused on actionable insights and the future of cyber defense, likely centered on Cloud Security, Executive Risk Management, and Government Strategy.
Executive Leadership:
The presence of several CISOs, including Bil Harmer (Craft Ventures) and George Al-Koura (Ruby), ensured the discussions were framed around high-level risk and strategic security investment, guided by the experience of David Mahdi (Chair at CISO Forum Canada Advisory).
Government and Public Sector Security:
Insights from Julia Le (Senior Manager at Ontario’s Cyber Security Centre of Excellence) highlighted the province’s initiatives in cyber resilience, fostering a dialogue between public and private sector security mandates.
Emerging Technology:
Sessions likely covered the practical application of security architecture, with expertise from Helen Oakley (Sr. Product Security Architect at SAP) and Damilola Adenuga-Taiwo (Senior Cyber Risk Consultant at CDW Canada), addressing how to secure new environments, including cloud and AI deployments.
Speakers and Sponsors
Speakers: The speaker lineup featured a blend of strategic leaders and technical experts. Bil Harmer offered venture capital and operating perspective on security programs, while Olusola Ayodele (Senior Director of Cybersecurity at 54gene) provided insights from a global, data-intensive organization. The composition of the speakers emphasized the importance of executive alignment and strategic implementation.
Sponsors:
The event received robust backing from a wide coalition of major technology vendors, service providers, and regional partners. MNP, ARCTIC WOLF, siberXchange, and AWS were among the prominent names, showcasing solutions in consulting, security operations, and cloud platforms. Specialized sponsors included VEEAM (data protection), GUARDICORE (microsegmentation), and PROOFPOINT (email security), alongside regional partners like the Town of Ajax, Durham REGION, and the City of Oshawa, highlighting the broad community support for cybersecurity development in the Toronto area. The diversity of sponsors demonstrated the wide range of expertise required to defend modern enterprises.
YouTube Playlist:
For session recordings and other related video content from siberX events, check the playlists available at the organizer’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@siberxorg/playlists.
