The Chertoff Group

THE CHERTOFF GROUP TO HOST SECURITY SERIES EVENT IN HOUSTON

HOUSTON, TX. – The Chertoff Group, a global security advisory firm that provides business strategy, risk management, and merger and acquisition (M&A) services, will host a full-day event titled “What’s Next: Protecting our Critical Energy Infrastructure from Cyber Threats” as part of The Chertoff Group Security Series on Thursday, March 5, 2015 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Houston, Texas.

The Chertoff Group Security Series provides business leaders and security managers with an insightful platform for serious discussion around today’s most challenging security concerns and what is needed to effectively mitigate these risks. This upcoming event will feature an active and informed discussion around evolving cyber threats targeting the energy sector, effective risk management for both information and operational technology, and the necessary tools and expertise to actively defend and protect critical energy assets.

“Recent events validate that cyber intrusions to critical networks and systems can intentionally corrupt information, deny access, destroy networks, undermine a company’s integrity and steal sensitive information for financial gain,” said Jim Pflaging, Principal and head of The Chertoff Group’s Business Strategy practice area. “This next Chertoff Group Security Series will engage business and security leaders within the energy sector as part of a forward-leaning discussion to identify both challenges and solutions when it comes to defending and protecting their most valuable critical assets against today’s cyber threat without hindering business operations.”

Agenda highlights and topics for discussion at the event include:

  • How is the cyber threat evolving and what technical vulnerabilities are often exploited?
  • How can industry, government and academia work together to strengthen their security posture and knowledge of the threat environment?
  • What actions are the energy and critical infrastructure industries taking to respond to cyber threats?
  • How can industry better educate their stakeholders of the investments being made?
  • What do next generation tools and technologies look like to combat cyber intrusions?
  • How do we build resilient networks for critical infrastructure that minimize business disruption when a cyber-intrusion occurs?
  • How do I prioritize which security investments to make first?

The event will open with a keynote discussion between Herman Schopman, President and Chief Executive Officer of GDF SUEZ Energy Generation North America and Steve Leibbrandt , Chief Technology Officer, Siemens Energy Instrumentation, Controls & Electrical (IC&E) Group. This discussion, led by Michael Chertoff, Executive Chairman of The Chertoff Group and former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, will explore the actions industry is taking to build resiliency against increasingly complex cyber-attacks and how this changing cyber landscape has impacted critical infrastructure business operations.

“Today, security and risk managers need to develop a better understanding for how a top-down, integrated risk management program anchored in trust can go beyond simply responding to problems to anticipating and mitigating security threats that can have significant impact on an enterprise,” said Michael Chertoff, Executive Chairman of The Chertoff Group. “The Security Series is designed to help improve this understanding and build a community of stakeholders dedicated to building resilience and identifying the right tools and tactics to improve security.”

Additional speakers include Michael Assante, Lead, Industrial Control Systems (ICS) and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) Security, SANS Institute; Ben Beeson, Vice President for Cybersecurity and Privacy, Lockton Companies; Marc Blackmer, Product Marketing Manager – Industry Solutions, Security Business Group, Cisco; Ronald (J.R.) Brown, Identity & Access Management Design Lead, ExxonMobil Global Services Company; Dr. Wm. Arthur Conklin, Associate Professor and Director of the Center for Information Security Research and Education, College of Technology, University of Houston; David Chamberlin, Executive Vice President and Data Security and Privacy Group Lead, Edelman; Gary Hayes, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer for Technology Operations, CenterPoint Energy; Robert Huber, Co-Founder, Critical Intelligence; Faizel Lakhani, Chief Operating Officer, SS8; Manoj Leelanivas, President and Chief Executive Officer, Cyphort; Stuart McClure, Chief Executive Officer, Cylance; Seán Paul McGurk, Senior Vice President, Centripetal Networks; Dwayne Melancon, Chief Technology Officer, Tripwire; Jonathan Pollet, Founder and Executive Director, Red Tiger Security, USA; Philip D. Quade, Director, Cyber Security Task Force, NSA; Mike Smith, Senior Cyber Policy Advisor to the Assistant Secretary, Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, Department of Energy; D. Renee Tarun, Senior Cyber Strategist, Cyber Security Task Force, NSA; andUmesh Verma, President and Chief Executive Officer, Blue Lance.  

The Chertoff Group is pleased to have the following companies as sponsors of this event: CiscoTripwireCyphortSS8, Inc, and Cylance.

To register and view a complete agenda of the March 5th event as well as learn more about the Chertoff Group Security Series, please visit www.chertoffgroup.com/eventseries/. You can follow the conversation on Twitter using hashtag #tcgsecurityseries.

About The Chertoff Group

The Chertoff Group is a premier global advisory firm focused exclusively on the security and risk management sector. The Chertoff Group helps clients grow and secure their enterprise through business strategy, mergers and acquisitions and risk management services. The Chertoff Group, and its investment banking subsidiary Chertoff Capital, have advised on multiple M&A transactions totaling nearly $7 billion in deal value. Headquartered in Washington D.C., the firm maintains offices in Austin, Houston, London, Menlo Park, New York and San Francisco. For more information about The Chertoff Group, visit www.chertoffgroup.com.

Let's Talk.

Let's explore ways we can help you manage risk or position for strategic growth.

202.552.5280 | Mon. – Fri. 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM EDT