Digital Solutions Conference Speakers

United States Secret Service (USSS)
Topic: Cyber Assets and Cybercrime Trends

Mike Alvarez is a network intrusion forensic analyst for the United States Secret Service (USSS). In this role, he utilizes his technological expertise to perform complex network intrusion investigations, computer/digital media forensic examinations, as well as criminal case preparation and prosecution associated with the attempted criminal exploitation of the nation’s critical infrastructure. As a Network Intrusion Forensics Analyst (NIFA), Mike is responsible for providing expert guidance in network and digital forensics, including, but not limited to network intrusion investigations; computer forensics analysis, including imaging and processing digital media; locating and identifying evidence of network intrusions; validating testing of computer forensics hardware and software; and participating in setting up virtualized computer system environments on stand-alone workstations. Mike is recognized as a subject matter expert and principal advisor/analyst to senior-level stakeholders and other applicable stakeholders on matters involving the implementation and compliance of the Network Intrusion Forensics Analyst (NIFA) Program to ensure that work efforts and activities meet the overall mission and guidance of the agency; defines, interprets, and implements policy as it relates to investigative methods, evidence recovery, and forensics analysis. Mike is also an instructor for the International Law Enforcement Academies (ILEA).

Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
Topic: IT vs OT Security

Ernesto Ballesteros, JD, MS, CISSP, CISA, Security+, is the cybersecurity state coordinator (CSC) for the State of Texas at the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) in Region 6. As the CSC for the State of Texas, Ernesto’s role is to build strategic public and private sector relationships in Texas to facilitate the development and maintenance of secure and resilient infrastructure, pursuant to 6 United States Code, Section 665(c) (2021). Previously, he served the State of Texas as the state cybersecurity coordinator and chair of the Texas Cybersecurity Council, at the Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR). In this position, Ernesto’s primary charge was to oversee cybersecurity matters for the State of Texas and lead the Texas Cybersecurity Council to collaborate on matters of cybersecurity concerning Texas, pursuant to Texas Government Code, Sections 2054.511 and 512. During his tenure, Ernesto contributed to the development and implementation of statewide initiatives, such as the Texas Information Sharing and Analysis Organization (TxISAO), the Statewide Cybersecurity Awareness Training Program, and more. Prior to serving in state government, Ernesto’s career spanned several industries, including academia, financial services, private consulting, and public utilities. Of note, his prior professional roles included the following: Information Security Officer for the Alamo Colleges District (San Antonio, Texas); Information Security Officer at Jefferson Bank (San Antonio, Texas); Information Security Consultant at Omnikron Systems (Woodland Hills, California); Assistant Professor of Computer Information Systems and Security at Our Lady of the Lake University (San Antonio, Texas); Director of the Center for Information Assurance Management and Leadership at Our Lady of the Lake University (San Antonio, Texas); and Information Systems Auditor for CPS Energy (San Antonio, Texas). Currently, Ernesto is an Adjunct Professor of Law at St. Mary’s University School of Law (San Antonio, Texas), where he teaches cybersecurity, information systems, and law. Academically, he holds several degrees and professional certifications pertaining to cybersecurity, law, and information systems. Ernesto holds a Bachelor (BS) and Master of Science (MS) in Computer Information Systems and Security (CISS) from Our Lady of the Lake University; an NSA/DHS-designated Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE). Additionally, he completed his legal education at St. Mary’s University School of Law, where he received his Doctor of Jurisprudence (JD), specializing in cyber and privacy law. Lastly, he is an (ISC)2 Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), ISACA Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), and CompTIA Security+ certified professional.

Peninsula Truck Lines, Inc.
Topic: Trucking ICS Overview

Chloe Callahan is an IT operations manager at Peninsula Truck Lines, Inc. based in Federal Way, WA. She has a particular interest in cybersecurity with a passion for sharing and teaching cybersecurity skills to others with a goal of creating a security-minded culture in the trucking industry.

Peninsula Truck Lines, Inc. is a regional, less-than-truckload (LTL) carrier serving Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Vancouver, BC through a network of 15 service centers. Peninsula’s dedication to consistent overnight A.M. delivery service and superior customer service focused on excellence in every transaction are the driving forces establishing Peninsula as the premier, best in class carrier in the Northwest. Established in 1951, Peninsula has had consistent growth with award winning results for the past 5 plus decades.

Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
Topic: Threats Against IoT

Jerrel Conerly is a cybersecurity advisor for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Region 6, in Houston, TX. Jerrel is charged with helping critical infrastructure owners and operators protect critical infrastructure from cyber threats and enhance resilience through voluntary and non-regulatory collaboration. This includes private sector owners, operators, and employees; state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) officials; and other federal agencies within his assigned district. He previously served as an Information System Security Officer with the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), as the designated Lead in support of the Financial Services Center in Austin, TX. He developed technical solutions, guidance, and specifications for the National Data Center security program. Jerrel’s focus areas included Data Centers, Data Systems/Services, Cooperative Research and Development Agreements, Cloud Security, Storage Area Networks, Virtual Desktop and Infrastructure (VDI), Application Security, Change Management, Risk Management, Continuity of Operations (COOP), Disaster Recovery, Blockchain and Robotic Process Automation. He began his career as a Network Infrastructure Technician and Non-Commissioned Officer In-Charge (NCOIC) with the U.S. Air Force. He transitioned to his federal career as a Lead Information Assurance Security Officer with the Department of Defense (DoD), US Army at Fort Sam Houston (San Antonio, TX). He also served as a Systems Administrator for Indus Corp, SOC Analyst for CPS Energy, Senior IA Analyst for the VA, and Wireless Access/Firewall Manager for DoD.

Colorado State University
Topic: Advanced Degrees for Cybersecurity in LTL and The Ultimate Truck Hacking Platform

Jeremy Daily, Ph.D., is the associate professor of systems engineering at Colorado State University. In 2019, Dr. Daily accepted a position as an Associate Professor of Systems Engineering at Colorado State University where he continues to work on heavy vehicle cybersecurity and forensics. Prior to that, he served as an Assistant and Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Tulsa (TU) from 2006-2019. During that time, Jeremy and Karl Heimer co-founded the CyberTruck Challenge in 2017. Jeremy continues to serve as a director for the CyberTruck Challenge non-profit organization and actively recruits students to participate in this unique opportunity. In 2013, Dr. Daily started a technology company, Synercon Technologies, LLC, that has developed a data extraction tool for heavy vehicle event data recorder information. Law enforcement and crash reconstruction professionals all over the US and Canada use the Synercon Technologies systems for reconstructing crashes involving heavy vehicles. Synercon Technologies was acquired by DG Technologies in 2018.

A. Duie Pyle
Topic: Cyber Incident: A Case Study

Dan FitzGerald is the director of cybersecurity with A. Duie Pyle based in West Chester, PA. Prior to joining A. Duie Pyle as its director of cybersecurity in 2021, Dan previously worked for several global financial services companies. His career has focused on service management and delivery in large, multi-national organizations, ensuring consistent delivery and continuous improvement of connectivity and security services. Dan has extensive experience in large network environments and managed services. He has designed and implemented hosted services infrastructure for Federal Government clients, as well as implemented global network and security architecture for financial services companies. In his free time, Dan enjoys backpacking, camping, and boating with his family.

A. Duie Pyle is the Northeast’s premier transportation and logistics provider offering award-winning less-than-truckload (LTL) service and extended coverage through established partnerships into the Southeast, Midwest, West Coast and Canada.

NMFTA
Topic: Traditional ICS Controls in J1939 Environments and Live Truck Hacking Demonstration

Ben Gardiner is a senior cybersecurity research engineer contractor at the National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA) specializing in hardware and low-level software security. Prior to joining the NMFTA team in 2019, Gardiner held security assurance and reversing roles at a global corporation, as well as worked in embedded software and systems engineering roles at several organizations. He is a DEF CON Hardware Hacking Village (DC HHV) volunteer, the chair of the SAE TEVEES18A1 Cybersecurity Assurance Testing TF (drafting J3061-2), and a voting member of the SAE Vehicle Electronic Systems Security Committee.

Virginia Tech
Topic: Sensor Security

Ryan Gerdes, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at Virginia Tech. Dr. Gerdes’ work focuses on designing resilient computing systems, with an emphasis on cyber-physical systems operating in adversarial environments and leveraging the physical layer for defensive and offensive purposes. She is the principal investigator on NSF and DOE projects that examine the security and privacy of cooperative, automated vehicles; unmanned aerial systems (UAS); and next-generation battery electric vehicles and chargers. Recent research topics have included: use of intentional electromagnetic interference for the physical-layer manipulation of sensors and actuators, including radar and electric motors; identification and tracking of cognitive radios; attack detection and prevention for automotive systems; electromagnetic side-channel analysis for code-change detection; machine learning in adversarial environments; and detection of malicious logic in untrusted, integrated circuit designs.

Bosch
Topic: New Fleet Security Features from OEM Vendors

Ivan Granero is an embedded security engineer with Bosch. He is a deeply embedded cybersecurity expert with 15 years of development experience in Automotive Engineering (Passenger Cars, Commercial Vehicles – Fleets) in areas of acquisition, design, validation, and manufacturing. He holds an MS in Software Engineering with a concentration in Cybersecurity from the University of Texas at El Paso and a BS EE. In his free time, he enjoys participating in Capture-the-Flag competitions with his previous participation being at DEFCON31 as part of BOSCH/ETAS team in the Car Hacking Village CTF obtaining 3rd place.

Johanson Transportation
Topic: Every Company Needs to Prepare a Business Continuity Plan

Steve Hankel is the vice president of information technology at Johanson Transportation Service (JTS). He joined JTS in 2010 and during his tenure, he developed a SaaS TMS (Transportation Management System), moved the company’s infrastructure to the Cloud, built up the company’s software engineering program, and rolled out its Disaster Recovery and Cyber Security initiatives. Prior to joining JTS, Steve was the director of IT operations at Webvan, managing the support of cutting-edge technology during the .com boom. He then worked as Tools Team Lead at Wamu, developing a state-of-the-art BC (Business Continuity) and DR (Disaster Recovery) web application. Later he became co-founder and principal at Continuity Source, a company developing BC/DR SaaS Solutions.

Kleinschmidt
Topic: API Security

Dan Heinen is the president and CEO of Kleinschmidt, a B2B integration solutions provider whose capabilities power the supply chains of leading enterprises around the world. With over 35 years of experience building real-time messaging systems across the telecom and financial services industries, Dan leads Kleinschmidt’s march toward next generation EDI and API integration technologies and spearheads the continued development of the reliable, robust B2B messaging architecture that underlies the day-to-day business operations of North America’s leading enterprises. A Kleinschmidt veteran of over 20 years, you can still find Dan rolling up his sleeves and getting down into the trenches, assisting his teams in architecting complex solutions, writing APIs, or debugging code. Outside the walls of Kleinschmidt, Dan is an avid golfer and enjoys traveling the world with his family.

Federal Bureau of Investigation
Topic: General Session: Cyber Threat Landscape for 2024 - Trina Martin, FBI

Trina L. Martin has served as a cyber intelligence analyst for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). She is a technologist, international speaker, best-selling author, and podcaster. Trina uses her experiences to motivate audiences to overcome adversity, develop self-determination, and discipline. Trina also inspires emerging leaders to pursue their wildest dreams with heart and grit. An accomplished IT professional and retired U.S. Naval Officer with 30 years of service, she has broken barriers and made strides in her career that many said weren’t possible. A native of Chicago, IL, Trina is the youngest of four children. The first in her family to attend college, and due to the lack of support at home, she knew she would have to achieve her own goal. With unwavering determination, she enlisted in the U.S. Army and served in the reserves to put herself through school at Alabama A&M University. Both of these choices fueled Trina’s desire to succeed and revealed the depths of her resiliency. Naturally skilled at finding the harmony between technology, science, and data, she has led a stellar career in the Information Technology field. As an Intelligence Officer in the U.S. Navy, a Cyber Intelligence Analyst for the FBI, and now as an advocate for WOC in tech, Trina has pierced the glass ceiling and excelled in positions typically held by men. Throughout Trina’s career, the common denominator has been her ability to set goals and not only achieve but surpass them. Self-motivation, discipline, and hard work are the driving forces that helped her design a life and career that defied the odds stacked against her.

Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
Topic: Opening General Session: “Lessons Learned in 2023” Panel Discussion and Closing General Session: "Outlook for 2024" Panel Discussion

Jonathan Martinez is a supervisory transportation security inspector (STSI) – Pipeline & Cyber for Region 4, within the Security Operations (SO), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Jonathan has been a part of the SO team since 2008, securing airports, seaports, railroads, highways, and public transit systems, thus protecting America’s transportation infrastructure and ensuring freedom of movement for people and commerce. With a multi-disciplined background in aviation, surface, pipeline and cyber, he has been dedicated to making sure that our critical infrastructure and transportation systems are secure since 2002. In 2016, he completed his Master Exercise Practitioner (MEP) with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), enhancing his ability to work as a risk-based facilitator nationwide.

Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
Topic: Support and Tools for the Trucking Industry

Bruce W. McClary-Davis is a program analyst for Transportation Security Administration (TSA). He was selected for this position (Region 4, within Security Operations (SO), at TSA, within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in May 2023. In this role, Bruce is responsible for assisting with security compliance of persons, commodities, and surface transportation systems regulated under Title 49 Code of Federal Regulation (CFR). He is also accountable for the administration of complex security initiatives and transportation programs designed to protect non-regulated stakeholders. Bruce is also an Adjunct TSA Instructor at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC). In addition, he is a certified Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Master Exercise Practitioner Program (MEPP). Prior to joining TSA, Bruce served in the United States Marine Corps (USMC) for approximately ten (10) years. During his years of service, he worked in various positions including the “Yankee White” detail. In this position, Bruce provided logistical security support to various Heads-of-State, Elected officials, and several domestic and foreign dignitaries. In support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Sergeant McClary-Davis deployed from Okinawa Japan on September 18 with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU). He has a degree in Business Management from the University of Phoenix. He is married to Emily McClary-Davis (30 years) and they have three adult children (Morgan 28 graduate of Florida State University, Kelci 24 graduate of San Jacinto College, Gavin 21 graduate of Alvin Community College).

Microsoft
Topic: Microsoft E1-E5 License, Functions, and Capabilities

Jose Razo is an OT/ICS Leader at Microsoft. He is focused on helping Fortune 100 & 500 companies achieve compliance and risk reduction through the development of holistic and highly integrated OT & ICS security programs. Jose also drives customer advocacy efforts to ensure Microsoft product security roadmaps are inclusive of customer needs across industry verticals, with a particular focus on oil and gas. Previously Jose worked at Accenture as a Security Manager before joining Microsoft.

United States Secret Service (USSS)
Topic: Opening General Session: “Lessons Learned in 2023” Panel Discussion and Closing General Session: "Outlook for 2024" Panel Discussion

Clarke Skoby is a Secret Service agent with the United States Secret Service (USSS). He earned a degree in Criminal Justice from Sam Houston State University in 1994. After college, Clarke joined the Montgomery County (Texas) Sheriff’s Department as a patrol deputy. He began his career with the Secret Service in 1999 and was assigned to the Austin Resident Office. While in Austin, he received training to be a computer forensic examiner. In 2003, Clarke was assigned to the Criminal Investigative Division at Secret Service headquarters in Washington, DC, where he helped run the Electronic Crimes Special Agent Program (ECSAP) and also wrote the ECSAP manual. In 2006, he was assigned to the Dignitary Protective Division in Washington, DC to protect Treasury Secretary John Snow. In 2007, he was assigned to the Vice Presidential Protective Division where he protected Vice Presidents Dick Cheney and Joe Biden. In 2010, Clarke was assigned to the Houston Field Office and worked as a Senior Special Agent in the Electronic Crimes Task Force (now called Cyber Fraud Task Force) where he investigated electronic crimes and performed forensic exams on computers and mobile devices. A decade later, Clarke was promoted to Technical Special Agent, which includes being the office’s subject matter expert on cyber fraud, manager of the Digital Evidence Forensics Lab, performing forensic digital forensic exams, responding to network intrusions and cyber fraud related case work and is part of the Houston Field Office management team.