Cybersecurity Defense Ecosystem Summit Toronto

There is far more content to share than we can fit into one-day. As such, why we will be recording special “Overtime” sessions with each speaker, capturing their full presentations and transcripts for you to watch on demand and share after the event. (Only attendees enjoy free access—others pay $249)

We officially kick off at 9:00 AM, but feel free to arrive as early as 8:00 AM to enjoy breakfast snacks, fresh coffee, and some valuable time to meet, greet and network with peers, speakers and experts.

Stronger Together. Year-Round.

Build powerful connections, share insights, and grow your business at our cybersecurity summit. With the Cybersecurity Defense Ecosystem, you get 24/7 access to tools, expertise, and a network of leaders to boost your security protection.

Join free at cybersecuritydefenseecosystem.com or unlock premium benefits for $595/year.

These regional CDE summits unite MSPs, MSSPs, SOCs, and CISOs to network, learn, and collaborate—driving cybersecurity excellence all year long.

Cybersecurity pros won’t want to miss this! Explore the world of AI and how it is changing the cybersecurity landscape for all. "The Past, Present, and Future of Security and How to Stop It," Sounil will reveal a compelling pattern that not only explains the current state of security but also predicts a radically different future. He’ll introduce a new paradigm that redefines our goals and turns conventional thinking on its head.

Be ready to go beyond traditional defenses and embrace a future-proof approach.

Sounil is an author, speaker, advisor, and board member in the field of cybersecurity and AI. He created the DIE Triad and the Cyber Defense Matrix, which are widely adopted mental models that help organizations define, align, and optimize their security strategy. He has presented at multiple conferences and corporate events and has published several articles on topics pertaining to resiliency, artificial intelligence, and automation. He is passionate about advancing the knowledge and practice of cybersecurity and empowering others to achieve their strategic goals.

Before an attack is meticulously planned and carried out, a group of AI agents is dispatched by malicious actors to gather intelligence about the target company and its employees from all accessible sources, including the dark web. This information is carefully analyzed to develop an attack strategy that outlines who to target, why, where, and how. Tactics are dynamically adjusted with the assistance of AI. Once inside, they patiently explore to identify the most valuable data before executing their plan and retreating. Utilizing AI cloaking and various strategies, hackers can extract sensitive information or deploy malware without being detected. While some companies have measures and personnel in place to identify and prevent such incidents, the vast majority do not. With AI at their disposal, malicious actors gain an edge by automating more sophisticated and well-organized attacks.

How can you safeguard against this threat? We will explore this!

As businesses increasingly adopt AI-empowered models, understanding the inherent risks and establishing robust governance are paramount. Unlike traditional data, there's no "delete" key in AI.

AI is now a ubiquitous tool, leveraged by both sides in the ongoing cyber war. Our goal is to build the best defense for the AI age, moving beyond reactive measures to predictive cybersecurity. This involves not only reducing false positives and improving prioritization and mediation, but fundamentally staying ahead of the curve.

Our "A-Team," comprised of cybersecurity specialists, CISOs, and MSSPs, will provide crucial insights into the latest advancements and emerging trends in the field. Professionals from diverse areas of the cybersecurity landscape will share their unique perspectives.

Throughout the day, these experts will also be available for in-depth discussions and to answer your questions during the Mastermind Peer-Group sessions. These in-person events offer a unique opportunity to expand your network with these valuable experts, who can assist with your future needs.

There are several components to the best Cybersecurity practice and it's evolving. Compliance, CIS, regulations, privacy, insurance, supply chain, and other legal issues also play a critical role in your cybersecurity posture. In many cases provable compliance is required to do business with an increasing number of organizations.

How do you manage the various issues facing you?

Some tasks, like compliance management, PEN testing, 24/7 monitoring, cyber insurance, verification, reporting, may be better outsourced to reduce risk and internal workload, especially if the expertise to cover everything is simply not available in-house.

Our panel of experts will discuss the solutions to these challenges.

Today, it's vital to keep ahead of the latest government and insurance regulations (both in-country and international). How do you get into compliance and stay compliant moving forward, and be able to prove it in case you have to in court or facilitate a claim with your insurance provider.

Explore the dynamic responsibilities and primary concerns of today's CISOs. This session features leading CISOs who will discuss their strategies for safeguarding their organizations and the challenges that keep them up at night. For an authentic glimpse into the daily realities of the cyber warfare landscape, this session is essential.

Additionally, we will delve into the evolving position of CISOs within the C-Suite, examining effective methods for communicating cyber risks and investment needs to executives, and identifying best practices for risk reduction.

Lunch and networking in the Expo

Catch 3-minute pitches on innovative cyber solutions and services.

You'll get a high-level overview of various solutions and business tools, then vote for your favorite pitch.

Meet vendors all day—discover opportunities, spark partnerships, and open new doors.

What do you really want to know about cybersecurity solutions? Three CISO experts will interview each participating vendor about their solution about what it can and cannot do and why it matters. You will explore solutions that will actually help move the needle up on your cybersecurity posture and practice. These sessions will be between 10 to 15 minutes each. Attendees will also get to access extended sessions of each, access demos and special offers post event.

Want more? Check out the expo! The CDE is a resource for about 250 solutions.

There are so many moving parts in cybersecurity. It’s difficult to know what to prioritise and in many cases finding the budget. What do you do?

LLM/AI Poisoning? Identity Management? Supply Chain? Shadow IT and Shadow AI? Insider Threats? Non-Human Identities? And Awareness Training in the Era of AI with sophisticated social engineering phishing, deep fakes and everything in between.

Our expert panel will illuminate the challenges posed by growing threats, offering insights into effective preparation and protection strategies on a wide range of challenges.

We'll delve into the latest tactics employed by malicious actors in these attack vectors and forecast future trends, equipping you with essential knowledge to prepare.

While time constraints prevent in-depth coverage of all topics during the main event, attendees will receive exclusive, free access to "OVERTIME Video Recordings" for each topic, presented by the expert post-event. Additionally, all subjects will be thoroughly explored in the Mastermind Peer-Groups at the end of the day, providing an opportunity to engage directly with the expert and address all your questions.

This panel convenes CISOs from top retail and hospitality brands alongside a leading consulting firm to address the most pressing cybersecurity challenges within consumer-facing sectors. The threats of cybersecurity breaches and privacy concerns are substantial and growing.

We will explore the daily cyber threats these organizations encounter, the essential measures they must implement to safeguard themselves and their customers, and the role government support and regulations can play.

The discussion will delve into issues and best practices across retail, finance, insurance, food, and hospitality. We will cover a comprehensive range of topics, from sector-specific threats to privacy concerns, and the innovative solutions shaping the future of cybersecurity.

Pick your topic, join the conversation, share your expertise or just listen up!

This is a hands-on "workshop" where each attendee gets to choose from 15+ hot cybersecurity topics and join the their peers who shares the same interest.

An expert facilitator will guide the group's discussion to address their questions with deep insights and solutions to take home.

The best part? The dialogue doesn’t end when the event does — you can keep connected with your peer-group to build your network and continue to share ideas long after the event is over!

Each peer-group will give the audience a brief 3-minute summary of the key takeaways from their session.

More detailed summaries of each peer-group session will be shared with the attendees, minus any identifiable or confidential information.

We want you to go home with your burning questions answered! We also want you to discover surprise answers to questions you never thought of asking!

Ask about joining a permanent local peer-group that you can continue to meet and exchange ideas as often as you like.

The educational sessions end at 5:00 PM.

The Solution Provider Expo will be open with snacks and drinks for networking until 7:00 PM. Who knows where we will all end up as networking with local like-minded people is really what this event is all about!

All registered attendees will be notified or several special invite-only dinners hosted by various organizations. Typically, many end up in the hotel bar to carry on the conversations.

Please do NOT Drink and Drive! There are hotel rooms available and many car share options available. Just leave your car if you drove and arrive safe!

While we do have an official end-time, we will be around until 9 PM and everyone is welcome to continue the networking. Please do not drink and drive! There are hotel rooms available in the venue.