This article originally appeared in the September 2021 issue of Security Business magazine. When sharing, don’t forget to mention Security Business magazine on LinkedIn and @SecBusinessMag on Twitter.
While many GSX educational sessions are targeted at the end-user audience, there is much to be learned by security integrators as well, as these sessions tend to give attendees a glimpse into the trends and issues of many integrator customers.
This year’s GSX sessions feature a blend of on-demand and in-person education that will give integrators insights into a variety of emerging trends, vertical markets and more. Here’s a list of some of the sessions that caught our eye (all times are Eastern daylight). Access the full list at https://gsx21.mapyourshow.com/8_0/sessions/#/.
Live In-Person Sessions
Legal Issues with Facial Recognition and Other Artificial Intelligence (Sept. 27, 10 a.m.): Discuss and examine policy protections that can be used to mitigate legal concerns regarding facial recognition, AI, privacy protection and more. Presenter: Donald Zoufal, President/Founder, Crowz Nest Consulting.
Protecting Public Buildings Against Violent Civil Unrest (Sept. 27, 10 a.m.): David Kelly of the Interagency Security Committee (ISC) will moderate a panel on the civil unrest threat and how to prepare/respond to it based on their recent experiences. Panelists: Darrell White, U.S. Marshals Service; Daryle Hernandez, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA); Gabe Russell, Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Telephony: The Forgotten Network Threat (Sept. 27, 11 a.m.): Telecommunications networks are now relied on more than ever; however, fraud and security threats are rising in unified communications (UC) systems. What does telephony look like today, and how have UC networks made fraudulent activities easier, cheaper, and available to more people? Presenter: Jimmy Reeves, CPP,PSP,PCI, Founder/Managing Partner at Gateway Security LLC.
Modern Risk Assessment (Sept. 27, 3:30 p.m.): An expert panel will discuss how security risk assessments must look at security across the enterprise, like transportation, private residences, personal protection, and other activities related to corporate operations and security programs. Panelists: Bhavesh Patel, Director of Security Services & Technology at Sanofi; Brian Tuskan, CSO, Senior Director Global Security at Microsoft; J Kelly Stewart, CEO of Newcastle Consulting; Mark Lex, SVP at Torchstone Global.
COVID’s Impact on Physical Security in Commercial Real Estate (Sept. 28, 11:30 a.m.): This panel will look at the CRETech digital tools a company uses to efficiently run its facilities and the spaces within these buildings globally to see where efficiencies can be made to help security industry professionals secure quick lockdowns and support rapid re-openings. Panelists: Lee Oughton of Fortress Risk Management; Brittany Galli of mobohubb; Jonathon Harris, CPP,PSP, VP of Group337.
Why Package Theft Should be a Priority for Retail (Sept. 28, 2 p.m.): As package theft increases, retailers and shipping companies are experiencing record losses and reduced brand trust. This session will diagram the supply chain, including the last mile (from the local retailer to a residence) to identify internal and external risks. Presenter: Ben Stickle, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice Administration at Middle Tennessee State University.
Post-COVID Pandemic Business Continuity (Sept. 28, 3:30 p.m.): Far too many private and public sector organizations learned they had business continuity programs that were not robust enough to support their long-term activation. Learn how government agencies, non-profits, and private-sector businesses faced COVID-19 challenges and used them as opportunities to strengthen business continuity. Presenter: Nora O'Brien, CEO, Connect Consulting Services.
Post-Pandemic Employee Mental Health and Wellness (Sept. 28, 3:30 p.m.): Join experts to hear solutions, business models, and advice for navigating the mental health epidemic and its impact on the workforce of the future. Panelists: Abinue Fortingo of Willis Towers Watson; Heather Beach, Healthy Work Company; John Toomey of Wide Awake Wellness, the Workplace Wellbeing Initiative and the Global Wellness Institute; Shane Durdin of Jacobs.
Threat Assessment Best Practices (Sept. 29, 10 a.m.): Learn threat management best practices from a former U.S. Secret Service agent and former Northwestern University Police Department Director of Threat Assessment as they share techniques to identify behavioral indicators suggestive of a pathway to violence. Panelists: G. Michael Verden, Founder and CEO at The Lake Forest Group; Michelle Hoy-Watkins, founder of MHW PsychLaw Services.
New Cannabis Security Guide (Sept. 29, 11:30 a.m.): The cannabis ad-hoc group releases a new best-practices guide for the security industry covering growing operations, product conversion, retail and medical dispensaries, cash transit, product transit and more. Presenters: Carrie Goetz, PSP, Principal/CTO at Strategitcom LLC; Tim Sutton, CPP,PSP, of Guidepost Solutions LLC.
The State of Ransomware (Sept. 29, 12:30 p.m.): Using case studies and examples, this session will examine the ransomware variants that populated 2020 in hopes of creating a guide for dealing with future attacks. Presenter: Eduardo Cabrera, Chief Cybersecurity Officer at Trend Micro.
On-Demand Sessions
A Multi-Disciplined Approach to Protecting Sensitive Information: Too often, protection of sensitive information goes into individual functional silos. Learn the best holistic countermeasures for truly protecting information and other assets. Panelists: Art Lesser, Merit Security; Bruce Wimmer, G4S; Darnell Washington, SecureXperts Inc.; Howard Wang, Hill and Associates Ltd.
How to Lead in Today's World: This session on leadership, breaks the subject down into four simple components: A heart that cares, a head that connects, hands that collaborate, and feet that show courage. Presenter: Jason Hunt, CEO, Eye Squared Leadership.
How To Foster Diversity Inclusion and Interpersonal Relations in Your Team: Learn how to prepare for successful healthy interpersonal relations in a diverse workplace. Presenter: Joyce Odidison, President, Interpersonall Wellness Service Inc.
The Changing U.S. Labor Market Beyond the Pandemic: From increased unemployment benefits to remote school, changes in the labor market may be here to stay. This session looks at national labor trends from the Bureau of Labor Statistics compared those to the security industry’s metrics. Presenters: Jeff Davis and Jill Davie of TEAM Software.
The Impacts of Digital Transformation on Physical Security: The impact of digital transformation on the physical security industry is remarkable. Learn more from a panel of physical security practitioners engaged in robotics, video systems, security entrance control systems and risk assessment. Panelists: Antoinette King, PSP, of Credo Cyber Consulting LLC; Jeffrey Slotnick, CPP,PSP, of Setracon ESRMS; Mark Folmer, CPP, of Robotic Assistance Devices; Mike McGovern, PSP, of ASSA ABLOY.
The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Business Case: The CMMC will fundamentally change the DoD acquisition process for companies handling sensitive information. Learn more from the architects of the CMMC model. Panelists: Andrew Hoover and Katie Stewart of The Software Engineering Institute at Carnegie Mellon University.
General Sessions (Live Streaming)
General sessions will be broadcast for all in-person and digital attendees.
Security 2030: Crossroads of Innovation and Transformation (Sept. 15 - 11 a.m.): Erik Qualman, technology and motivational speaker, bestselling author, and sitting professor at Harvard & MIT’s edX labs, will offer tips and tricks on how to implement current and future trends to maximize your organization’s impact on the world as we move into the next decade.
How to Make Time your Ally, not your Enemy (Sept. 27, 8:30 a.m.): Bestselling nonfiction author Daniel Pink will draw on research from dozens of fields in order to bring the science of timing to light. Discover how the hidden pattern of the day affects analytic and creative capabilities, and learn simple tactics to increase effectiveness and spark motivation.
Breaking the Spell of High Conflict (Sept. 28, 8:30 a.m.): Bestselling author and award-winning journalist Amanda Ripley will explore how people get transformed by high conflict and will share five strategies for getting out of it, based on a combination of her life experience and research into the science of conflict.
Leading Through Uncertainty (Sept. 29, 8:30 a.m.): Lieutenant General (ret) Nadja West, the 44th Army Surgeon General and the former Commanding General of U.S. Army Medical Command, draws on her more than 20 years of experience in executive leadership, crisis management, and disaster response to share effective leadership tactics during difficult times.
