Presented by Matthew Kern, Sales Engineer • Arcserve

As natural disasters like hurricanes, wildfires, and severe winter events become more frequent and intense, businesses face increasing economic and operational challenges. High-profile disasters, including the Camp Fire in 2018, which incurred a staggering $16.5 billion in damages, and Hurricane Maria's profound impact on Puerto Rico, estimated at $139 billion for full recovery, underscore the escalating financial stakes.

This presentation will explore effective strategies to bolster business resilience in the face of natural catastrophes.

Key elements of the session will include:

• Critical insights from Arcserve's annual global research study on disaster preparedness.
• A comprehensive Disaster Preparedness Checklist tailored for companies.
• Practical tools designed to safeguard business operations and data resilience.

We will delve into the details of a 5-step disaster and ransomware recovery plan template, as well as the 3-2-1-1 backup strategy, which ensures robust data recovery through multiple backup copies stored both locally and offsite. By implementing these strategies, businesses can minimize financial losses, reduce operational downtime, and achieve a rapid recovery, thereby ensuring continuity even during catastrophic events. This session aims to arm business leaders with the essential tools and knowledge to safeguard their enterprises amidst an increasingly unpredictable global landscape.

  Presented by Andrew Buschbom, Cybersecurity State Coordinator • CISA

In this session, Andrew Buschbom, the Cybersecurity State Coordinator for New Mexico for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), will present an overview of the current cybersecurity threat landscape. He will also provide several resources that are available at no cost from CISA. These cybersecurity resources can be added to your tool kit right now.

Andrew Buschbom is a Cybersecurity Specialist with 20 years of experience in Information Security. He previously worked for the State of New Mexico and the Federal Reserve where he had hands-on experience mitigating large, high-profile breaches and dealing with highly motivated global threat actors.

  Presented by Randy Macias, Manager of Engineering  • Ardham Technologies, Inc.

Cybersecurity is vital for protecting sensitive data, ensuring business continuity, and maintaining customer trust. By investing in robust measures, organizations can prevent costly breaches and support innovation while safeguarding national security. In today’s digital landscape, effective cybersecurity is essential for stability and growth.

  Presented by Phillip Abeyta, CEO of TEC34 and Board Member • New Mexico Technology Council

You stare at multiple screens each day monitoring logs and looking for irregularities in data. Later today, you will spend thirty minutes helping someone access their email and reset a password. Many IT professionals can feel isolated from a company mission as they go through their daily tasks. Especially with remote working, bonding with your team and exhibiting leadership can be a challenge.

Having strong leaders in your organization is a vital element of success. Inspiration can come in many forms, and a strong leader always looks to get the most out of any task. As you consider your own career ambitions, how successful are you at being a leader each day? Join Phillip Abeyta, Chief Executive Officer of TEC 34, for a comprehensive approach to exhibiting leadership in IT. As an expert in the technology that runs your business, people rely on you to display the efficiencies that come from embracing technology and its processes. CIOs and Engineers alike will walk away with several strategies they can use to improve their own leadership approach.

With over 15 years of experience in the IT sector and a passion for empowering businesses, Phil is at the helm of TEC34, guiding it to offer tailored consulting and professional services to help organizations tackle technical challenges head-on.

His leadership extends beyond the boardroom as he serves on community boards, including the New Mexico Tech Council since 2017. He will also start his Core Program with Leadership New Mexico in September, where he will undoubtedly continue to enhance his skills as he will work alongside great leaders across the State of New Mexico. Phil's educational background in Electronics and Computer Engineering, combined with Business Administration and an ongoing MBA, showcases his dedication to continuous learning and growth.

  Presented by INTERFACE Advisory Council

Artificial Intelligence has made a mark already and its use will only continue to expand. Are we fully prepared to embrace AI in our workplaces? Viewpoints differ on how widely AI should be used at this point. Commonly used applications and software now include AI capabilities as a part of their standard offerings. How is this governed in your company? Do you even have an AI policy drafted?

Join the INTERFACE Advisory Council for an open discussion on all things AI. We will cover the risks associated with using AI –– and the risk of NOT using it. What knowledge do you need right now? Also, we will cover the best uses for AI in IT processes. There will be an open discussion about what is working well in IT shops around New Mexico. Bring your questions as we explore the starting points that every IT department needs to consider for an effective AI policy.

Panelists:

• Richard Garcia, Associate Director of Infrastructure, PNM Resources
• Kevan Hobbs, IT Supervisor, PNM Resources
• Jason Johnson, Deputy State CIO, State of New Mexico
• Jessica Johnson, Sr Manager, IT Security & Program Operations, Westrock

  Presented by Kristen Lucero, Manager, Infosec Cyber Operations and Engineering, PNM Resources • ISACA New Mexico

Cyber threats are on the rise impacting critical infrastructure not only at local and state levels but all across the globe. With the use of generative AI, threat actors are creating sophisticated phishing and social engineering campaigns at record speed. There has been a 30% increase in attacks on critical infrastructure since 2023. According to KnowBe4 that equates to 13 attacks per second.

Critical infrastructure or assets are so crucial to our livelihood that their destruction would have a serious impact from public health to national security. Some of these assets include transportation, supply chain, utilities, and government agencies. All these systems are interconnected starting at the local level. A disruption in one can cause a domino effect on the others.

How are threat actors using generative AI and are organizations developing resilient cybersecurity programs? Are organizations implementing generative AI in their security stack? Developing a strong security culture starts with the basics: training and assessments. Integrating these and other practices into your cybersecurity program will develop a strong security culture to increase resiliency and protection against an evolving threat landscape.