Former CIA Officer Headlines 24th GoSec Cybersecurity Conference

The two-day event expects over 1,500 attendees, drawing a mix of executives and practitioners. The program features former CIA intelligence officer Ross Young, who now serves as a corporate CISO, bringing intelligence-grade threat analysis into the private sector. He joins a roster of industry veterans including John Strand, Amy Yee, and best-selling author Ira Winkler.

GoSec maintains its focus on the paradox of rising budgets amidst a 75% spike in data breach notifications reported to Quebec’s Commission d'accès à l'information. To tackle these threats, the conference highlights local expertise, featuring researchers such as Flare’s Olivier Bilodeau and criminologist-turned-researcher Andréanne Bergeron. Their work on attacker behavior serves as a cornerstone for this year’s sessions, which span a main stage and three concurrent tracks. Past speakers have included former Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Admiral James Stavridis, cementing the event's reputation for high-level insight.