3rd Annual CIRT-BS Cybersecurity Conference
+ ITU Regional CyberDrill
+ ITU Regional CyberDrill
Join us 15-17 January 2025
British Colonial, Nassau, The Bahamas
The 3rd Annual CIRT-BS Cybersecurity Conference and ITU Regional CyberDrill (formerly Stakeholder Engagement Symposium), under the theme, “Building Shared Cyber Resilience,” aims to enhance national and regional cybersecurity partnerships. The theme emphasises collaborative efforts across national and regional boundaries to strengthen defenses against cyber threats. By pooling knowledge and resources, we can create a more resilient digital landscape. This year’s conference features local and international experts covering topics like incident response management, threat intelligence, and cybersecurity strategies. ITU’s Regional CyberDrill brings together professionals from government agencies, private sector organisations, and civil society. Attendees, including local and international experts, gain practical insights on incident response management, threat intelligence, and cybersecurity strategies. Discussions cover legal frameworks, compliance, and regulatory requirements. The Cyber Drill enhances national defenses, fosters unity, and strengthens regional collaboration.
Conference Venue
About the Conference
Objectives
Agenda Topics
The event agenda will cover a wide range of topics, including:
- Incident Response and Handling: Case studies, methodologies, and frameworks for effective incident response.
- Threat Intelligence: Techniques for gathering, analysing, and sharing threat intelligence to mitigate cyber threats.
- Cybersecurity Technologies: Innovations in tools, technologies, and solutions for improving cybersecurity defenses.
- Digital Forensics: Advances in digital forensic techniques and their application in incident investigations.
- Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity: Leveraging artificial intelligence for incident response and defense purposes.
- Emerging Threats: Analysis of emerging cyber threats and proactive measures to counter them.
- Collaboration and Partnerships: Success stories and models for effective collaboration among CSIRTs and other stakeholders.
Who Should Attend
The CIRT-BS Cybersecurity Conference attracts local and regional cybersecurity professionals in various spaces including government, academia, judicial, law enforcement, and governance risk and compliance professionals.
Conference Theme
The conference theme, “Building Shared Cyber Resilience,” emphasises collaborative efforts across national and regional boundaries to strengthen defences against cyber threats. By pooling knowledge and resources, we can create a more resilient digital landscape.
If you were invited to the event and do not have a code, please email [email protected] with your name and job title. If you’d like to join the event’s waitlist, please email [email protected] with the subject line “Join Waitlist”. Please also include your name and job title.
Schedule subject to change.
Conference Day 1 & Launch Reception — Wednesday, 15 January 2025
| 08:30 – 09:00 | Breakfast & Registration |
| 09:00 | Opening Ceremony |
| 10:15 | Break |
| 10:45 | Building a Cybersecurity Awareness Programme Sharon Mudd, Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute |
| 11:15 | Jersey’s Journey to Protecting its Critical Infrastructure Matt Palmer, Director, Jersey Cyber Security Centre |
| 12:00 | AI in Cybersecurity James Mason, Recorded Future |
| 12:30 | Cyber Crime in the Region |
| 1:00 | Lunch Break |
| 2:00 | Building Shared Cyber Resilience Sametria McKinney, Director, CIRT-BS |
| 3:15 | PANEL: Building and Measuring Cybersecurity in the Region Cesar Moline Kleé Aiken, FIRST Eardley Grant, University of The Bahamas Pablo Palacious, ITU |
| 3:45 | Afternoon Break |
| 4:00 | PANEL: Protecting Critical Infrastructure in Small Island States Shakera Johnson, CISO, Cable Bahamas Ltd John Sapp Jr, VP, Texas Mutual Insurance Sean Munroe, Director, Cloud Carib and DigitalEra |
| 4:30 | PANEL: Building National Resilience in Small Island States Godphey Sterling, Director, Jamaica CIRT Matt Palmer, Director, JCSC LaToya Greene, Legal Consultant, Digital Transformation Unit and Fortinet |
| 5:00 | Closing Remarks Prenell King-Rolle, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Economic Affairs |
| 5:30 | CIRT-BS Launch Reception |
Conference Day 2 — Thursday, 16 January 2025
| 08:30 | Breakfast & Registration |
| 09:00 | Opening Remarks |
| 09:15 | Cyber Risk Management John Sapp Jr, VP, Texas Mutual Insurance Company |
| 09:50 | Cyber Crisis Preparedness in the Region Godphey Sterling, Jamaica CIRT |
| 10:30 | 8 Cybersecurity Shields Michelle Drolet, TowerWall |
| 11:00 | Morning Break |
| 11:10 | Managing Email Security Hector Gutierrez, Cloudflare |
| 11:45 | Presentation |
| 12:15 | Lunch |
| 1:15 | CyberDrill Technical Training Building Malware Analysis Capability for CSIRTs/SOCs Pawel Pawlinski, FIRST Rick Logan-Stanford, TT-CSIRT |
| 3:00 | Afternoon Break |
| 3:15 | CyberDrill Technical Training Building Malware Analysis Capability for CSIRTs/SOCs Pawel Pawlinski, FIRST Rick Logan-Stanford, TT-CSIRT |
| 5:00 | Closing Remarks |
ITU Regional CyberDrill — Friday, 17 January 2025
The Technical CyberDrill is a hands-on activity designed to enhance their readiness in facing cyber threats. During this event, three scenarios will be provided, requiring participants to perform analysis and investigations based on the scenarios and answer the provided questions. The scenarios will focus on Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) sectors and include tasks such as reviewing a cyber threat intelligence report, addressing phishing incidents, conducting threat hunting, and responding to an operational technology security incident.
|
8:30 |
Breakfast & Registration |
| 9:00 | Opening Remarks & Initial Configurations |
|
9:35 |
Scenario 1: Analysing and Investigating an Online Credit Card Skimming Attack The scenario involves investigating credit card theft during AOG24 ticket purchases, you will be tasked to identify the attacker’s entry point, vulnerabilities exploited, and the scope of the breach. Expert: Marwan Ben Rached, ITU |
|
11:05 |
Morning Break |
|
11:20 |
Scenario 2: Malware Analysis The exercise involves analysing a malware infection, with participants tasked to identify the malware’s origin, behaviour, and impact. Expert: Paweł Pawliński, FIRST Rick LOGAN-STANFORD, FIRST |
|
12:50 |
Lunch Break |
|
1:50 |
Scenario 3: APT DFIR & Threat Hunting This scenario involves investigating an APT attack by Group X on an organisation, focusing on data exfiltration and command and control activities. As part of the DFIR team, your task is to analyze the intrusion methods and TTPs used. Expert: Marwan Ben Rached, ITU |
|
3:50 |
Afternoon Networking Break |
|
4:00 |
Closing Remarks |
Additional speaker information coming soon.
Sean Munroe
As Director of Engineering for Network and Voice Services at Cloud Carib, Sean Munroe is driven by a "get it done" ideology and a meticulous approach to his work. With over 20+ years of hands-on IT experience, Sean has an extensive background in ISP and hospitality networks, focusing on deployment, management, optimization and network security — a university graduate and Computing Technology Industry Association Network Plus certified specialist. Sean is also a former Cisco Certified Network Associate and Professional, with a specialization in routing and switching, as well as a Palo Alto Systems Engineer specializing in network security. His expertise extends to voice, video, and chat as a former Cisco Certified Collaboration Specialist and a former Juniper Network Certified Internetwork Associate. For nearly a decade, Sean has led a dynamic team of network, voice and security experts at Cloud Carib, where he continues to deliver transformative solutions.
Shakera Johnson
Shakera is an accomplished cybersecurity leader with a deep passion for Information and Cybersecurity, driven to excel in a field traditionally dominated by men. Based in Nassau, Bahamas, she holds a B.A. in Computer Information Systems and an M.B.A. with an IT focus. Her impressive credentials include certifications such as C|CISO, CISSP, CISM, CISA, and CRISC, and she recently earned a Chief Information Security Officer certificate from Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College. Shakera's career began with over a decade at Atlantis Resort & Casino, where she rose to the role of Manager of IT Governance, Risk, and Compliance. Now serving as the Director of Information Security at Cable Bahamas Ltd., she leads the company’s cybersecurity strategy, ensuring robust protection and innovation. A passionate advocate for cybersecurity education, Shakera is a sought-after speaker, encouraging women and youth to pursue STEM careers. She is a recognized STEM leader, as well as a dedicated wife and mother, an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., and a proud member of the Rotary Club of South East Nassau
John Sapp
John is the VP, Information Security & CISO for Texas Mutual Insurance Company, based in Austin TX and the creator of the thought leadership forum, Cybersecurity Conversations: The Hype, Hope and Harsh Reality.
He was named a cyber visionary by Turner Broadcasting in 2012 and also invited to The White House for the discussion on the National Strategies for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace.
As a multi-award winning and strategic global Information Security executive with 30+ years of experience, John’s knowledge and expertise has allowed him to become an industry thought-leader and early adopter of emerging security technologies.
He is very adept at building and optimizing enterprise cybersecurity programs and communicating in a common language with business risk context and driving informed, risk-based decisions.
Throughout his career, John has helped multiple organizations (mid-size and large) develop a clear picture of their current cyber risk posture and cybersecurity capabilities, develop and executing a multi-year strategy to achieve the desired target state, while delivering an informed view of when, where, how and why to invest in people, process and technology to manage cyber risk.
Michelle Drolet
Michelle Drolet is CEO of Towerwall, a pure-play cybersecurity consulting firm offering security and compliance services with clients such as Foundation Medicine, Boston College, and UMass Medical Center.
As one of Towerwall’s resident information security experts, Ms. Drolet assists organizations through the security process to help them protect critical data by the evaluation, establishment, education and enforcement of sound information security, network security and data security practices.
She earned a degree in Political Science and Criminal Justice at Northeastern University. Although she dreamt of being in the FBI, she did end up protecting people from the 'bad guys' -- iidentity fraud, targeted cyber-attacks, social engineering (phishing) and ransomware scams. By 1993 she was running the US operation of CDG Technologies, growing the IT consulting and reseller business exponentially. The company grew and was taken over by a public company. Michelle stayed with the new company but grew disenchanted by the direction, so took a leap of faith and decided to buy back the company and relaunched it as ‘Towerwall.’
Ms. Drolet is responsible for all aspects of business for Towerwall. She has more than 20 years of network and data security experience. She has leveraged that knowledge to make Towerwall a leading data security services provider. Highly respected in the analyst and trade community, Ms. Drolet is often published in national magazines and is a regular contributor to CSO magazine, Spiceworks, Worcester Business Journal and Forbes. She has received the following awards and recognitions: the 2023 “Security Innovator Award,” from SecurityInfoWatch, the 2022 “SIA Women in Security Forum Power 100,” from the Security Industry Association; the 2022 “10 Most Innovative CEOs of the Year,” from CIO Views, and the 2021 “10 Most Inspiring Women in Business,” from Insights Success.
Ms. Drolet has received citations from Senator Spilka and Senator Magnani for her community service and has received the Cyber Citizenship award several times on behalf of Towerwall for community support and participation. She has received the Athena award, the ESL Christine
Taylor Award and been named one of the 10 most powerful women in the channel by VARBusiness magazine.
Sametria McKinney
A trailblazer in corporate Bahamas, Sametria has led cybersecurity initiatives at some of the country's most prestigious institutions, including its central bank and national computer incident response team (CIRT-BS). Earning several respected cybersecurity certifications, Sametria also holds a Global Business MBA. As CIRT-BS Director and driver of The Bahamas' National Cybersecurity Strategy, Sametria's leadership continues to be instrumental in building Bahamian cyber resilience.
Matt Palmer
Formerly a fortune 500 global CISO, Matt has served as a tech and cyber security leader for some of the world’s leading financial institutions, and had the privilege to advise both countries and corporations.
As Director of Jersey Cyber Security Centre, Matt's role is to lead Jersey’s cyber defence, overseeing the direction of JCSC to promote and improve cyber resilience across critical national infrastructure, businesses, communities, and citizens.
Klée Aiken
Klée Aiken is the Director – Community & Capacity Building at the Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams (FIRST). At FIRST, he works to leverage the expertise and insights of the global incident response community to build collaborative training, education, and capacity building initiatives.
Before joining FIRST, Klée worked on Internet and cybersecurity issues in the Asia-Pacific from policy and operational perspectives. First at a think tank; then APNIC; and most recently with CERT NZ, the national incident response team for New Zealand. At CERT NZ he worked to develop the team’s relationships with Pacific partners and build a wide-ranging capacity building program.
Klée also leads the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise (GFCE) Working Group B – Cyber Incident Management and Critical Infrastructure Protection. He is based in Wellington, NZ.
Calnan Weech
Calnan Weech is a cyber security professional holding both the CISSP (ISC2) and CISM (ISACA) certifications. Formerly a long-time employee of The Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island, he held titles such as Sr. Internal Auditor and Director of Rooms, before moving back to the Information Technology Division where he held such roles as Director of Application Support, Sr. Director of Systems Assurance (now Cyber Security & Data Privacy) and later, the Executive Director, IT Finance. He was the first leader of the Information Technology Systems Assurance team with responsibility for IT governance, risk, and compliance. In addition to his professional cybersecurity certifications, Mr. Weech holds a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management from Florida International University. In 2019 he was invited to present a paper at The University of The Bahamas entitled “The impact of artificial intelligence on the hospitality industry.” Calnan is a long-time member of the of the Bahama Island Co-Operative Credit Union (BICCU), formerly the Paradise Island Resort & Casino Co-Operative Credit Union (PIRCCCU) and in service to his credit union, he served on its board of directors first as treasurer and then as president. While on the board of PIRCCCU, he was elected to the board of The Bahamas Co-Operative League Limited (BCLL), the apex organization for credit unions in the country where he also served first as its Treasurer and later as President. Due to his unwavering belief in the Co-Operative system and seeking to elevate the profile of the sector, he presented papers on the importance of credit unions on two separate occasions at the College of The Bahamas. The first back in 2003 was entitled ‘The Role of Credit Unions in Economic Development’ and then thirteen years later a paper entitled ‘The Role of Co-Operatives in Economic & Youth Development’. Calnan is also proud to be a member of The Rotary Club of South-East Nassau, where he is a past president for the year 2021-2022. He is married to the former Sharon Inniss and is the father of two daughters (Calynn & Sydney), one son (James) and has two grandchildren.
James Mason
James Mason is an Intelligence Consultant on the EMEA Public Sector Intelligence Services team at Recorded Future. James works with government departments across the UK and Europe, providing threat intelligence support for a range of projects. Prior to joining Recorded Future James worked as a Dark Web Analyst, providing intelligence services to law enforcement and government teams within the UK.
Richard Parchment
Ricardo Parchment is a seasoned security engineer with over 10 years of experience spanning corporate security operations, site security, IT security operations, and security architecture design & implementation. In his current role as a Systems Engineer with Fortinet, he partners with organizations across the region to design and implement robust security strategies that align with their business objectives. He is passionate about driving innovation and fostering a proactive security culture.
Dr Sharon Mudd, PhD
Dr Sharon Mudd is currently a Senior Cybersecurity Operations Researcher in the CERT® division of the Software Engineering Institute @Carnegie Mellon University, helping international teams build security operations and incident management capabilities. In this role, she provides mentoring and training on a broad range of cybersecurity topics to foster development of maturity for security incident response and security operations teams internationally. Her career spans 30+ years in IT and information security roles, focusing on information security governance, risk management, compliance, and assurance. She has been a GRC leader in several organizations with global information security responsibilities across a diverse set of industries, including financial services, retail, education, government, telecommunications, and healthcare. In 2024, Sharon completed a PhD in Information Assurance and Cybersecurity focusing on human factors within information security risk management.
Hector Gutierrez
With a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science Engineering and advanced degrees in Business Information Technology and Project Management, Hector brings a unique blend of technical expertise and strategic insight to the world of cybersecurity. His mission is to empower organizations to build resilient digital ecosystems, safeguard critical assets, and thrive in today’s complex threat landscape.
Over the course of Hector’s 20+ year career, his journey has included transformative roles at Cloudflare, HashiCorp, and Microsoft, where he’s driven innovative cybersecurity strategies, secured critical infrastructure, and enabled businesses to thrive in dynamic environments. Hector specializes in blending technology with business objectives to not only protect organizations from cyber threats but also unlock opportunities for growth and efficiency.
Hector views cybersecurity as more than just defense—to him, it’s the foundation for operational resilience and business success. His approach focuses on proactively adapting to emerging risks, ensuring continuity during disruptions, and driving sustainable innovation in the digital age.
LaToya Greene
Miss LaToya Greene holds an Associate of Arts, Law and Criminal Justice with Distinction from The University of The Bahamas (formerly College of The Bahamas) (2007) and a Bachelor of Laws (LL. B) (Hons) from the University of The West Indies (2011). She obtained a Legal Education Certificate from the Eugene Dupuch Law School in 2013 and a Master of Laws in Legislative Drafting in 2017 from the University of the West Indies. Miss Greene is a certified compliance professional and holds a diploma in Anti-Money Laundering (Merit) (2021) and a Certificate in Compliance (Distinction) both from the International Compliance Association (2020). She is a legal consultant within the Digital Transformation Unit and an Associate Tutor in the Legal Drafting and Interpretation course at the Eugene Dupuch Law School.
Marwan Ben Rached
Mr. Marwan Ben Rached is a cybersecurity professional with over 16 years of experience in the public and private sectors. He is currently the Cybersecurity Coordinator at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), where he leads the implementation of the ITU's Cybersecurity projects in various countries around the world. He also engages with and coordinates with international organizations to promote global cooperation in cybersecurity.
Marwan holds a master's and engineer degrees in Computer Science from the University of Sousse, Tunisia, and possesses various international certificates in information technology, project management, and cybersecurity.
We are excited to announce the 3rd Annual CIRT-BS Cybersecurity Conference and ITU CyberDrill, in partnership with the International Telecommunication Union. This year’s theme is “Building Shared Cyber Resilience” targeting both local and regional participation. The conference will span three days at the British Colonial in Nassau, The Bahamas, from Wednesday, 15 January to Friday, 17 September, 2025, from 9 am to 5 pm.
By sponsoring, you will have the opportunity to showcase your brand, products, and services to 150 hand-selected local attendees representing critical information infrastructure operators, government agencies, technical firms, and 20-30 cybersecurity representatives from the Caribbean region.
Sponsorship details are included in the table below.
-
Fully-branded Dining Area
-
Exhibition Space
-
Attendee Bag Insert
Sponsors may submit one or two promotional items or pieces of literature (depending on the sponsorship level) to be placed in attendee bags. Please provide 200 pieces of each item by 8 January 2025.
-
Door Prize Drawing Participation
We encourage our sponsors and exhibitors to provide a door prize to be given away in a door prize drawing during our closing ceremony. Attendees will receive a card to be stamped by each participating exhibitor and may enter completed cards into the door prize drawing.
-
Conference Registrations
-
Logo on Website
-
Logo on Digital Signage
-
Speaking Opportunity
(Based on availability)
-
Media Release Recognition
-
Booklet Ad
Other sponsorship opportunities or configurations available on request. For questions or additional information, please contact us at [email protected].
Sponsorship Form
Yes. Please visit this link.
The conference will take place 15-17 January 2025 at the British Colonial in Nassau, The Bahamas.
There is no cost to attend this year’s conference. Due to limited availability, admission to the conference is by invitation only. To request an invitation or join our waitlist, please email [email protected] with your name, job title, and organisation name.
Due to limited availability, admission to the conference is by invitation only. To request an invitation or join our waitlist, please email [email protected] with your name, job title, and organisation name. If you do not have valid registration, you may be turned away from the conference.
Paid parking is available at The Pointe parking complex. Please visit https://pointebahamas.com/parking for rates.
This year’s conference is restricted to invited guests only. If you show up without valid registration, you may be turned away. Check back early January for ticket slots that may open up.
To sponsor the event, please visit the “Sponsorship Info” tab.
Sectors: Government agencies, private sector organizations, and civil society.
Countries: Jamaica, Trinidad, Barbados, Guyana, Grenada, Antigua, Belize, Dominica, St Kitts and Nevis, Suriname, St Lucia, Cayman, Aruba, Turks and Caicos Islands
- Britsh Colonial (Conference Venue) https://www.britishcolonial.com/
Special Rate Available via this link. Margaritaville Beach Resort Nassau
- Distance: About 0.3 miles from British Colonial
- Website: www.margaritavilleresorts.com/margaritaville-beach-resort-nassau
Graycliff Hotel & Restaurant
- Distance: Approximately 0.4 miles from British Colonial
- Website: www.graycliff.com
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Nassau
- Distance: About 0.6 miles from British Colonial Hilton
- Website: www.ihg.com/holidayinnexpress/hotels/us/en/nassau/nasbs/hoteldetail
Courtyard by Marriott Nassau Downtown/Junkanoo Beach
- Distance: Around 0.7 miles from British Colonial
- Website: www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/nascy-courtyard-nassau-downtown-junkanoo-beach/
The Royal at Atlantis
- Distance: Approximately 2.5 miles from British Colonial
- Website: www.atlantisbahamas.com/accommodations/royal-tower
The Coral at Atlantis
- Distance: Around 2.5 miles from British Colonial
- Website: www.atlantisbahamas.com/accommodations/coral-tower
The Cove, Atlantis
- Distance: Around 2.5 miles from British Colonial
- Website: www.atlantisbahamas.com/accommodations/cove
The Reef, Atlantis
- Distance: Around 2.5 miles from British Colonial
- Website: www.atlantisbahamas.com/accommodations/reef
Comfort Suites Paradise Island
- Distance: Approximately 2.5 miles from British Colonial
- Website: www.choicehotels.com/bahamas/nassau/comfort-suites-hotels
Hotel Riu Palace Paradise Island
- Distance: About 2.6 miles from British Colonial Hilton
- Website: www.riu.com/en/hotel/bahamas/nassau/riu-palace-paradise-island/
Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort & Spa
- Distance: About 6 miles from British Colonial
- Website: www.sandals.com/main/royal/rsb-home/
Sandyport Beach Resort
- Distance: Around 7 miles from British Colonial
- Website: https://www.sandyportresort.com/
SLS Baha Mar
- Distance: Around 5 miles from British Colonial
- Website: www.sbe.com/hotels/sls/sls-baha-mar/
Grand Hyatt Baha Mar
- Distance: Around 5 miles from British Colonial
- Website: www.hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/bahamas/grand-hyatt-baha-mar/nasgh
Rosewood Baha Mar
- Distance: Around 5 miles from British Colonial
- Website: www.rosewoodhotels.com/en/baha-mar
Breezes Resort & Spa
- Distance: Around 5 miles from British Colonial
- Website: www.breezes.com/nassau/
For additional information, please visit https://www.bahamas.com/hotels#destination:31;page:1;.
Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA)
For additional information, please visit https://nassaulpia.com/.
The Bahamian dollar (BSD) is maintained at the same level as the U.S. dollar (USD) and both are accepted interchangeably.
ATMs and banks are located throughout Nassau/Paradise Island.
While several establishments accept both credit cards and cash, some only accept one or the other.
Please visit for https://www.immigration.gov.bs/entry-requirements/ entry requirements.
Taxis are available and fares vary by destination. Vehicle rentals are available at the Lynden Pindling International Airport.
Note that popular ride share options like Uber and Lyft are not available in The Bahamas.
Reach out to your hotel for nearby restaurant and activity suggestions. Additionally, visit https://www.bahamas.com/plan-your-trip/things-to-do#destination:31;page:1; for ideas to enhance your experience in Nassau.
For Emergencies, call 919 or 911.
Royal Bahamas Police Force
- Tourism Police Station
Bay Street
+1-242-322-4124/41, 911, 919 - Arawak Cay Police Station
West Bay Street
+1 242-323-8079 - Cable Beach Police Station
West Bay Street
+1-242-327-8800
Major Hospitals
- Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) – Public
Elizabeth Ave & Shirley Street, Nassau, NP
+1 242-322-2861 - PMH Accident and Emergency
Elizabeth Ave & Shirley Street, Nassau, NP
+1 242-326-7014 - Doctor’s Hospital – Private
21 Collins Ave, Nassau, NP
+1 242-302-4600
For additional information about The Bahamas, please visit https://www.bahamas.com/.
