Meet the Speakers

Meet Joe Flores

Massachusetts Cybersecurity Advisor, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)

CISA is an Agency within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that maintains 10 regional offices around the country. In his role, Joe champions cyber resilience through partnership engagement, consultation and cybersecurity assessments with the public sector and private companies. Joe has been a member of the Air National Guard for the past eight years serving in both the National Capital Region and in New England. Joe is also a Cyber Warfare Operator with the 102nd Cyberwarfare Squadron in Rhode Island.

Joe previously served as the CISA New England Regional Protective Security Advisor working across New England to deliver support and assistance to CI sector partners through training, assessments, and security expertise.

Before joining CISA, Joe worked at the DHS Transportation Security Administration for 12 years in various roles. He has also worked as an analyst with the Department of the Navy and as a Security Specialist with the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service and supported the United Nation’s General Assembly in New York for three years as a coordinator for military special operations teams.

Meet Guevara Noubir

Executive Director of Cybersecurity Programs, Northeastern University

A Professor in the Khoury College of Computer Sciences at Northeastern University, and the Executive Director of Cybersecurity Programs, Professor Noubir’s research spans a range of problems on the theory and practice of privacy, security, and robustness in networked systems. He specializes in Mobile and Wireless systems security.

Meet Erich Kron​

KnowBe4, Cybersecurity Speaker/Author

Erich Kron is a self-proclaimed geek, author, regular contributor to cybersecurity industry publications, and an experienced information security leader. His record of advancement in the industry spans a broad spectrum of experience including security roles, large scale technical project management, hands-on technical work and senior leadership roles. His many certifications include CISSP, CISSP-ISSAP as well as Microsoft and ITIL certifications.

Meet Greg Sysak​

Senior Manager Sales Engineering at Ciena

Greg Sysak is a highly accomplished professional leading Enterprise Sales Engineers at Ciena. With an impressive 25-year career, Greg has gained extensive experience working with enterprise customers across various industries, building some of the largest and most intricate optical networks.

His tenure and expertise provide him with a unique perspective on the business trends that drive connectivity requirements. Greg understands the critical role that connectivity plays in today’s digital landscape and how it impacts organizations’ operations and future growth. His deep knowledge of optical connectivity and architectures allows him to anticipate current and future trends in the industry, ensuring he can provide strategic insights and guidance to customers and colleagues.

In addition to his work in the enterprise space, Greg has also made significant contributions in the service provider arena. During his time at Ciena, he collaborated with multiple service providers, assisting them in designing private optical networks for enterprise customers and developing tailored optical managed services. This experience further enhances his understanding of the optical connectivity needs of enterprise customers.

Greg’s commitment to staying at the forefront of technological advancements and market dynamics sets him apart as a thought leader in the industry. He continuously monitors emerging trends and technological breakthroughs, enabling him to provide innovative solutions and guidance to customers.

Meet Rick Vanover

Vice President, Product Strategy, Veeam Software

Rick Vanover is an expert in intelligent data management. In his role at Veeam, Rick sits at the crossroads of many types of storage. Whether it is storage systems, critical application data, data in the cloud or data anywhere in between. Rick has experience in the data management practice as IT practices change with new technologies. Follow Rick on X @RickVanover.