Channel Partners Conference & Expo Session Preview
Private-sector businesses encounter a wide range of hybrid threats, encompassing cyber, physical, extremist, and nation-state challenges. To address these issues, the Channel Partners Conference & Expo will feature a session on March 12 titled “Master Your Domain: Using Special Operations and Intelligence Practices Into the Private Sector.” During this session, attendees will gain insights into overcoming these challenges by applying specialized tactics and techniques developed by U.S. Special Operations Forces and CIA operational teams. Bob Dougherty, a retired CIA operations officer and CEO of Tartarus Intel, along with Kevin McDonald, COO and CISO of Alvaka, will present innovative approaches to mitigate and overcome these multifaceted challenges.
Alvaka’s Kevin McDonald hopes that attendees will “gain awareness of the evolving threat landscape and… understand the importance of proactive security measures like vulnerability assessments and employee training [while] recognizing the limitations of adopting specialized tactics and seek expert guidance for complex threats.”Â
Kevin further explores the distinctions between public companies and private sectors, emphasizing that “Public companies are subject to increased regulations and scrutiny concerning data breaches and security practices. While private companies may have greater flexibility in responding to threats, they do not operate under the same level of oversight.” Recognizing and comprehending these nuances is crucial for navigating the intricacies of cybersecurity.
Check out the Entire Q&A Sneak Peak for the Channel Partners Conference & Expo Session on March 12
Kevin McDonald Bio
Kevin B. McDonald serves as COO and CISO of Alvaka and has been with the company for over 20 years. He was selected as one of the OC500 most influential business executives in 2023. Kevin actively contributes to the global cybersecurity profession and is a senior law enforcement security consultant. Kevin is involved in various organizations, including memberships is the High-Tech Crimes Investigations Association, FBI’s Indiana Infragard Board of Directors and the U.S. Los Angeles DHS/CISA, UAV working group. He is also a member of the CompTIA Global Cyber Security Task force. Kevin provides cybersecurity guidance to businesses, critical infrastructure operators, executives, legislators, and law enforcement. His expertise spans personal and business cyber and physical security strategy, enterprise technology, and public policy. Kevin is a renowned consultant, trainer, and public speaker. Additionally, he is a national multi-award-winning advocate for technology innovation, children’s Internet safety, and public policy. Kevin’s influence extends to local and national publications and various other electronic media outlets, showcasing his ability as an interviewer, speaker and fiction and non-fiction writer.
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Estimating an average time for patching servers and PCs can be a bit tricky. It can vary from one month to the next, depending upon the number and complexity of the patches released by your software vendors. You must consider all versions of operating systems and have a complete inventory of all your application software to do this job correctly. Our experience has shown that manual patching of systems takes on average of about 1.5 hours each.
This is a basic cost calculator for you to compute your typical monthly cost for patching your servers, PCs, laptops, tablets and associated application software. It also forms the basis for you to begin calculating your Return on Investment for software patching, or for comparison with alternatives to the manual process of patching operating systems and application software—such as Patch Management as a Service, also known as Vulnerability Management as a Service.