August 2025 Monthly Meeting - Nova Southeastern University

Join us for SFISSA's August in-person members' meeting of the year!

We’re excited to be hosting this meeting at Nova Southeastern University - Room: 2060 Carl DeSantis Building, 3300 S University Dr, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33328

Presentation 1: Security Validation at the Heart of Exposure Management

Talk Abstract 1: With the rise in Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM), legacy capabilities and solution providers are missing a critical piece of the CTEM cycle: Validation. This talk explores how continuous validation is the missing link between organizations' control stack and prioritizing the right exposure.

Speaker 1 : Debra Brown – Cybersecurity Leader & GTM Enterprise Strategist

Debra Brown brings over 25 years of experience working with large enterprise customers, specializing in cybersecurity and emerging technology solutions. Her journey in the cyber space began at Ping Identity, where she supported organizations in strengthening their identity and access management strategies. She later joined Chainalysis, where she played a pivotal role in building out the private sector business across the Americas. There, Debra partnered with major financial institutions and cryptocurrency exchanges to help them navigate the complexities of digital asset risk, compliance, and regulation.

In recent years, Debra has focused on supporting early-stage cybersecurity startups, helping them scale and meet the growing needs of enterprise clients. With a unique blend of strategic insight and frontline experience, Debra is passionate about helping organizations align security innovation with business objectives.

Speaker 2: Michael Brown, CISSP, HCISPP, CISA, CISM, CGEIT, CRISC, CDPSE, GSLC, GSTRT, GLEG, GSNA
Michael is an information security professional and leader with years of experience in IT and information security/cybersecurity. While a security consultant advisor, he worked with clients in the healthcare, financial, manufacturing, and other sectors to assess their security programs and work with them to improve and mature their security posture. He is now Security and Compliance Director for FRG Systems, ensuring their HITRUST and SOC compliance. He is experienced with a variety of security regulations, frameworks, and standards. A seasoned speaker and presenter, he has presented at SFISSA, BSides Tampa, St Pete, and Orlando, HackMiamiCon, and ISSA International. He is an ISSA Fellow and Secretary and past president of the South Florida Chapter of ISSA and is a member of ISACA, ISC2, Infragard, and IAPP.

Presentation 2: The Wonderful World of IT Security Certifications, 2025 UPDATE

Whether you are an experienced InfoSec professional or just getting into the field, you will be confronted by a wide range of InfoSec certifications. Security+, CISSP, CISA, CEH, GSEC, etc. What are these certifications? What does it take to obtain them and keep them? Which ones should I focus on? And just as important, do I really need to obtain one for my career?

In this presentation, we will go over the basics of certifications: why they exist, how they are obtained, and how they are maintained. And hopefully dispel some myths along the way. We will look at the InfoSec certifications from the 5 main certifying bodies, CompTIA, ISC2, ISACA, EC-Council, and SANS/GIAC. And we will look at several related certifications that InfoSec professionals may also wish to pursue. Just as important, we will take a look at which certifications are most important based on your career focus.

At the end of the presentation, attendees should have a better understanding of certifications and a good idea as to which ones they may want to pursue.

After the meeting (Around 8 PM), we’ll keep the energy going with networking at a local hotspot - Ye Olde Falcon Pub - Address: 2867 S University Dr, Davie, FL 33328

Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of the action.