Welcome to the VB2021 conference!

Keynote: Breaking down barriers: using an intelligence mindset no matter who you are

Katie Nickels (Red Canary)
live only
16:00 UTC on Day 1
THURSDAY 07 OCTOBER
Too often, cyber threat intelligence (CTI) can seem like an esoteric practice in an ivory tower that only the elite few can understand. Nothing could be further from the truth. In this keynote, Katie will discuss how anyone can think like an intelligence analyst and improve their practice as a result of it. She will break down CTI topics that may seem intimidating and empower you with the key takeaways you can use to improve your thinking. No matter what you do, you’ll leave this keynote with a better understanding of how to apply intelligence concepts to your everyday work to make a bigger impact.
Katie Nickels
Red Canary

Katie is the Director of Intelligence for Red Canary as well as a SANS Certified Instructor for FOR578: Cyber Threat Intelligence and a non-resident Senior Fellow for the Atlantic Council’s Cyber Statecraft Initiative. She has worked on cyber threat intelligence (CTI), network defense, and incident response for over a decade for the U.S. DoD, MITRE, Raytheon, and ManTech. Katie hails from a liberal arts background with degrees from Smith College and Georgetown University, embracing the power of applying liberal arts prowess to cybersecurity. Katie has shared her expertise with presentations, webcasts, podcasts, and blog posts, including a presentation at Black Hat as well as her personal blog, “Katie’s Five Cents." Katie has also served as a co-chair of the SANS CTI Summit and FIRST CTI Symposium. She was a 2020 recipient of the SANS Difference Maker Award and the 2018 recipient of the President's Award from the Women's Society of Cyberjutsu. She also serves as the Program Manager for the Cyberjutsu Girls Academy, which seeks to inspire young women to learn more about STEM. You can find Katie on Twitter @LiketheCoins.