Speakers

Garry Scobie, Deputy CISO, The University of Edinburgh

Garry Scobie is the Deputy Chief Information Security Officer for The University of Edinburgh. He is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional and ITIL Expert. As a public speaker, he regularly presents on different aspects of computer security including sessions on Ransomware, Mobile Security and Hacking Humans. He is a member of the Cabaret of Dangerous... Ideas and has performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with his cyber-themed show, "My neighbour hacked my toothbrush" highlighting the dangers of internet connected devices in the home. Prior to this he spent many years being responsible for Microsoft Windows server infrastructure and an enterprise Active Directory. Garry has a particular interest in the Internet of Things and data privacy, while promoting security awareness and good cyber hygiene. In his writing, he deals with the dark side of technology and how it affects society reliant on computers. His debut science fiction thriller, The Copernicus Coercion, the first in a series featuring body hackers, the manipulation of computer networks via internet-connected implants and rogue Artificial Intelligence was published in 2022. His latest novel, The Kill Chain, a cybercrime thriller set in the present day, is published by Darkstroke. He lives in Scotland and, when not writing, loves to explore his native country, taking more photographs than he can ever hope to catalogue. more

Scott Storey, Cybersecurity Architect, University of Manchester

Scott is a passionate senior security professional with a focus on application security, socio-technical security, and shifting security left with 20 years' experience within computing. He has held various senior roles in information security with overall responsibility for technical and riskmanagement throughout the business. In these roles, he has taken the... lead on the secure design oftransformation projects in customer-facing services and back-office systems. He has a varied background which has involved being "on the front line" as an engineer and being part of senior management setting strategic direction.   more

James Garnett, Director of IT, Rise Multi-Academy Trust

James Garnett is an IT Director with over 15 years' experience in the education sector, designing and delivering strategic change across the largest multi academy trust and one of the largest charities in the UK. Trustee for Sheffield Theatres Trust and Apps for Good. BETT UK advisory board member.

He is passionate about the positive impact of technology on... educational outcomes through improving the effective use of technology in and out of the classroom by staff, and enabling children to continue learning beyond the school gate.

He has developed and led effective teams who deliver outstanding support either in developing school based digital strategies or IT support, by enabling individuals to fulfil their potential and enabling them to grow.
James oversaw the migration of 70,000 students and staff to Office365, enabling them to pivot easily to remote working, teaching and learning during the pandemic. Supported more than 2,000 schools and colleges through the management of the Department for Educations EdTech Demonstrator programme with develop their use of educational technology.
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Jonny Nicols-Upton, IT Infrastructure and Cyber Security Manager, Abbey Multi-Academy Trust

I'm an Infrastructure and Cyber Security Manager responsible for a trust of schools in Leeds. I believe that cyber security and infrastructure are the most interesting topics in the IT field as they are constantly evolving and moving forward, allowing me to get under the hood of a lot of systems especially from the Open-Source community. One of my largest achievements... to date is getting the staff body onboard with training and being able to evidence and stress the importance of training of this nature for all members of the trust (students included). I hold qualifications from BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT in Cyber Security and Network Architecture.
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Bec McKeown, CPsychol, Mind Science

Bec McKeown is a Chartered Psychologist with twenty years’ experience of researching and evaluating human performance in high-risk, high-stakes organisations, including the UK Ministry of Defence.  The knowledge and insights gained from this research has given Bec a unique perspective on the ways humans behave when working in complex, uncertain and ambiguous... environments.  She is an experienced speaker and thought leader on the psychology of human performance in cybersecurity.In 2019, Bec established Mind Science, an organization dedicated to assisting companies at both operational and strategic levels. Her primary focus is to reduce risk and enhance resilience for teams operating in complex environments. She does this by leveraging psychological principles to enhance situational awareness, decision-making, problem-solving and building high-performing teams.  With a proven track record, Bec continues to make significant contributions in shaping the landscape of human performance psychology.more

Blake Penn, CISO, Colgate University

Blake Penn is the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Colgate University, where he oversees the institution's cybersecurity and privacy initiatives. With 25 years of experience, Blake has successfully built and led multiple cybersecurity programs and is well-versed in cybersecurity, privacy, risk management, and compliance. He has nearly two decades of experience... advising C-suite executives, serving as an executive consultant to organizations ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies.A lifelong learner, Blake has a strong interest in emerging trends and issues and is currently focused on AI security, privacy, and governance. He is also a seasoned public speaker, instructor, and professional mentor. Blake is certified as a CISSP and holds a master's degree in computer science and a bachelor's degree in applied biology, with a specialization in molecular biology and molecular genetics.more

Laurence Boulter, DPO, GLF Schools

Laurence has spent the past five years as Data Protection Officer for large Multi Academy Trusts and is currently the DPO for GLF Schools. He spent the majority of his career as a teacher of Design Technology and in the latter half of his career, of IT and Computing in the classroom exploring the use of technology. Highlights of his teaching career include contributions... and achievements though engagements such as with the Acorn’s Horizon Project, DfE IT Testbed and the SSAT Future Visions Award. He has also coached Microsoft Office Specialist champions representing the UK at the MOS World Championships in Dallas and Orlando. Since retiring from teaching Laurence continues to champion the enhancement of learning using IT and to improve efficiency and workload for teachers. As a former Chair of Naace, he continues to be a keen contributor to the debate around the place of technology in schools with contributions at summits and forums and regularly publishes articles on contemporary issues and trends in the sector He sees no distinction between the professional efficiencies to be won in schools through developing their capacity to manage data, and the need to enhance data protection compliance to meet the requirements of UK GDPR.more

Adam Lorimer, Head of Security Operations, University College London

Adam is currently Head of Security Operations at University College London. He has a professional background in security operations, incident response, and security intelligence. Through his career he has worked on and led investigations into organised cyber crime, fraud, and industrial espionage. Outside of work Adam is a keen outdoorsman with an interest in hiking,... mountaineering, and trail running. more

Eoin Mcgrath, Solutions Engineer, ThreatLocker

Eoin McGrath works in Solutions Engineering for Threatlocker EMEA, with over 20 years' experience in the MSP and Software Development fields, bringing a breadth of experience which helps deliver robust solutions for customers. Eoin is based in Ireland and likes to visit historic sites to escape from IT!

John Umney, Higher Education Sales Lead, SailPoint

John, a seasoned cybersecurity professional, leads the Higher Education business at SailPoint. With a background at Sophos and Zscaler, he brings a deep understanding of the cybersecurity landscape. John is dedicated to empowering his customers with the knowledge and support they need to make informed technology decisions. His passion lies in navigating the complexities... of the Higher Education sector and fostering relationships with diverse stakeholders.more

Paul Heaney, CTO, ProofID

Paul cofounded ProofID in 2014. He has spent the last sixteen years working with large scale enterprise IT deployments focusing on Identity and Access Management solutions across multiple vendors and market verticals. Paul has designed and implemented some of the largest IAM deployments globally. He built ProofID’s world leading IAM managed service practice. As... a recognised leader in the IAM field, Paul is a regular speaker at industry conferences globally. Paul is responsible for information security and for identifying trends within the IAM sector.more