**You are strongly encouraged to attend in person - the afternoon Risk Exercise is in-person only**
CPEs: Upto 8
Cost: $100 (members), $150 (non-members)
Location: Frontier RTP [800 Park Offices Drive, RTP) or via Teams
Registration: ISACA Registration
**Teams link for remote attendees will be sent out on September 1*
Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your professional knowledge at the September Full Day Training hosted by the ISACA Research Triangle Chapter. Whether you attend in-person at Frontier RTP or virtually via Teams, this event promises a full day of insights across technology risk, AI security, audit, and professional growth.
Featuring speakers including Craig Stanland, Jeff Crume, and Wesley Ladd (more speakers will be added soon), plus a hands-on risk exercise (in-person only) "Elevating the Stakes" led by NC State University's Prof. Beth Ritter , this training offers something for every digital trust professional. Register early to save on fees and to secure your spot!
Agenda
Session 1 - Reinvention - How I Got Caught: A Deep Dive Into an 800K Fraud [0830-0920]
Speaker - Craig Stanland
Craig Stanland knows what it means to have it all and to lose it in an instant.
In 2012, a catastrophic choice shattered the life he’d built. Everything he thought defined him collapsed: his career, his success, his identity. But what looked like the end became a powerful new beginning.
Today, Craig is a keynote and TEDx speaker and author of Blank Canvas.
Drawing from firsthand experience with high-stakes decision-making, he offers a rare insider’s perspective on fraud, ethics, and the hidden rationalizations that lead people down destructive paths. When he’s not speaking or writing, Craig is hiking, paddleboarding, exploring car shows, relaxing at the beach, or spending time with his wife and their three special-needs cats.
Session 2 - AI Attack Surface [0930-1020]
Speaker - Jeff Crume, IBM
Jeff Crume is an IBM Distinguished Engineer and Master Inventor with more than 40 years’ experience in the IT industry. He has a PhD in Cybersecurity and serves as an Adjunct Professor at NC State University. Jeff’s YouTube videos have been viewed more than 30 million times and he is the author of a book entitled "Inside Internet Security: What Hackers Don't Want You To Know” as well as a contributing author to the "Information Security Management Handbook.” He is a member of the inaugural class of the NC State University Computer Science Alumni Hall of Fame and serves on the editorial board for the “Information and Computer Security” research journal. Jeff lived in Beijing on assignment in 2006 and has worked with clients in 50 countries.
Session 3 - The Audit Mindset [1030-1120]
Speaker - Wesley Ladd
Wes Ladd serves as Associate Director of the Center for Internal Auditing and Cybersecurity Risk Management at LSU, where he teaches on Internal Audit, Cyber Risk, AI, and ESG. He brings over a decade of technology experience, including seven years focused on security automation infrastructure and penetration testing for Fortune 500 clients across financial services, energy, and healthcare. His career includes technology risk advisory at EY and security automation development and cyber risk assessment at RSM US LLP. He subsequently co-founded Polaris EcoSystems to focus on proactive infrastructure management using time-indexable 3D reconstructions to track system decay. He is co-author of Practical AI for Professionals: Understanding, Using, and Surviving AI (CRC Press, August 2026).
Session 4 - AI Identity Attacks - The New Control Plane you are not Monitoring [1120-1210]
Speaker - Ajay Nyayapathi, Cloud Software Group
Ajay Nyayapathi is a Principal Security Engineer at Cloud Software Group with more than 18 years of experience in cybersecurity. He holds the CISM, CDPSE, CCSK, and CEH certifications and has spent his career across security engineering, detection engineering, SOC leadership, incident response, Threat Intelligence and Identity. His current interests include zero trust architectures, advanced detection engineering, AI in cybersecurity and innovations in cybersecurity automation.
Session 5 & 6 Elevating the Stakes - Hands On Risk Exercise [In Person Only] [1300-1500 - longer if necessary]
This engaging session connects poker terminology to interpersonal effectiveness in
various business situations. Participants will explore the following through the game
of poker:
1. Skills in strategizing, risk-taking, and managing emotions.
2. Basic knowledge of poker.
3. Opportunities to network with others while enjoying the learning
experience.
Speaker - Prof. Beth Ritter, Poole School of Management, NC State University
Beth Ritter is an Associate Professor of Practice in the Poole College of Management at NC State University. She teaches master's-level courses in Human Resources and Organizational Behavior, and has managed and taught in Executive Education programs for clients
including Biogen, the Chengdu Government, JSOC, MetLife, SAS, and various open program clients. Beth's executive classes cover topics such as authentic leadership, change management, executive communication, influence without authority, internal consulting, and organizational leadership.
Before joining Poole College, Beth served as the Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Burt's Bees. During her tenure, she was part of the management team that facilitated the company's sale to Clorox. Following the acquisition, she led integration efforts to ensure a smooth transition while maintaining the brand’s integral culture.
Beth previously served as a human resources leader in the Global Supply Chain at Campbell Soup Company. In this role, she also supported the Food Services division and led initiatives focused on Occupational Health, Safety, and Wellness. Before her time at Campbell Soup, Beth provided HR support to Nabisco Brands Company's food divisions, which included well-known brands such as Planters Peanuts, Lifesavers Confections, Cream of Wheat, A1 Steak Sauce, and Grey Poupon mustards.
Beth holds an MBA from Old Dominion University and a BA in Labor Relations from The Pennsylvania State University. She is a Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) through World at Work.
Session 7 - Panel Discussion [1500-1545]
Speaker/Moderator - John Fehan, ISACA RTC Board Member
John Fehan has helped clients in the consumer-packaged goods, financial, education, and healthcare industries improve and secure their IT infrastructure. He has worked in data centers, network operations centers, and aboard cruise ships under sail. He is a past Cisco Certified Internetworking Expert (CCIE) and a US Army veteran. He earned his Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering from Duke University.