Mark Ramsey

Chief Information Security Officer
ASSA ABLOY-Americas

Mark has over 30+ years of diverse experience in IT Compliance, and Information Security. His experiences includes: directing all aspects of information security for 3 Fortune 500 Companies; managing and implementing compliance-driven IT controls such as SOX, PCI, and HIPPA for Pitney Bowes, GE Treasury, and Stanley Black & Decker. Additionally, he is starting his 31st year as a Professor in the Software Engineering department at Fairfield University. Mark is currently the CISO for ASSA ABLOY – Americas Division where he is responsible for all areas of Information Security for North, Central, and South America. Mark is on the Board of Directors for the Connecticut Chapter of Infragard where he has been President for the past 4 years. Mark is also a proud of veteran of the US Army where he earned the Army Commendation for Outstanding Service. Mark is frequently asked to present at leading Security conferences.

Day One: Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Wednesday, August 21st, 2019

11:30 AM Chairperson's Opening Remarks

5:10 PM Reactive vs Proactive Security – A Balancing Act for CISOs

Reactive and proactive security methods do not have to be mutually exclusive — we must plan how to respond when an intrusion does occur, whether it comes from worms and viruses, DDOS attacks, social engineering or even from disgruntled employees with insider knowledge of the network. For comprehensive defense, a reactive security strategy should be paired with a proactive strategy and effective tools for uncovering, identifying, and responding to potential threats before they have the chance to damage a company. Every business needs to decide the appropriate mix of resources to devote to proactive security measures (to deter attacks), and reactive measures (to respond to attacks that get through).