Advisory Board
Ben Finke
Chief Technical Officer, OnDefend, LLC
Finke is the lead security assessor with experience in penetration testing, web application security, vulnerability management and compliance assessments. As a balance to his offensive security skills, he's a security architect and manager of OnDefend's security operations practice, providing tailored security solutions and services to make thier customers safer and more effective. Finke is a huge proponent of sharing and collaboration, of building your own tools whenever possible and taking a pragmatic approach to solving problems (instead of just spending more). His specialties include: network security, penetration testing and security assessment as well as application delivery and secure network architecture.
Dr. Kirby Wedekind
Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, Department of Homeland Security
Dr. Kirby Wedekind serves as the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s Supervisory Protective Security Advisor in Northeast Florida. Based in Jacksonville, his duties include serving as a liaison from CISA to local government agencies and private industry; fostering community awareness on security topics ranging from cybersecurity to active shooter preparedness; conducting vulnerability assessments of critical infrastructure; and sharing security-related information with communities of interest across northeast Florida. He supervises the Protective Security Advisors in North Carolina and South Carolina. Wedekind joined the Department of Homeland Security in 2013 as a planner supporting the efforts of Protective Security Advisors. While in this role, his portfolio included strategic planning for special events and Soft Target – Crowded Places, including as one of the leaders for the creation of the Department’s Soft Target – Crowded Places Security Plan that has driven the national effort to enhance the security of vulnerabilities that inherently exist in the unprotected places and spaces across the United States. For his efforts, Wedekind received the Infrastructure Security Division’s Assistant Director Medal and the Secretary’s Unity of Effort Award in 2018. He holds a BA in English from Wake Forest University, an Executive Master’s degree in Emergency and Disaster Management from Georgetown University, and a doctorate (PhD) in Defence & Security from Cranfield University in the United Kingdom.
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Evan Schwartz
Chief Enterprise Architect, AMCS Group
As the Chief Enterprise Architect at AMCS Group, Schwartz leads the strategic direction and execution of the AMCS Platform, a cloud-based solution that enables the recycling and manufacturing industries to optimize their operations, reduce costs and increase revenue. With over 25 years of experience in technology, business development and solutions engineering, he's passionate about creating value for customers and stakeholders through innovation, integration and collaboration. In his current role, Schwartz works with various teams and functions across the organization, including DevOps, professional services, product management and acquisition, to ensure alignment, governance and communication of the platform vision and roadmap. He also mentors and coaches product managers, technical leaders and architects on best practices and methodologies for delivering market-driven business outcomes. Additionally, Schwartz communicates and evangelizes the platform vision to customers and the marketplace, leveraging his skills as a distinguished writer and public speaker. He holds a Master of Mobile Gaming from Full Sail University and is pursuing a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Northcentral University.
Paul Magnusson
Supervisory Special Agent, FBI
Paul Magnusson is a Supervisory Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He started his law enforcement career in 1998 as a Deputy Sheriff with the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office in Michigan, where he led all cyber investigations and computer forensics examinations. In 2005, Magnusson joined the FBI as a Special Agent assigned to the Minneapolis Division Cybercrimes Task Force and shortly thereafter became a member of the FBI Computer Analysis Response Team, conducting computer forensics examinations. He was promoted to Supervisory Special Agent in 2008 within the Tacitcal Operations Section within the FBI Operational Technology Division, holding various supervisory-level positions. Magnusson was promoted and assigned to the FBI Jacksonville Division in 2018. While in Jacksonville, he has managed various programs, including National Security and Criminal Cyber, Computer Forensics, Surveillance, Aviation, Electronic Technicians and Technically Trained Agent. Magnusson earned both his Bachelor of Science in Criminology and Master's in Information Security & Technology from Eastern Michigan University.
Matt Berseth
Chief Information Officer, NLP Logix
As a co-founder and CIO of NLP Logix, Berseth leads a team of data scientists and engineers who deliver AI solutions for various industries, such as healthcare, logistics and finance. With over 11 years of experience in data science and machine learning, he has developed and deployed several innovative applications, such as automated breast cancer diagnosis, predictive analytics for credit risk and natural language processing for legal documents. Berseth is also passionate about sharing his knowledge and skills with the next generation of data scientists and computer scientists. He has been teaching as an adjunct at Jacksonville University and University of North Florida since 2017, covering topics such as data science, database management and software engineering. Berseth enjoys inspiring and mentoring students who are interested in pursuing careers in AI and technology. His mission is to advance the field of data science and contribute to the social good through education and innovation.