Ransomware: A Danger to Your Business and Your Wallet

Cyrus Walker is the Founder & CEO of Data Defenders, LLC. He is an internationally recognized and published expert on electronic voting security and is an experienced cybersecurity industry executive. Cyrus served as a subject matter expert on Cyber Terrorism and Incident Response Management for the Cyber Defense Analysis Center at the University of Arkansas, funded and directed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security where he has trained over 5000 federal, state and, local law enforcement professionals from numerous agencies across the U.S. Cyrus spent 6 years as the department chair and adjunct professor of Computer Security and Computer Forensics at Wright College— City Colleges of Chicago. He has been a contributor on CNN, FOX, Bloomberg, ABC, and CBS networks on cybersecurity and terrorism related events. Cyrus spent 20 years in various technology management roles where his engineering & management expertise in high speed network design were used to design and test carrier broadband interoperability which served as the foundation for development of broadband-based Internet that currently serves the country today. Cyrus was recognized for his work and leadership in 1995 by President Bill Clinton. Cyrus holds a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois.

Stacie Porosky is a seasoned business leader in the Greater Chicago Area who specializes in providing strategic guidance to Fortune 100 organizations, focusing on growth, value, and customer-centric initiatives. She currently leads Training Strategy and Implementation at Mosaic North America, where she spearheads impactful training programs and drives retail excellence for Google Stores.

Outside of her corporate roles, Stacie gives back to the local business community as a mentor and an executive board member on the event committee for the SCORE Chicago Chapter.

Stacie's extensive practical experience is backed by a strong academic foundation in adult learning and motivational theories. She holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Human Resources Management from The University of Arizona Global Campus, a Master of Arts (MA) in Organizational Behavior Studies from Fairleigh Dickinson University, and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from Kutztown University.