Five Cybersecurity and IT Sessions You Won’t Want to Miss at ISC West 2026

ISC West 2026 is coming up March 23–27 in Las Vegas, Nevada, and the Security Industry Association (SIA) and ISC West have revealed full conference details for the SIA Education at ISC West program, including keynote presentations from top luminaries and over 120 sessions from over 280 top industry expert speakers on the most current business trends, technologies and industry developments.

Among the robust lineup of conference offerings are several sessions related to cybersecurity and IT. At ISC West 2026, you’ll discover expert insights on zero trust in physical security, cyber penetration and evasion tactics and more. Here are five sessions you won’t want to miss; make sure to add them to your ISC West calendar!

All Times PDT

Zero Trust Architecture at the Edge: Writing the Industry Playbook for Zero Trust in Physical Security

Wednesday, March 25, 11:15 a.m.–12:15 p.m.

Zero trust has long been a standard in the IT world—but until now, physical security, operational technology and industrial control systems managers have lacked the tools to implement it effectively. That’s changing. This session introduces the industry’s first zero trust architecture concept of operations built specifically for physical security systems, extending core cybersecurity principles from the enterprise all the way to the edge. Developed to align with Executive Order 14028 and other federal mandates, this new framework gives security professionals a practical blueprint for real-world deployment.

“Zero trust at the physical edge is not an aspirational concept—it is the imperative foundation for resilient, modern security postures. As cyber-physical convergence accelerates, every badge reader, camera, sensor, and controller becomes both a critical data source and a potential threat vector. Traditional perimeter-centric thinking assumes trust based on location or legacy network boundaries; zero trust rejects that assumption across both digital and physical domains by requiring continuous authentication, device integrity verification, and conditional access at every point of interaction. This is especially vital at the edge, where devices often operate in exposed environments and legacy architectures remain prevalent. The industry playbook for zero trust in physical security must prioritize device identity and posture validation, encrypted communications and real-time verification of device and user context before permitting actions or data flow. In practice, this means integrating zero trust principles into the firmware and controllers of edge devices, enforcing least-privilege access policies that adapt dynamically to risk, and ensuring that all telemetry feeding AI, analytics and digital twin systems is trustworthy and tamper-proof. Without this rigor, organizations risk creating a trusted illusion that attackers can exploit to pivot from physical systems into critical network assets—a gap we simply cannot afford in an era of sophisticated threats and regulatory demands. By building zero trust from the edge inward, physical security leaders will not only harden attack surfaces but also unify operational technology, information technology, and physical security under a shared, measurable security architecture. This unified playbook will be the cornerstone of defensive strategy in the coming decade, transforming physical security from a reactive perimeter guard into a proactive, continuously validated control plane that defends both people and data.”

—Steve Lasky, editorial director, Security Tech Mag and SecurityInfoWatch, Endeavor Business Media

Speakers:

• Jeremy Freeze-Skret, vice president, Prometheus Security Group Global
• Scott Gross, security strategist, critical infrastructure/utilities, ESI Convergent
• Steve Lasky, editorial director, Security Tech Mag and SecurityInfoWatch, Endeavor Business Media
• Maria Sumnicht, national director, cybersecurity, Task Force on Homeland Security

Leveraging Physical Security for Cybersecurity

Tuesday, March 24, 11:15 a.m.–12:15 p.m.

Cybersecurity is a critical challenge for organizations of all types and sizes as the number of data breaches continues to increase on a daily basis; however, as the number and frequency of cyber threats continue to increase through various online tactics, the fastest and easiest way to break into organizations’ critical data comes from internalized threats behind firewalls. Thwarting internal threats starts at the perimeter with better personnel identity management and more secure means of gaining access. This panel of industry professionals will discuss how organizations can better manage employee, contractor and visitor identities across their life cycle, better authenticate who they are and best fortify all critical access points with fortified entry solutions.

“Your firewall is only as strong as your front door. Most cyber breaches don’t start with code—they start with people, access and physical space.”

—John Cassise, chief product officer, SAFR by RealNetworks

Speakers:

• Bud Broomhead, CEO/founder, Viakoo
• John Cassise, chief product officer, SAFR by RealNetworks
• Karyn Hodgson, editor-in-chief, SDM Magazine
• Glenn Longley, chief product officer, Inovonics
• Tim Purpura, chief product officer, Morse Watchmans

Security Automation for Cyber-Hardened Facilities

Tuesday, March 24, 10:00–11:00 a.m.

As threats grow more complex, automation is becoming a key strategy for reducing risk and improving efficiency across cyber-physical environments. This session offers a high-level look at how automation can support secure facility operations—streamlining access control, reducing manual tasks and reinforcing compliance in mission-critical settings.

“Automation decisions are no longer purely technical—they are strategic. This session will help security leaders understand how automation can enhance resilience, improve operational efficiency and support compliance across cyber-physical environments. Attendees will gain perspective on where automation delivers the most value and how leadership choices shape successful, secure implementations.”

—Brittany Board, director of technology partners, PSA

Speakers:

• Brittany Board, director of technology partners, PSA
• Jim Cooper, director of technology and innovation, Pavion
• Wayne Dorris, program manager, cybersecurity, Axis Communications
• Gary Hoffner, vice president, PSLA Security
• Min Kyriannis, CEO, AMYNA Systems

Stealth Tactics—Advanced Techniques in Cyber Penetration and Evasion

Wednesday, March 25, 1:00–2:00 p.m.

As cyber defenses become increasingly sophisticated, attackers are evolving to become nearly undetectable. This panel will explore the latest methods adversaries use to bypass detection, blend into legitimate activity and remain undetected within networks for months. Experts will dissect real-world case studies, demonstrate cutting-edge evasion techniques and discuss how defenders can adapt to this new era of cyber stealth.

“In a world where technology is advancing and bad actors have become more sophisticated, we will be discussing the different tactics that are being used to penetrate the network. The speakers have been in the industry for years and have seen the evolution of tools used to infiltrate and stealthily gather intelligence. This session provides a lens into that world in the depths of bad actors utilizing different methodologies to remain stealthy and compromise the company.”

—Min Kyriannis, CEO, AMYNA Systems

Speakers:

• Jim Cooper, director of technology and innovation, Pavion
• John Deskurakis, deputy chief data officer, chief information security officer and chief AI officer, Daikin Applied Americas
• Darren Giacomini, enterprise solutions strategist, Paragon Micro
• Sandy Jacolow, senior vice president and chief technology officer, Empire State Realty Trust
• Min Kyriannis, CEO, AMYNA Systems

Demystifying Cyber for the Physical Security Pro: A Zero-Jargon Session to Secure Your Systems

Wednesday, March 25, 3:30–4:30 p.m.

Cybersecurity doesn’t have to be confusing, and you don’t need to be a network engineer to secure your systems. As physical security devices like cameras, access control systems, and intercoms increasingly connect to the network, they’ve become prime targets for cyberattacks. Unfortunately, many integrators and security professionals are left out of the cybersecurity conversation because the guidance is buried in jargon and tech-heavy language. This session is designed specifically for physical security pros who want clear, actionable guidance, without the fluff. We’ll break down essential cybersecurity concepts in plain language, show how cyber risks emerge during real-world deployments and provide simple steps to reduce risk during installation, configuration, and ongoing support.

“Too much cybersecurity guidance is written for IT teams, not the people actually deploying the devices. This session cuts through the jargon and gives integrators and security professionals clear, field-ready guidance to protect modern network-connected systems.”

—Will Knehr, global cybersecurity advisor, i-PRO Americas

Presenter:

• Will Knehr, global cybersecurity advisor, i-PRO Americas

You can access the full SIA Education at ISC West conference program by registering for a SIA Education@ISC Passport. Even better, use SIA’s link to get free access to the ISC West trade show and save 20% on your conference pass!