by Miceál O’Hurley
DUBLIN – Thanks to the Sponsorship of Palo Alto Networks, the ‘World’s Leading Cyber Security Company’, and their Ireland Country Manager, Paul Donegan, Diplomacy in Ireland – The European Diplomat has assembled an impressive array of high-level experts to address the question of ‘National Readiness to Confront Cyberwarfare & Emerging Threats in Ireland, the European Union and Worldwide’.
The online webinar was streamed on 20 December 2021 at: www.diplomacyireland.eu and Youtube at 1600hrs (GMT). Running two hours, the extensive presentation was designed to present a working presentation and insights into specific disciplines (transatlantic cyberwarfare and cybersecurity; hybrid warfare weaponisation and exploitation of media and social media; cyberwarfare; and, cybersecurity all followed by an extended interview of Security & Defense expert Declan Power.
Some Useful Links for Viewers
Please find the following links which may be of interest:
- Okyo Garde by Palo Alto Networks, enterprise security for your home. https://www.okyo.com/solutions/securing-home
- This is a great Guide for SMB’s. Free SMB eBook: https://bit.ly/3Dnb8hS
- Palo Alto Networks Education program. At Palo Alto Networks, we believe protecting our digital way of life is a privilege, and with that privilege, we strive to educate the world on all aspects of cybersecurity. That’s why we’ve created the Cyber A.C.E.S. – Activities in Cybersecurity Education for Students – program. We aim to demystify cybersecurity through interactive learning, equipping kids ages 5 to 15 with an understanding of how to protect their digital future. https://start.paloaltonetworks.com/cyber-aces.html
- Declan Power
- Brooks Consulting International
- Atlantic Council
- Trend Micro
- Palo Alto Networks
- Diplomacy in Ireland – The European Diplomat
Our Moderator & Panelists
Former Irish Army Officer, journalist, author and academic Declan Power will moderate the panel of experts including:
- Chuck Brooks – Georgetown University
- Nika Aleksejeva – Atlantic Council
- Joel Aleburu – Trend Micro
- Paul Donegan – Palo Alto Networks
- Miceál O’Hurley – Diplomacy in Ireland – The European Diplomat
Declan Power is an independent security and defence analyst, published author and former soldier. In addition to offering training on crisis/risk management and analytical techniques, he is delivers the Terrorism and International Security Studies course at City Colleges Dublin, a course he devised for a wide variety of security practitioners. He is also an Adjunct Teaching Fellow in Conflict, Security and Development at Trinity College Dublin. Prior to this Declan worked abroad extensively with the European Commission on projects involving counter-terrorism and violent extremism. In recent years he led on a successful joint Irish-Swiss government funded project to manage conflict and crisis in South Sudan. He was also a panelist on the 2015 White Paper on Defence. When not deployed, Declan provides analysis to both broadcast and print media on security and defence matters.
Chuck Brooks serves as Adjunct Faculty at Georgetown University’s Graduate Applied Intelligence Program and the Graduate Cybersecurity Programs. He teaches courses on risk management, homeland security, and cybersecurity. Chuck has twice served as a Presidential appointee under two different Presidents. He also serves as a GovCon Expert, a globally recognised thought leader and subject matter expert on Cybersecurity and Emerging Technologies. He is President of Brooks Consulting International, a government relations and marketing firm focused on cybersecurity and emerging technologies. Chuck has extensive experience and knowledge of the latest strategies, initiatives and challenges happening within the U.S. federal government, including the Department of Defense (DoD), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), across all service branches of the U.S. military and industry.
Nika Aleksejeva is Lead Researcher for the Baltics at the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab) based in Latvia. Nika’s specific research interest is identifying, exposing and explaining disinformation on digital engagement spaces in the Baltic states and beyond. She has monitored Zapad 2017 military exercise and European elections in 2019. Nika comes from a journalism background – her work involved writing on business topics and making data-driven stories about energetics, global economic trends and education. Prior to joining NATO Stratcom COE she has been working with Infogram, a popular data visualization service.
Joel Aleburu is a Senior Security Engineer at Trend Micro. He is a recognized expert in the cyber security and warfare strategy community. Joel has extensive knowledge in specialized training of personnel, regulatory requirements, global risk and international security. Over the years, he has gained experience building and leading security practices protecting critical infrastructure in the public and private sectors. He is an experienced computer scientist with a primary focus on nation-state attacks and the protection of critical systems. He holds a masters degree in Cyber Security from the University of York and is a well-referenced and quoted speaker and writer. His work reflects his interest in the intersection of leadership, engineering, technology and innovation, particularly in theoretical state and cyber warfare defence and strategy.
Paul Donegan is Country Manager, Ireland at Palo Alto Networks and has over 17 years’ experience in the technology industry. Day to day Paul consults with various organisiations supporting them to define cybersecurity strategies and focuses on how Palo Alto Networks can deliver the next generation of cybersecurity solutions to private and public sector organisations. Prior to Palo Alto Networks, Paul worked at BT, Evros Technology Group and Decision Support Systems, consulting on everything from complex Data Centre technology and services solutions to cloud transformation workshops as well as large fully outsourced managed serviced solutions to public and private sector organisations globally.
About Palo Alto Networks
Palo Alto Networks, the global cybersecurity leader, is shaping the cloud-centric future with technology that is transforming the way people and organizations operate. Our mission is to be the cybersecurity partner of choice, protecting our digital way of life. We help address the world’s greatest security challenges with continuous innovation that seizes the latest breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, analytics, automation, and orchestration. By delivering an integrated platform and empowering a growing ecosystem of partners, we are at the forefront of protecting tens of thousands of organizations across clouds, networks, and mobile devices. Our vision is a world where each day is safer and more secure than the one before. For more information, visit www.paloaltonetworks.com.
Miceál O’Hurley
Miceál’s serves as Editor-in-Chief of Diplomacy in Ireland – The European Diplomat. His background and education includes having served as a Legislative Assistant and later Counsel in the United States Congress as well as his work as a journalist covering wars, conflicts and genocides since 1991. Miceál has appeared as a Defense & Security Analyst for international television newscasts in Canada, the United States, United Kingdom and internationally. Previously, Miceál was credentialed as a United Nations journalist in New York. Between 2001-2006, Miceál covered the conflicts in Bosnia, the Intifadas, as well as wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, winning praise for his work as a Defense & Security Analyst for CTVNews, Newsnet and for his appearances on BBC, CNN and in print. Miceál has been a nominee for journalistic awards with the Overseas Press Club of America and The Society of Editors. He is a credentialed journalist with the Foreign Press Association (FPA) and the Overseas Press Club of America (OPCA) as well as the Arab Middle Eastern Journalists Association (AMEJEA).
