Lone Star Cyber Summit Returns to Austin With a Resilience Blueprint for Texas Security Leaders

More Than 100 Security Leaders Gather to Map Strategies Against AI, Supply Chain and Regulatory Risk

Princeton, NJ – QG Media, an ISMG company, is pleased to announce the return of the Lone Star Cyber Summit on Oct. 20 and 21 in Texas. A part of ISMG’s globally acclaimed CyberSeries, the two-day summit will provide practical strategies, collaborative insights and professional development opportunities for senior cybersecurity leaders.

The Lone Star Cyber Summit addresses the cybersecurity challenges facing organizations across Texas and beyond. The event brings together forward-thinking, executive IT security leaders from sectors such as retail, wholesale, finance, real estate, insurance, logistics and e-commerce.

Guided by the theme “Resilience Blueprint: Navigating the Next Era of Cyber Risk,” the summit will examine how AI-driven threats, supply chain vulnerabilities, regulatory demands and expanding attack surfaces are reshaping security. It will offer practical approaches to AI governance, supply chain security, identity and access management, application security, vulnerability management and executive alignment.

“Texas sits at the crossroads of energy, technology and critical infrastructure, making resilience a priority across industries. Our program brings together security leaders to share practical experiences, examine emerging risks and develop actionable strategies that can strengthen organizations and contribute to a more resilient cybersecurity ecosystem across the state,” said Kudsia Kaker, managing director at QG Media.

Among the featured sessions, Ernesto Ballesteros, Texas cybersecurity state coordinator at Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, will speak on “Securing the Lone Star State: CISA’s Blueprint for Texas Infrastructure Resilience.” He will examine how public and private entities can move from a reactive posture to proactive resilience by using federal-state information-sharing networks, CISA’s no-cost risk assessments, vulnerability scanning, architectural reviews and tabletop exercises to strengthen Texas’ critical infrastructure sectors.

The summit will also feature “The AI Arms Race: Is AI the Solution to Cyber Threats, or the Catalyst?” The panel will explore how increasingly capable AI systems could transform vulnerability discovery, patch management cycles and autonomous exploitation, as well as the risks if those capabilities fall into the hands of malicious actors. Moderated by Alexanne Collison, director of information security, surface area management, Cargill, the panel will feature Khamonte Johnson, vice president, Cloud Security Alliance – Austin Chapter; Linda Bough White, director of information security, Axiom Medical; and Vianney Chimezie, director of information security, AI governance, cyber risk and data protection at Centric Brand.

The program will also feature “Unlocking Secure Operations: Implementing IAM Into Your Environment,” presented by Carlos Renteria, CISO at Southside Bank. Drawing on a real-world enterprise implementation, the case study will explore how organizations can navigate multi-directory complexity, secure executive buy-in, automate user provisioning and consolidate access controls. It also covers moving toward a zero trust posture, applying least-privilege principles and adaptive multifactor authentication to modernize identity and access management.

By bringing together senior security leaders around shared challenges, real-world experiences and practical strategies, the Lone Star Cyber Summit 2026 will provide a forum for organizations to strengthen cyber resilience and prepare for the evolving risks shaping the next era of cybersecurity.

For more information and to register, visit the Lone Star Cyber Summit website.

***

About ISMG
Information Security Media Group (ISMG) is the world’s largest media organization devoted solely to cybersecurity, information technology, artificial intelligence and operational technology. Each of our 38 media properties provides education, research and news that is specifically tailored to key vertical sectors including banking, healthcare and the public sector; geographies from North America to Southeast Asia; and topics such as data breach prevention, cyber risk assessment, OT security, AI and fraud. Our annual global summit series connects senior security professionals with industry thought leaders to find actionable solutions for pressing cybersecurity challenges.

About QG Media
QG Media is an international provider of cutting-edge B2B conferences and digital content for technology leaders. Focusing on cybersecurity and IoT, QG brings together business leaders to demonstrate thought leadership through content-driven presentations, interviews and webinars. The success of any QG Media event lies in providing expertly curated programs, inviting industry-leading speakers, along with offering extensive networking opportunities to promote collaboration and drive innovation.

About ISMG Events
ISMG Events is a premier platform for security professionals and practitioners worldwide. Our global, annual events bring together the ISMG Events Community, comprising over 40,000 members, to exchange knowledge, insights and best practices in the field of cybersecurity. The cornerstone of our event portfolio is the ISMG Global Summit Series. These summits take place both virtually and in-person, offering participants a diverse range of topics to explore. In addition to our Global Summit Series, ISMG Events hosts exclusive Executive Roundtables that are closed-door, topic-focused discussions that provide practitioners with a collaborative environment to address today’s most pressing security concerns.