Khaled Tawfik
Chief Information Officer and Director of Information Technology, City of San José

Auston Davis
City Information Security Officer, City of San José

Auston Davis has built a distinguished reputation as a recognized cybersecurity industry leader and strategic business partner. He is a highly sought-after industry speaker and has been honored with multiple prestigious accolades, including being named Top 10 Information Security Professionals by the Cyber Defense Group (2023 & 2024), OnCon Icon Top 100 Information Security Professionals (2023), and previously as one of Becker’s “Top 25 CISOs to Know” (2018 & 2019)

Auston currently serves as the City Chief Information Security Officer for the City of San José, the tenth largest city in the United States and the heart of Silicon Valley. In this role, he is responsible for safeguarding critical municipal infrastructure, public systems, and sensitive resident data across more than 20 departments and 7,000+ employees. He chairs the City’s Cybersecurity Risk Committee, launched the inaugural Cybersecurity Advisory Council, and leads citywide initiatives to modernize security governance, risk management, incident response, and resilience strategies

Previously, Auston served as Vice President & Chief Information Security Officer at Versant Health, a MetLife subsidiary, where he successfully rebuilt the company’s security program, achieved HITRUST certification, advanced the organization’s capability maturity model from Level 2 to 4 in under a year, and significantly reduced security risks while strengthening customer trust and accelerating business growth

Earlier, Auston was Associate CIO & Global Head of Security, Infrastructure and Operations at HeartFlow, where he led the company to FedRAMP qualification, transformed global IT operations, drove major cost savings through cloud transformation, and significantly enhanced product security Prior to HeartFlow, he served as Chief Information Security Officer at Stanford Children’s Health, where he was recruited to guide the organization’s recovery from multiple publicly reported breaches and built a best-in-class security program across 60+ locations

A proud 23-year veteran of the United States Air Force and Air Force Reserves, Austonretired as a Major and Special Agent-in-Charge with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI), where he specialized in counterintelligence and computer crime investigations. He has also held security leadership roles at Symantec, Visa, Merrill Lynch, and Kaiser Permanente.

Information Security Officer, San José State University (SJSU)

Hien Huynh is the Information Security Officer at San José State University (SJSU). Founded in 1857, SJSU is the oldest public institution of higher education in the western states and the founding university of the California State University (CSU) system.

Hien leads the university's efforts to protect digital assets and promote a culture of cybersecurity awareness. With a strong commitment to fostering a secure environment, Hien actively champions cybersecurity initiatives across both SJSU and the wider California State University (CSU) system. He is instrumental in coordinating SJSU's participation in National Cyber Security Awareness Month and collaborates with various departments to ensure effective outreach and education for students, faculty, and staff. Hien's expertise lies in developing and implementing robust information security strategies built on proactive measures and educational programs.

Cyrus Afkhampour
Cisco

Cyrus Afkhampour is an accomplished technology leader with a career spanning over two decades in software development, customer engagement, and executive advisory roles. He has a passion for helping organizations harness the power of observability to drive business outcomes, improve operational efficiency, and gain critical insights into their applications and systems.

Cyrus began his career in software development, where he played a pivotal role in developing some of the first Backup and Recovery (BAR) integrations for Teradata. He later transitioned into customer-facing roles, managing multi-billion-dollar, 24/7 defense and space systems projects. During this time, he built a homegrown observability practice, which evolved into customizing and deploying best-in-class tools to meet the demanding needs of mission-critical environments.

In the years that followed, Cyrus brought his expertise to the Pharmaceutical, Healthcare, and High-Tech industries, focusing on revenue-impacting applications. Leveraging tools like AppDynamics and Splunk, he built observability practices that provided not only technical insights into application health but also business insights, enabling organizations to understand how their applications impacted revenue and customer experiences.

In 2017, Cyrus joined Cisco AppDynamics as a Field CTO, advising executive customers on implementing robust observability solutions and strategies. His ability to bridge technical expertise with business acumen made him a trusted advisor to C-suite leaders across industries.

In 2024, Cyrus joined Splunk as an Observability Advisor, where he continues to do what he loves—partnering with customers to unlock the full value of their observability practices. He remains dedicated to helping organizations proactively manage their systems, reduce downtime, and align IT operations with business goals.

Outside of work, Cyrus enjoys immersing himself in theatre and the arts, as well as spending quality time with his family and friends.

Cisco

Ryan is a security specialist based in the Sacramento area. He has worked as a Security Analyst in various private sector companies over the past 9 years. After attaining his CISSP, he transferred to Splunk where he has worked as a Solutions Engineer for one year.

Cyber Security Account Lead, Spruce Technologies

Joseph is an experienced Technical account manager, with responsibilities including project delivery, working with internal teams and clients to ensure all timelines are met. He serves as the primary liaison between consultants and other government stakeholders around security needs, products and projects. Joseph meets regularly with consultants in person to ensure open lines of communication, help to resolve issues, and to anticipate and prevent developing issues. He manages accounts in both the private and public sector dealing with cyber security deliverables around Security Operations Centers, SIEMS, EndPoint Management and Compliance.

CEO, Cybertrust America

As the Founder and CEO of the nonprofit Adaptable Security Corp (DBA Cybertrust America), Lan Jenson has established a reputation as a visionary leader dedicated to securing the public sector. She has pioneered and scaled successful programs that directly address local governments’ critical cybersecurity and AI needs, including comprehensive staff upskilling initiatives for both government and the education sector. These efforts have repeatedly earned Cybertrust America the Top Performer recognition among its government clients.

Ms. Jenson’s expertise is also leveraged across key state and industry groups, including her role as an Advisory Board member for the Silicon Valley Center for Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity (CAIC) at San Jose State University. She is also a driving force in workforce development, serving on the California Governor's Cybersecurity Task Force: Workforce Development and Education Subcommittee and facilitating the Upskilling Working Group for the GovAI Coalition.

Second Renaissance

Kim has worked as a cybersecurity professional for nearly 20 years. Her experience as a consultant and thought leader spans the areas of cybersecurity risk management, governance, planning, strategy, and outreach. She has successfully managed cybersecurity programs for several federal agencies in Washington, D.C. as well as State and Local support, and corporate cybersecurity capability development. Kim is a graduate of James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA and holds several management and cybersecurity certifications.

NuHarbor Security

Jim Bollback is a Sales Director at NuHarbor Security with deep experience in publicsector engagement and technology-driven solutions. With a career rooted in strategicsales leadership, Jim has worked closely with government agencies to navigate the evolving landscape of cybersecurity, compliance, and digital transformation.

In his current role at NuHarbor Security, Jim partners with stakeholders across the Western US to deliver secure, scalable solutions that address the unique challenges faced by public institutions. His insights stem from years of collaboration with IT leaders, procurement teams, and policy makers, helping bridge the gap between innovation and implementation.

Jim brings a practical, customer-focused perspective to cybersecurity, emphasizing the importance of trust, adaptability, and long-term resilience. On this panel, he offers a frontline view of how public sector organizations are responding to threats, investing in infrastructure, and preparing for the future.

Co-Founder, CivAI

Siddharth Hiregowdara is Co-Founder of CivAI, a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose mission is to give the public a deep understanding of AI through live demonstrations of the technology. Siddharth works alongside the CivAI team to present these demonstrations to policymakers, civil society organizations, media outlets, and more. Prior to CivAI, he led teams in product management and software engineering at a technology startup in San Francisco.

Nathan Sinclair
Acting Chief Information Security Officer, City and County of San Francisco

Nathan Sinclair serves as the Acting Chief Information Security Officer for the City and County of San Francisco, where he oversees cybersecurity initiatives that protect over 30,000 employees. The Office of Cybersecurity provides essential cyber defense services, ensures risk management and resilience, and governs identity protocols—all of which contribute to strengthening the city's overall security posture.

Before joining the Department of Technology and Office of Cybersecurity, Nathan worked for the Oakland Unified School District, where his journey in public service began as a high school intern. His entire career has been dedicated to public service, giving him a deep understanding of what it means to be a good steward of public resources. This experience has taught him the importance of ensuring that no dollar is wasted, and every dollar is allocated where it’s needed most.

Throughout his career, Nathan has demonstrated a commitment to maximizing public resources and ensuring robust cybersecurity defenses. His leadership reflects the value of doing 'a lot with a little,' an approach that continues to guide his work in safeguarding the city’s digital infrastructure.

Connor Heaton
Co-Founder, CivAI

Connor Heaton is a Program Manager and leads partnerships at CivAI, a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose mission is to give the public a deep understanding of AI through live demonstrations of the technology. Before joining CivAI, Connor spent more than a decade in consulting helping organizations ranging from USPS to startups to understand AI and automation technology.