Our Cyber Security Advisory Council includes a representative from the Canadian Centre on Cyber Security.

With over 15 years of experience in Information Security, IT Risk Management, Project Management, Privacy, and Regulatory Compliance, Ferris has supported some of Canada’s leading companies, including Aecon, Symcor, TD Bank, and Rogers. Before joining the City of Toronto, Ferris was a Senior Security and Compliance professional at Rogers Communication. Ferris holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Norwich University and multiple risk management and information security certifications, including the CISSP. He frequently speaks at cybersecurity conferences such as ISACA Canada /USA, connectors, and information security forum conferences.

Jeff is the Director of Customer Protection (Authentication) and Cryptographic Services within the information security department of a major financial institution with over 20 years’ experience in 24/7 operations environments. Prior to venturing into information security, his focus was as a director of architecture in the contact centre and application development space, leading technical teams of up to 100 members. He primarily served financial services, telecommunications, and professional services organizations.

His experience in architecture, data centre, program management, application development and strategy has led him to experience every one of the 8 domains prescribed within the CISSP Common Body of Knowledge.

Jeff wrote his Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification exam in 2013. He first trained as an aircraft engineer and continues to carry learnings from that industry into technical operations.

Jeff teaches the Cyber Security Operations Management course within the Certificate in Advanced Cyber Security and he is also the Academic Coordinator for the Post-Graduate Certificate in Cyber Security Operations.

Kellen Holmes has over 6 years of security investigations and incident response experience and is currently employed as the Team Lead of the Security Operations Centre at CIBC. He completed a 2-year diploma program for Computer Programming and 3 years in the Information Systems Security program at Sheridan Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning.

His life goal is to one day automate himself out of a job and he dreams of building systems that protect and enable human beings to thrive. Beyond information security and information technology, Kellen enjoys caring for his house plants and arguing with his cat.

Having been brought up in over three continents as part of his childhood, Ali Khan, CCISO, CISM, CISSP, CDPSE, CISA also known as #thecyberAli, is an executive cybersecurity professional, father, author, thought leader, mentor, angel investor, and a humanitarian.

Ali serves the cybersecurity industry globally with his innovative approach to executing and delivering on cybersecurity initiatives. As a mentor and educator, Ali continues to work closely with educational institutions to develop the next generation of cybersecurity professionals and also provides mentorship, guidance and career coaching to upcoming and aspiring cyber professionals and startups. Ali also volunteers his time and efforts at not-for-profit organizations providing his subject matter expertise.

Ali has an Executive Management Certificate in Leading Organizations in Disruptive Times from INSEAD School of Business, France, an Honors Bachelor of Arts, Majoring in Information Technology Management from York University, Canada and is a Certified Chief Information Security Officer (CCISO), Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Data Privacy Solutions Engineer (CDPSE) and Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA). Ali also has NATO and Level II (Secret) Clearance from the Government of Canada.

He’s also the co-author of Because You Can: Your Cybersecurity Career, a simple and practical handbook with actionable insights for success.

To learn more about Ali, visit: www.thecyberAli.com

Gaurav Kumar is a security and risk management leader with one of the world’s largest management consulting companies. In his current role, Gaurav is responsible for helping client executives develop suitable security and risk management strategies that meet business needs, seeking to balance defensive and responsive strategic elements.

For over 15 years, Gaurav has been helping businesses understand and proactively manage information technology risks by effectively acting as both a technical subject matter expert and a trusted business information security adviser. Gaurav has worked in all verticals of information security and risk management including access management, threat analysis, security monitoring and response, risk management, security assurance and governance, security consulting, and enterprise security program management.

Gaurav holds a MSc in information security and assurance (majoring in vulnerability management) from Norwich University in Vermont, USA. Gaurav also holds the CISSP, CISM, CRISC, CCSK, and SABSA security architect designations.

Gaurav teaches the Information Security Risk Management and Governance course.

Claude Sam-Foh is the former Chief Enterprise Architect and Chief Cyber Security Officer with the Financial Services Commission of Ontario. He has extensive business and IT knowledge, gained through more than 30 years’ practical experience in both fields. His area of expertise encompasses enterprise architecture, information management, information security, privacy leadership, cloud computing, service management, portfolio, program and project management, business systems analysis and agile management.

Claude has recently joined the School of Continuing Studies at York University as a curriculum developer and Instructor. Claude makes business and IT learning fun and adapts his delivery to the level of his students. He challenges them to think strategically and emphasizes on applying the knowledge they have learned in the workplace. His motto is “Knowledge Secured and Wisdom Applied.” He leads by example, teaches with passion, and creates a learning environment where students are motivated to excel.

Santosh has close to a decade of Information Technology experience with various roles in Cybersecurity, Incident Management, and Service Desk. Having started his career in customer-facing roles, he saw first-hand the threats faced by the larger population, which encouraged him to pursue a career in cybersecurity as a Purple Team member.

Currently working as the Manager of Cybersecurity and Compliance at Centennial College, he is responsible for the college’s cybersecurity roadmap and day-to-day operations. As an educator, Santosh holds security awareness sessions for students and mentors who are new or aspiring cyber professionals on making the switch to cybersecurity. He has worked as a process trainer at IBM, helping graduates get up to speed with business, technology, and process workflows.

Santosh holds the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), GIAC Security Essentials (GSEC), and GIAC Certified Incident Handler (GCIH) among other certifications. In his free time, he contributes to the development of the GIAC exams as part of their Advisory Board. Santosh is also a technology hobbyist and is often tinkering with a Raspberry Pi or breaking and fixing things on AWS servers.

Piyush Verma is a cyber security professional with over 9 years of experience in the industry working with top-notch consulting firms in the EMEA and North America region focusing on offensive security operations. Currently, Piyush enjoys working with HackerOne as a Senior Technical Engagement Manager and is a firm believer in continuous education, holding several industry certifications including CISSP, OSCP, SANS GCIH and CompTIA CySA+ and PenTest+ among others.

Trish Villanueva, Global Head of Cyber Security Operations at Scotiabank, started as a SOC analyst 10 years ago and has gone on to build Security Operations Centres in 4 continents around the world. Trish has been involved in responding to some of North America’s prolific breaches and has consulted on security operations for 100+ organizations globally. Currently, she manages a team of cybersecurity professionals, including Cyber Threat Intelligence, Global Incident Response, and Data Loss Monitoring.