SEC504: Hacker Tools, Techniques, and Incident Handling
SEC504Offensive Operations
SANS Security Awareness Summit 2025
- Mon, Aug 11 - Fri, Aug 15, 2025
- 4 Courses
- 12 CPEs (Summit Only)
- English
The Palmer House Hilton & Virtual (CT)
17 East Monroe Street, Chicago, IL 60603
Summit Highlights
In-depth Talks & Sessions
Top practitioners share research, tech, and case studies on shifting not just behavior, but attitudes and beliefs about cybersecurity. Explore proven advances in how to engage, communicate with, and secure your workforce.
Workshops
For those attending in-person, engage in interactive, hands-on workshops, providing you with practical takeaways you can immediately implement.
One-of-a-Kind Networking
This Summit is all about building community. Connect with industry experts, and your peers over round-table discussions, breaks, meals, evening receptions.
Summit Night Out
The days will be filled with the latest in advancing security culture, but the fun goes up a notch at night for those joining us in Chicago. Enjoy food, drinks, and fun as you make new connections with fellow attendees.
World-Class SANS Security Awareness Courses
Enhance your knowledge base and add to your toolkit by bundling your Summit experience with a hands-on, immersive course taught by top SANS instructors and course authors before the Summit.
Register
Meet & Greet the Advisory Board
Join us for a special reception where attendees and speakers are invited to connect with the members of our Advisory Board. This gathering offers a unique opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations, exchange ideas, and learn more about the vision behind the Summit.
In-Person
Opening Remarks
Summit Day 108:40AM - 09:00AM CDTIn-Person
Table Top Introductions - Get to Know Your Neighbor
Summit Day 109:00AM - 09:20AM CDTIn-Person
Keynote | Uncovering the Dark World of Nation State Scams
Join us for a powerful and eye-opening presentation by Erin West, a leading expert in combating transnational organized crime and the founder of Operation Shamrock.
In-Person & Virtual
Break
Summit Day 110:00AM - 10:20AM CDTIn-Person
Game On! Building a Winning Cybersecurity Culture Through Gamification
Encouraging your workforce to actively engage with cybersecurity awareness content can be a challenge.
Virtual
Reeling in the Right Vendor: A Project Manager's Guide to Security Awareness Platform Selection
Overwhelmed by selecting security awareness and phishing simulation vendors?
Virtual
People Are Not The "Weakest Link in Cybersecurity." Our Understanding Of People Is.
“Humans are the weakest link in cybersecurity.” A statement frequently made in the field of security, and taken for granted by many.
Virtual
Lightning Talks
Talks included: Deepfake diaries: The latest AI-based attacks and how to help your employees detect them, by Kerry Tomlinson, Designing Globally Relevant Awareness Campaigns, by Angel Jordan, From NGO to Cyber: The Psychology of Doing More With Less, by Anna Pieczatkowska, Collaboration and Competition: Leveraging School Spirit, by Cindy McKendall & Kendall Williams.
In-Person & Virtual
Lunch
Summit Day 112:25PM - 01:30PM CDTIn-Person
Challenges and Solutions for Building a Cybersecurity Culture in a Complex Organization
As the Cybersecurity Culture and Competence Manager at KONE, a global organization with over 65,000 employees, including factory workers and operatives, I face a significant challenge in implementing and embedding a strong cybersecurity culture.
In-Person & Virtual
Workshop | Hidden Gems: Free & Cheap Tools to Level Up Your Training
Tired of dry, lecture-based cybersecurity training? Join me for a hands-on exploration of free and budget-friendly tools that transform learning into engaging games and interactive experiences.
In-Person
Hacking Minds & Shaping Behaviors: How to Drive Habit Changes in Your Cybersecurity Awareness Program Through Neuroscience & Behavioral Psychology?
Building a lasting security culture is a big challenge, especially when many users lack the motivation to change their habits.
In-Person & Virtual
Break
Summit Day 1undefined - 03:10PM CDTIn-Person
Workshop | Human-Centric Security: Enhancing Security Awareness Programs through Design Thinking
In today's rapidly evolving threat landscape, traditional security awareness programs often struggle to design engaging, effective initiatives that truly meet the needs of their user population.
In-Person
Transparency Over Secrecy – How We Built a Security Scorecard That Drives Accountability Without Fear
Security awareness programs often stop at training and phishing simulations, but that’s just scratching the surface. Real culture change happens when employees understand their security behaviors and feel empowered to improve them.
In-Person & Virtual
Wrap Up
Summit Day 104:30PM - 04:45PM CDTIn-Person
Table Top Introductions - Get To Know Your Neighbor
Summit Day 209:10AM - 09:30AM CDTIn-Person
Opening Panel
This panel will be moderated by our Summit Chair, Hannah Hardee.
In-Person & Virtual
Break
Summit Day 210:00AM - 10:20AM CDTIn-Person
From Perceptions to Practice: How Focus Groups Reveal the Truth About Cyber Security Culture in Different Organizations
In this talk, Dr Jessica Barker delves into the human side of cyber security by sharing insights from cyber security culture assessments conducted across 10 diverse organizations.
In-Person & Virtual
Workshop | Unleashing the Power of Human Risk Analytics: Revolutionize Your Security Strategy!
Security Awareness and Training teams have been gradually growing in size and scope beyond simple security updates, running phishing training and tracking basic metrics.
In-Person
Beyond One-Size-Fits-All: AI-Powered Personalization for Scalable and Humanized Security Awareness
Traditional security awareness programs segment employees based on region, department, or demographics, assuming that diverse groups require different approaches.
In-Person & Virtual
Hacking the Career Board: Selecting and Training the Next Generation of Cybersecurity Professionals
United's Innovate program continues to set the standard for selecting, recruiting, and onboarding the next generation of technology talent. United's Innovate program received Department of Labor recognition.
In-Person & Virtual
Lunch
Summit Day 212:35PM - 01:30PM CDTIn-Person
The Divine Strategy: Teaching Risk Management Through Dante’s Divina Comédia
Executives often see security training as technical and irrelevant to their strategic roles, disengaging them. But what if we immersed them in a narrative as timeless as Dante’s Divine Comedy?
In-Person & Virtual
Pardon the Disruption: The Psychology of Security Culture
Security isn’t just a tech problem—it’s a human problem. Trust, influence, and behavior drive security more than policies ever will.
In-Person & Virtual
Lessons from Hans Christian Andersen – Storytime for CISOs
"Once upon a time" are the most powerful words in the English language.
Virtual
Break
Summit Day 203:30PM - 03:45PM CDTIn-Person
Wrap Up
Summit Day 203:45PM - 04:00PM CDTIn-Person
Palmer House Hilton
A special discounted rate of $199.00 S/D plus applicable taxes will be honored based on space availability.
The group rate is lower than the Government Per Diem rate.
These rates include Internet in your room and are only available through Monday, July 21, 2025.
A discounted self-parking rate of $30.00 per day and overnight plus applicable taxes for SANS attendees is available.
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