Speaker:
Greg Akers
Executive Technology Consultant

Abstract: A discussion about where we are in the commercial SDN/NFV world today and where we are headed.  What are the next generation threats beyond where we are today and how software definability may be a asset in the defender’s toolkit. Also looking at the intersection point between SDN/NFV and AI/ML. How this changes the defense calculus and alters the attack surface. What capabilities we need to develop in the practitioner, consumer and defender worlds.

About:

Greg Akers was the Senior Vice President & CTO of Advanced Security Research & Government and Chief Technology Officer within the Security & Trust Organization (STO) group at Cisco.  With more than two decades of executive experience, Akers brought a wide range of technical and security knowledge to this role.  A major focus of his group was to expand security awareness and launch product resiliency initiatives throughout Cisco’s development organization to deliver high-quality and secure products to customers.  He also served as executive sponsor of the Cisco Disability Awareness Network.

Akers joined Cisco in 1993. He held a variety of technical, managerial and executive roles at Cisco. These have included networking engineer,Vice President for the Worldwide Technical Assistance Center, Senior Vice President-CTO Services and Senior Vice President-Global Governments Solutions Group.  He also holds the CCIE certification.

In addition, Akers is an Internet security and critical infrastructure protection advisor to Cisco customers and to the U.S. government. He regularly advises and directs activities relative to technology and security matters of domestic and international importance.  Akers has also advised the U.S. Department of Defense and the federal intelligence community for more than fifteen years.  

Before joining Cisco, Akers’ career included more than 15 years of designing, building, and running large networks for Fortune 100 companies.  He has held senior technical and leadership roles at Fechheimer Brothers, a holding of Berkshire Hathaway, and Procter and Gamble.

Akers holds a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering from the University of Akron.

The weekly security seminar has been held every semester since spring of 1992. We invite personnel at Purdue and visitors from outside to present on topics of particular interest to them in the areas of computer and network security, computer crime investigation, information warfare, information ethics, public policy for computing and security, the computing "underground," and other related topics. More info