With just weeks remaining until the Best Security Cyber Defense Encounter, we're proud to announce our distinguished panel of five expert judges who will evaluate team performance during the competition. These industry veterans bring over 125 combined years of cybersecurity experience to ensure fair, professional, and expert assessment.
Meet Our Expert Panel
Our judges represent the pinnacle of cybersecurity leadership, combining executive experience, hands-on technical expertise, and deep understanding of modern threat landscapes. Each brings unique perspectives from different sectors of the cybersecurity industry.
Chris Perry
Virtual CISO & Security Consultant
CISSP | 30+ Years Experience
Currently serves as vCISO for 15+ organizations, bringing three decades of proven experience in integrating cutting-edge security solutions while reducing costs and enhancing business processes.
Matthew Sciberras
Chief Information Security Officer
CISO at Invicti
Technically astute leader with extensive experience in information security management, currently serving as CISO at Invicti with a focus on strategic security initiatives.
David Ruiz
Enterprise Security Leader
Military Veteran
Military veteran with extensive cybersecurity leadership experience, having served as Executive Consultant, vCISO, Director of Information Security, and Deputy CIO.
Andrew Hural
MDR/IR Director
UnderDefense
Cybersecurity veteran and incident response expert, recognized for extensive research on threat activity related to Ukraine and Taiwan, with deep APT expertise.
Arto Cain
Chief Information Security Officer
CISO at Airiam | 25+ Years Experience
Brings over 25 years of IT and cybersecurity experience with dedication and strategic insight, currently providing security leadership at Airiam.
Evaluation Methodology
Our expert panel will evaluate teams using a comprehensive framework that ensures fair and thorough assessment across multiple dimensions:
Real-time Monitoring
Judges observe team performance throughout the entire 6-8 hour challenge, monitoring detection accuracy, response speed, and collaboration effectiveness.
Documentation Review
Comprehensive evaluation of incident reports, evidence preservation, timeline accuracy, and actionable recommendations provided by teams.
Collaborative Scoring
Judges deliberate collectively to ensure consistent evaluation across all award categories, maintaining transparency and fairness.
Award Categories
The judge panel will evaluate teams across six distinct award categories, each focusing on different aspects of cyber defense excellence:
- Best Detection Accuracy: Highest accuracy in identifying and classifying threats
- Fastest Response Time: Quickest and most effective incident response procedures
- Excellence in Documentation: Comprehensive, clear, and actionable incident documentation
- Best APT Attribution: Most accurate identification of APT group tactics and procedures
- Best Team Collaboration: Exceptional teamwork and coordination under pressure
- Innovation Award: Creative problem-solving and novel approaches to threat hunting