January Insights Series | Rising Threats, Stronger Defense: Cyber Trends & Resilience

January 28, 2026 4:00 PM - 6:30 PM (MST)

Description

** Registration is now closed. If interested in attending this event please email Michelle Schrader at michelle@coloradotechnology.org**

As cyberattacks continue to accelerate in scale, sophistication, and speed, understanding the trends shaping today’s threat landscape has never been more critical. Join us for our January Insights Series as we break down the most pressing and emerging cyber threats - what’s happening now, what’s coming next, and what organizations must be prepared to face.

We’ll start with a keynote presentation featuring insights from the 2025 Comcast Business Cybersecurity Threat Report, offering a data-driven breakdown of the latest attack trends and emerging threat behaviors identified in the report. This keynote will ground the conversation in real-world intelligence and highlight the most urgent risks organizations are navigating today.

Following the presentation, a panel of industry experts will explore the importance of cybersecurity resiliency and how organizations can not only defend against attacks but stay adaptive and operational when incidents occur. Through real-world examples and practical guidance, the panel will highlight strategies for strengthening defenses, improving response readiness, and building long-term resilience that safeguards mission-critical operations.

Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of today’s escalating threats and actionable steps to enhance their cybersecurity posture. Join us for the discussion!

Keynote Speaker:

Ivan Shefrin, Executive Director, Managed Security Services, Comcast Business

Ivan Shefrin is the Executive Director who leads Managed Security Services for Comcast Business, including lines of business for Endpoint Detection (EDR), Attack Surface, Exposure & Vulnerability Management, Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Mitigation, Network Detection (NDR), and Managed Detection and Response (MDR). 

He has over 25 years of experience designing and implementing enterprise security programs that mitigate risk, ensure compliance, and protect data. Throughout his career, Ivan has excelled in leading complex, large-scale security initiatives within Fortune 500 companies, academic institutions, and high-growth organizations, consistently delivering measurable improvements in cybersecurity resilience and business alignment. 

Panelists:

Emily Cellar, CISO, Flexential

Emily Cellar is Chief Information Security Officer at Flexential, a leading provider of secure data center, colocation, cloud, and hybrid IT solutions. As Flexential’s CISO, she leads enterprise-wide cybersecurity strategy, risk management, governance, and resilience across a national data center and hybrid cloud platform supporting mission-critical workloads.

With deep expertise spanning security architecture, infrastructure, cloud, and AI governance, Emily has led global IT and security organizations across the U.S., EU, and APAC. Her previous executive leadership roles include Vice President of Infrastructure and Cybersecurity at iFIT, the global fitness technology company behind NordicTrack, ProForm, and Freemotion; Vice President of IT Infrastructure and Operations at WheelPros and Hoonigan; Vice President of Business Technology at Guild; and Vice President of IT at Angi. She brings a strong track record in enterprise transformation, operational resilience, and building scalable, cloud-first security programs that enable innovation while managing risk. Her credentials include CISSP, PMP, Business Law, FinTech, and a Master of Science degree.

Beyond her corporate role, Emily is the founder of Women in Technical Infrastructure (WITI), a community of 900+ women advancing leadership in underrepresented technology roles. She also serves as a Strategic AI Product Advisor for Iterate.ai and sits on the CISO Advisory Board for LightBeam.ai.

Lena Taylor, CISO, Crocs, Inc.

Lena Taylor is currently CISO at Crocs, Inc., and is responsible for securing assets within the enterprise, retail, and distribution business, including global security operations and the governance/risk/compliance functions. She brings over 25 years of experience in IT and Cybersecurity. Before joining Crocs, Inc., she led IT teams earlier in her career from hands-on-keyboard roles to leadership roles, then expanded into security leadership over the past 15 years, both customer-facing and internal to the corporate enterprise.

Lena currently also serves on the Board of Directors for the Retail and Hospitality Information Sharing and Analysis Center (RH-ISAC) and is the co-chair of the CISO Advisory Committee. Previously, Lena was also Lumen’s Global Chair for PAAN (Pacific Asian Ancestry Network) Employee Resource Group and was also a member of the Women of Vertafore resource group.

Jesse Bertoli, CISO, Colorado PERA

Jesse Bertoli was named PERA's Chief Information Security Officer in 2025. In this role he is responsible for developing, implementing, and maintaining a comprehensive security strategy to protect PERA's digital assets, mitigate risks, and ensure compliance with industry regulations and best practices. He oversees security operations, threat intelligence, incident response, governance, and employee awareness programs. Mr. Bertoli is also responsible for managing enterprise security programs, implementing best-in-class security technologies, and fostering a culture of security across the organization. 

Mr. Bertoli brings extensive experience in risk management, incident response planning, and security governance to the position. He is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and most recently served as the CISO at Pinnacol Assurance. He earned his undergraduate degree from Colorado State University and a Master of Business Administration from Regis University. 

Thank you to our Sponsor:

CTA is committed to accessible, inclusive events. If you need accommodations (such as ASL, captioning, assistive listening, or alternative materials), please contact us at accessibility@coloradotechnology.org or 303-592-4070. Requests fourteen (14) days in advance are encouraged; we will make every reasonable effort to meet late requests.