Continuous Improvement Impact – National Security Institute

Wednesday, April 16 11:00 AM Register for this Session Return to Full Agenda

Wednesday, April 16 11:00 AM

The FSO/DCSA Dynamic: Go from Transactional Oversight to Transparent Collaboration

Moderator: Justin Walsh, Mid-Atlantic Region DCSA Field Director • Panelists: 3 different pairs of FSO/DCSA “teams” sharing their story and advice

Working with DCSA can feel like a balancing act—oversight on one side, collaboration on the other.

How do you turn compliance-driven interactions into a real working relationship built on trust and shared security goals? For FSOs, navigating DCSA oversight is a constant challenge. While DCSA enforces compliance, FSOs rely on them for guidance, risk discussions, and security alignment. The difference between a frustrating, transactional relationship and a productive, supportive one comes down to trust, communication, and proactive engagement.

This session isn’t about theory—it’s about real, proven FSO-DCSA partnerships that work. Hear directly from FSOs and DCSA personnel who have built strong, effective relationships and learn how they navigate challenges, improve collaboration, and align on compliance expectations while advocating for their organization’s security needs.

Key Takeaways

Building a Strong FSO-DCSA Relationship – Lessons from teams who have developed trust and effective communication.
Overcoming Common Roadblocks – How to navigate friction points with inspectors and VRO reps.
Proactive Strategies for FSOs – Steps you can take to strengthen engagement with DCSA oversight teams.
Aligning Compliance with Security Needs – How to ensure DCSA’s expectations support your organization’s security posture.

This session goes beyond the challenges—it delivers practical, real-world strategies from FSOs and DCSA reps who have built trust, improved communication, and made oversight a productive process. Walk away with actionable steps to enhance your own working relationship with DCSA.

Seats are limited—don’t miss this rare opportunity.

Security Awareness: Get More Engagement by Getting to Know Your "Customer"

Jeremy Treadwell

President, Treadwell Agency

Audience-Centered Messaging. Behavior Change. Better Engagement.

Security awareness programs only work if people pay attention and apply what they learn—but too often, security training is generic, ignored, or quickly forgotten. The key to real engagement? Treat employees like customers and design security messaging that speaks to their needs, motivations, and daily realities.

In this practical, strategy-driven session, you’ll learn how to shift from one-size-fits-all training to an audience-centered approach that resonates with employees, drives real behavior change, and strengthens security culture.

Key Takeaways

Know Your Audience – How to analyze your workforce like a customer base—understanding different groups’ motivations, learning styles, and risk profiles.
Targeted Messaging That Works – How to tailor security awareness for technical vs. non-technical staff, executives, frontline employees, and high-risk roles.
Behavioral Science for Engagement – How to frame security messaging so employees actually care.
Cutting Through the Noise – Strategies for designing awareness campaigns that stick, using storytelling, repetition, and real-world relevance.

Security professionals aren’t just educators—they’re communicators. Walk away with proven strategies to make security awareness more engaging, more effective, and more impactful across your organization.

Seats are limited—register today.

Is Your Organization Ready? How to Run Effective Insider Threat Tabletop Exercises & Drills

Impact Speaker(s): TBD

Insider threats are one of the hardest risks to detect—how prepared are you to respond? How engaged is leadership?

A well-run exercise doesn’t just expose gaps; it gets business leaders engaged, aligns teams, and strengthens your insider threat program before a real incident occurs. For early-stage insider threat programs, tabletop exercises (TTX) provide a low-risk way to assess vulnerabilities, improve coordination, and refine response procedures. For mature programs, full-scale drills offer an opportunity to stress-test detection and response capabilities in real-world conditions.

This session delivers a step-by-step guide to structuring, executing, and evaluating both tabletop exercises and live drills, ensuring they are practical, impactful, and drive meaningful business and security improvements.

Key Takeaways

Structuring an Effective Tabletop Exercise (TTX) – From setting objectives to defining realistic insider threat scenarios.
Scaling to Live Drills – When and how to transition from tabletop discussions to full-scale simulations.
Designing High-Impact Insider Threat Drills – How to test real-world response capabilities without disrupting operations.
Avoiding Common Pitfalls – The mistakes that undermine exercises—and how to fix them.
Tailoring Exercises to Program Maturity – Strategies for organizations at all stages, from new programs to advanced insider threat teams.
Leveraging Exercises to Increase Leadership Engagement – How to use insider threat exercises to gain executive buy-in, create momentum, and build stronger cross-functional support for your program.

Insider threat exercises shouldn’t just test response plans—they should drive business engagement, strengthen security readiness, and create a culture of proactive risk management. Walk away with a framework to ensure your next tabletop or drill delivers measurable, actionable value.

Seats are limited—register today.