2026 Chapter Meetings & Events

View presentations from previous ISACA San Diego chapter events.

Joint CSA and ISACA SD February Event - Securing Data in the Age of GenAI

We’re diving into one of the fastest-growing and most chaotic frontiers in cybersecurity today - the sprawl of unstructured data supercharged by GenAI and the continuing explosion of digital content. As the old boundaries of DLP crumple, we’ll explore the new realities of data protection in an AI-driven world. From shadow data and model leaks to the emerging strategies that will define how organizations safeguard knowledge going forward.

SPEAKERS:

- Mikael Vinding, CISO at AP Technology

- Ben Mead, Director of Cybersecurity & Infrastructure at Avidity Biosciences

ISACA San Diego February Meeting: Checkboxes to Judgement: Lessons in Modern Risk Thinking

Key talking points:

  • GRC misconceptions

  • Challenging the policy / compliance / check-the-box / prescriptive / rigid approaches to controls, programs, and frameworks

  • Personal lessons learned and what I wish I knew earlier about risk, compliance, etc. – story telling and reflections on mistakes/misconceptions, how my perspective of risk and program design has evolved over time, advice for a ‘future self’

  • AI-enabled working approaches for program and policy build – how to evolve one’s approach and mindset

Click here for a copy of the presentation

SPEAKER: Lisel Newton - Executive Director, InfoSec, Risk & Compliance at Gossamer Bio

Lisel Newton is a seasoned IT professional with over 15 years of experience leading IT functions, including information and cybersecurity, data privacy, GRC, third-party vendor management and more.  Lisel holds the CISSP, CISA and CDPSE certifications.  Her career experience includes KPMG consulting and advisory services, as well as public company employment, where Lisel has built and led successful IT programs focused on meeting regulatory and compliance requirements including NIST, GDPR, GXP, SOX, ISO, SOC and more. 

Connect with Lisel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liselnewton/

Collaborative ISACA San Diego & SecurityStudio Academy January Event:
An Informal Conversation about APIs

APIs are everywhere—and most organizations lack a proper program for managing their security. Join us for an engaging discussion on what APIs are, why they matter, and the risks they introduce when left unmanaged. We’ll cover what organizations need to know, actionable next steps, and why SecurityStudio Academy created the API Security and Governance program to help professionals address this growing challenge.

This session is perfect for security professionals, technologists, and students who want practical insights into API security and governance. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn, ask questions, and walk away with steps you can take immediately to strengthen your organization’s security posture.

SPEAKER: Dr. Baljeet Malhotra - Founder & CEO at TeejLab Inc.

Dr. Baljeet Malhotra, is an award-winning researcher known for his work in Open Source and API Data Management. He conceptualized the world's first "API Composition Analysis" based on source code static analysis. He founded TeejLab in 2017 and steered the team to build API Discovery and Security™, world's first comprehensive end-to-end API Management platform.

Visit Baljeet on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/baljeetmalhotra/

ISACA San Diego January Meeting: Cybersecurity's Dirty Secret: Why Most Budgets Go To Waste

What if attending an event could show you how to save your company thousands to millions in wasted cybersecurity spending?

That’s not hype, it’s the reality when you stop treating spending dollars like a bottomless pit and start treating it like a business strategy.

Most executives assume the more money they throw at cybersecurity, the safer they’ll be. Wrong. In fact, the bigger your budget, the more likely you’re bleeding cash on shelfware, pointless meetings, and “solutions” that solve nothing. This event flips the script: it shows you how to slash costs, cut risk, and still move faster than your competition.

Click here for a copy of the presentation

SPEAKER: Ross Young, Co-host, CISO Tradecraft

From CIA officer to enterprise CISO, Ross Young has spent two decades at the forefront of cybersecurity. He’s the co-host of CISO Tradecraft, creator of the OWASP Threat and Safeguard Matrix (TaSM), and a recognized leader who has served as CISO in Residence at Team8, CISO of Caterpillar Financial, instructor at Johns Hopkins University, and divisional CISO at Capital One.

Connect with Ross on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrrossyoung/