Detect, Defend, Deny: Zero Trust World 2025
The fifth annual Zero Trust World (ZTW) conference, hosted by cybersecurity vendor ThreatLocker, drew attendees from 28 countries to Orlando for a two-day celebration of Zero Trust principles and the ThreatLocker approach. The event was designed to educate industry leaders, managed service providers, security practitioners, and Forrester analysts on the importance of adopting a Zero Trust mindset in today's complex cyber threat landscape.
The conference kicked off with a keynote from Danny Jenkins, CEO and co-founder of ThreatLocker, who emphasized that the best defense against cyber threats requires not only technical expertise but also a deep understanding of how adversaries think and operate. Jenkins highlighted the significance of adopting a Zero Trust approach to security, which involves defaulting to deny rather than allow by design.
Other keynote speakers and panelists included industry heavyweights such as Reggie Fils-Aimé, former president and chief operating officer of Nintendo of America; Rob Allen, chief product officer at ThreatLocker; Art Ocain, VP of incident response and disaster recovery at Airiam; Trina Ford, chief information security officer at iHeartMedia; and Keelan Leyser, known for his innovative use of technology and magic.
Forrester analysts also participated in the conference, sharing their insights on the need to move away from compliance box-checking exercises and complacency towards a more proactive approach to prevention. Chase Cunningham, formerly a Forrester analyst, delivered an engaging keynote that touched on themes such as stopping the trend of throwing money at unproven technologies and how security failures impact markets.
ThreatLocker also showcased its latest features and announcements during the conference, expanding on its original vision of taking a "default deny" approach to security. The company's platform now incorporates multiple security capabilities, including endpoint detection and response, patching, web filtering, and more, into its existing platform. This reflects the growing trend in the cybersecurity industry of building platforms with integrated security capabilities rather than standalone products.
The conference featured key tracks on Zero Trust principles, ThreatLocker offerings, and hands-on interactive labs designed to refine both offensive and defensive cybersecurity skills. The fusion of real-time demos with theoretical discussions provided a comprehensive learning experience for attendees, benefiting both industry leaders and practitioners alike.
A Shift Towards Proactive Security
Throughout the conference, the underlying messaging was clear: To fully reap the benefits of modern technologies, we must change how we approach them. This means moving away from complacency and adopting a more proactive approach to prevention. As ThreatLocker's CEO Danny Jenkins emphasized, "The best defense requires not only a strong grasp of technology but also a clear understanding of how adversaries think and operate."
This shift towards proactive security is crucial in today's complex cyber threat landscape, where traditional defensive measures are no longer sufficient. By adopting a Zero Trust mindset and leveraging advanced technologies such as ThreatLocker's platform, organizations can significantly reduce their risk exposure and improve their overall cybersecurity posture.
A New Era of Security
The Zero Trust World 2025 conference marked an important milestone in the evolution of security thinking. As the event showed, the adoption of a Zero Trust approach is no longer just a trend but a fundamental shift in how we approach security. ThreatLocker's commitment to empowering organizations with the tools and expertise needed to adopt this approach is a significant step towards creating a safer digital world.
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