Keynotes
Vivek Ramachandran
Vivek Ramachandran is a security researcher, book author, speaker-trainer, and serial entrepreneur with over two decades of experience in offensive cybersecurity. He is currently the founder of SquareX, building a browser-native security product focused on detecting, mitigating, and threat-hunting web attacks against enterprise users and consumers. Prior to that, he was the founder of Pentester Academy (acquired in 2021), which has trained thousands of customers from government agencies, Fortune 500 companies, and enterprises from over 140+ countries. Before that, Vivek’s company built an 802.11ac monitoring product sold exclusively to defense agencies. Vivek discovered the Caffe Latte attack, broke WEP Cloaking, conceptualized enterprise Wi-Fi Backdoors, and created Chellam (Wi-Fi Firewall), WiMonitor Enterprise (802.11ac monitoring), Chigula (Wi-Fi traffic analysis via SQL), Deceptacon (IoT Honeypots), among others. He is the author of multiple five-star-rated books in offensive cybersecurity, which have sold thousands of copies worldwide and have been translated into multiple languages. He has been a speaker/trainer at top security conferences such as Blackhat USA, Europe and Abu Dhabi, DEFCON, Nullcon, Brucon, HITB, Hacktivity, and others. Vivek’s work in cybersecurity has been covered in Forbes, TechCrunch, and other popular media outlets. In a past life, he was one of the programmers of the 802.1x protocol and Port Security in Cisco’s 6500 Catalyst series of switches. He was also one of the winners of the Microsoft Security Shootout contest held in India among a reported 65,000 participants. He has also published multiple research papers in the field of DDoS, ARP Spoofing Detection, and Anomaly-based Intrusion Detection Systems. In 2021, he was awarded an honorary title of Regional Director of Cybersecurity by Microsoft for a period of three years, and in 2024 he joined the BlackHat Arsenal Review Board.
Talk: The Final Frontier of Web Security - Moving Beyond Secure Web Gateways
Abstract:The web browser is the most used enterprise application, but the least protected. For almost two decades Secure Web Gateways, as part of SASE/SSE framework, served as the primary defence against web threats by monitoring the network layer. However, as browsers have evolved into complex, OS likeenvironments and web applications have grown in intricacies, Secure Web Gateways have become outdated and ineffective. In this keynote, we will expose the inherent architectural flaws of Secure Web Gateways, particularly their inability to defent against modern web attacks like Last Mile Reassembly attacks. The argument is clear, Secure Web Gateways are no longer Viable as the guardian of the web. The Future of Web Security lies in browser-native solutions that operate directly within the browser, leveraging rich browser data to drive advanced web attack detection algorithims.
Vivek Ramachandran is a security researcher, book author, speaker-trainer, and serial entrepreneur with over two decades of experience in offensive cybersecurity. He is currently the founder of SquareX, building a browser-native security product focused on detecting, mitigating, and threat-hunting web attacks against enterprise users and consumers. Prior to that, he was the founder of Pentester Academy (acquired in 2021), which has trained thousands of customers from government agencies, Fortune 500 companies, and enterprises from over 140+ countries. Before that, Vivek’s company built an 802.11ac monitoring product sold exclusively to defense agencies. Vivek discovered the Caffe Latte attack, broke WEP Cloaking, conceptualized enterprise Wi-Fi Backdoors, and created Chellam (Wi-Fi Firewall), WiMonitor Enterprise (802.11ac monitoring), Chigula (Wi-Fi traffic analysis via SQL), Deceptacon (IoT Honeypots), among others. He is the author of multiple five-star-rated books in offensive cybersecurity, which have sold thousands of copies worldwide and have been translated into multiple languages. He has been a speaker/trainer at top security conferences such as Blackhat USA, Europe and Abu Dhabi, DEFCON, Nullcon, Brucon, HITB, Hacktivity, and others. Vivek’s work in cybersecurity has been covered in Forbes, TechCrunch, and other popular media outlets. In a past life, he was one of the programmers of the 802.1x protocol and Port Security in Cisco’s 6500 Catalyst series of switches. He was also one of the winners of the Microsoft Security Shootout contest held in India among a reported 65,000 participants. He has also published multiple research papers in the field of DDoS, ARP Spoofing Detection, and Anomaly-based Intrusion Detection Systems. In 2021, he was awarded an honorary title of Regional Director of Cybersecurity by Microsoft for a period of three years, and in 2024 he joined the BlackHat Arsenal Review Board.
Talk: The Final Frontier of Web Security - Moving Beyond Secure Web Gateways
Abstract:The web browser is the most used enterprise application, but the least protected. For almost two decades Secure Web Gateways, as part of SASE/SSE framework, served as the primary defence against web threats by monitoring the network layer. However, as browsers have evolved into complex, OS likeenvironments and web applications have grown in intricacies, Secure Web Gateways have become outdated and ineffective. In this keynote, we will expose the inherent architectural flaws of Secure Web Gateways, particularly their inability to defent against modern web attacks like Last Mile Reassembly attacks. The argument is clear, Secure Web Gateways are no longer Viable as the guardian of the web. The Future of Web Security lies in browser-native solutions that operate directly within the browser, leveraging rich browser data to drive advanced web attack detection algorithims.
Emil Tan
Emil Tan is currently serving the role of Cyber Strategist and Market Lead in Critical Infrastructure at Booz Allen Hamilton. He is also the Chief Community Officer (CCO) at Red Alpha Cybersecurity, a leading cybersecurity talent development company, and the Chair of the CREST Asia Council. With over 10 years of experience in the cybersecurity industry, Emil has expertise across various cybersecurity trades, including R&D, cybersecurity operations, governance, policy and regulations, consultancy, and ecosystem development. Emil is an active contributor to the cybersecurity ecosystem in Singapore. He plays an active role in catalysing cybersecurity conversations and thought leadership both locally and internationally. He founded Division Zero (Div0), Singapore’s largest techno-centric cybersecurity community group, and Infosec In the City, SINCON, Singapore’s international techno-centric cybersecurity conference. He also leads The Honeynet Project, Singapore Chapter, a non-profit cybersecurity R&D institution, and serves on the Executive Committees of the Singapore Computer Society (SCS) Cybersecurity Chapter and the Association of Information Security Professionals (AiSP). In recognition of his significant contributions, Emil was awarded the inaugural Cybersecurity Awards (Professional Category) in 2018 by the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) and received a Special Recognition Award in 2023 from the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI). He was also listed amongst Tatler's 2024 Gen.T Leaders of Tomorrow.
Talk: Future as Code - Hackers, Community, and the Fabric of Our Digital World
Abstract:In an era where digital transformation is accelerating, our future is being written, coded, by the decisions we make today. but securing this future requires more than just traditional security measures. It demands the ingenuity of hackers and the power of community-driven collaboration. This keynote explores how the hacker mindset and community innovation are key to embedding security into the very DNA of our digital infrastructure. By leveraging the creativity, curiosity, and collaborative spirit of the hacking community, we can craft a resilient digital future where security is not an afterthought but a fundamental element. This talk will challenge you to rethink how we approach security, empowering hackers and communities to shape a safer, more secure digital world - one line of code at a time.
Emil Tan is currently serving the role of Cyber Strategist and Market Lead in Critical Infrastructure at Booz Allen Hamilton. He is also the Chief Community Officer (CCO) at Red Alpha Cybersecurity, a leading cybersecurity talent development company, and the Chair of the CREST Asia Council. With over 10 years of experience in the cybersecurity industry, Emil has expertise across various cybersecurity trades, including R&D, cybersecurity operations, governance, policy and regulations, consultancy, and ecosystem development. Emil is an active contributor to the cybersecurity ecosystem in Singapore. He plays an active role in catalysing cybersecurity conversations and thought leadership both locally and internationally. He founded Division Zero (Div0), Singapore’s largest techno-centric cybersecurity community group, and Infosec In the City, SINCON, Singapore’s international techno-centric cybersecurity conference. He also leads The Honeynet Project, Singapore Chapter, a non-profit cybersecurity R&D institution, and serves on the Executive Committees of the Singapore Computer Society (SCS) Cybersecurity Chapter and the Association of Information Security Professionals (AiSP). In recognition of his significant contributions, Emil was awarded the inaugural Cybersecurity Awards (Professional Category) in 2018 by the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) and received a Special Recognition Award in 2023 from the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI). He was also listed amongst Tatler's 2024 Gen.T Leaders of Tomorrow.
Talk: Future as Code - Hackers, Community, and the Fabric of Our Digital World
Abstract:In an era where digital transformation is accelerating, our future is being written, coded, by the decisions we make today. but securing this future requires more than just traditional security measures. It demands the ingenuity of hackers and the power of community-driven collaboration. This keynote explores how the hacker mindset and community innovation are key to embedding security into the very DNA of our digital infrastructure. By leveraging the creativity, curiosity, and collaborative spirit of the hacking community, we can craft a resilient digital future where security is not an afterthought but a fundamental element. This talk will challenge you to rethink how we approach security, empowering hackers and communities to shape a safer, more secure digital world - one line of code at a time.