SECURE ILLINOIS CONFERENCE
Chicagoland’s Premier Cybersecurity Conference
2026 Date: Dec. 3, 2026
Glen Ellyn, Illinois
Illinois' Premier Cybersecurity and Physical Security Conference
HBS proudly announces the return of the Secure Illinois conference. A day of social networking and continuing education in cybersecurity, physical security, and IT risk management.
This conference delivers a unique opportunity for business leaders and security, IT, and audit professionals to gather without traveling out of state.
Every session includes compelling information to help you strengthen your organizations security posture.
Earn 3 CPE Hours
Secure Illinois gives you an easy—and free—opportunity to earn 3 CPE hours in one day.
Heartland Business Systems
Illinois’ Cybersecurity Leader
Solving information security challenges based on risk, not fear.
HBS is proud to be Illinois’ cybersecurity leader. Our team boasts one of the strongest cybersecurity operations in the Midwest, supports organizations across the country, and stays close to the challenges you face every day. Secure Illinois is our way to give back, share knowledge and bring security professionals together for real conversations that move the community forward.
At HBS, you’ll find a thorough—and thoroughly refreshing—approach to cybersecurity. An approach that’s not built on fear of what might happen, but on understanding, preparation and proper response. Our teams bring decades of cybersecurity expertise to help you safeguard what matters most, in the most intelligent and proactive way.
Cybersecurity Focused. Designed for Security Leaders.
Secure Illinois delivers on our promise that security isn’t part of the agenda. It is the agenda.
You’ll see how to reduce critical vulnerabilities, improve threat detection, strengthen identity security and how to respond to incidents with less disruption. Sessions cover topics like ransomware defense, cloud security for Microsoft 365 and Azure, AI-driven threats like deepfakes and automated social engineering, governance and compliance requirements, endpoint protection, user awareness tactics, how to evaluate security tools with confidence, and the common vulnerabilities we find when pen testing.
Agenda
8:00 - 8:45am
8:45 - 9:00am
Registration, Vendor Expo, Breakfast
Welcome Remarks
We’ll set the stage for the day of learning, collaboration, highlight key themes, and share what you can expect throughout the event.
9:00 - 9:45am
Keynote - Microsoft's Approach to Comprehensive Security
In an era where cybercrime rivals the largest global economies, securing digital landscapes has never been more critical. In this session, we will delve into the intricacies of modern cybersecurity challenges and unveil Microsoft’s solutions designed to counteract these threats.
We will showcase a panoramic view of the current cybersecurity landscape, emphasizing the exponential growth of cybercrime. With cybercrime projected to surpass $8 trillion, understanding and mitigating these risks is paramount for any organization.
Highlights of the session include:
- The Current State of Cybersecurity: Gain insights into the staggering scale of cybercrime and its economic impact, underscoring the urgency for robust security measures.
- Microsoft Security Platform: Explore Microsoft’s multi-cloud, multi-platform security solutions, including Microsoft Purview, Priva, Entra, Intune, Defender, and Sentinel, and how they integrate Copilot to enhance security operations.
- Unified SecOps Experience: Discover how Microsoft’s end-to-end platform approach serves as a force multiplier, providing comprehensive protection across diverse IT environments.
- Secure Future Initiative: Learn about Microsoft’s strategic investments in security, designed to stay ahead of evolving threats and secure AI workloads.
David Giard
Partner Solution Architect, Microsoft
9:45 - 10:00am
10:00 - 10:45am
Vendor Expo
Session #1: Stop Guessing, Start Prioritizing: Building Cyber Resilience Through Risk
Cybersecurity teams rarely suffer from a shortage of things to fix. The real challenge is knowing what matters most, what should come first, and where limited time and budget will have the greatest impact.
This session explores how IT risk assessments can turn cybersecurity from an endless list of vulnerabilities, tools, and compliance requirements into a defensible business strategy. We’ll examine how organizations can identify their most meaningful risks, connect technical weaknesses to business impact, prioritize investments, and communicate risk in a way executives can actually act on.
We’ll also look beyond the four walls of the organization. As businesses become increasingly dependent on cloud providers, SaaS platforms, managed service providers, and other third parties, understanding vendor and concentration risk has become essential to organizational resilience.
Attendees will leave with a practical approach for answering three critical questions:
- What could realistically hurt us?
- Which risks matter most to the business?
- What should we do about them first?
Joe Gunnells
Information Security Consultant, HBS
10:45 - 11:00am
11:00 - 11:45am
Vendor Expo
Session #2: Today's Threats
Learn from HBS SOC Team Lead Tim Ballard as he shares real-world threats and security incidents the HBS SOC has recently investigated across client environments. He'll explore what he's seeing, how these attacks unfold, and practical recommendations to help organizations better defend against today's threats.
Tim Ballard
Security Operations Center Team Lead, HBS
11:45am
12:45 - 1:30pm
Lunch, Vendor Expo
Session #3: Panel: What CIOs are Tackling Right Now: Challenges and Success
Technology leaders from across the region share what’s competing for their time and budget right now. Moderated by Chris Thurman, the conversation covers where they’re focusing, what’s slowing them down and the wins that moved their organizations forward. Expect straight answers from people running programs like yours.
Panelists
Anthony Ardolino
Director of Information Technology
Village of Tinley Park
Scott Noles
Chief Information Security Officer
Citizens Bank
Russ Vander Mey
Dir. of Technology Services (Retired)
Barrington 220 School District
Moderator
Chris Thurman
Vice President of Physical Security, HBS
1:30pm
2:00pm
Closing, Q&A, Vendor Expo, Prize Giveaway
Event concludes
Presenting Sponsor:
Sponsors:
