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RH-ISAC Announces Keynote Speakers for 2026 Cybersecurity Summit

Speakers from Target and Walmart, along with notable industry thought leaders, will headline the April event in Austin.

The Retail & Hospitality Information Sharing and Analysis Center (RH-ISAC) has announced the keynote speakers for its annual Cybersecurity Summit, taking place 13-15 April 2026, in Austin, Texas. This annual event brings together cybersecurity professionals from the retail and hospitality sectors to discuss the current security landscape.

2026 Keynote Speakers

Tim Pappa, Walmart Global Tech -- Tim Pappa is an Incident Response Engineer – Cyber Deception Strategy, Content Development, and Marketing, Cyber Deception Operations, Walmart Global Tech. Before Walmart, Tim was a Supervisory Special Agent and profiler with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), where he specialized in cyber deception and online influence. Tim has held fellow roles at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and the Aspen Institute, and he is the author of the book Influencing the Influencers: Applying Whaley’s Communication and Deception Frameworks to Terrorism and Insurgent Narratives.

Jodie Kautt, Target -- Jodie Kautt, SVP and CISO at Target, leads the company’s global cybersecurity organization, which protects Target, its team members, and consumers from cyber threats and fraud. Her team includes the 24×7 Cyber Fusion Center, which integrates threat intelligence, advanced analytics, and state-of-the-art technology to mitigate risks. In addition to cybersecurity, Jodie oversees engineering and development teams that build tools and technologies supporting Target’s Assets Protection organization. She also chairs the NRF’s Fraud Prevention Professionals Working Group, is a member of the Aspen Cybersecurity Group, and she serves as the executive sponsor for Target’s Women’s Belonging Community.

Bilyana Lilly, Author & Thought Leader -- Dr. Bilyana Lilly specializes in security management, information warfare, cyber risk, and business engagement, and she advises organizations on strategies to strengthen resilience in cyberspace. She is the author of Russian Information Warfare and Digital Mindhunters, and serves as an adjunct fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD). Bilyana is also on the advisory boards of NightDragon and RunSafe Security, and she chairs the Democratic Resilience Track of the Warsaw Security Forum. She also leads The Shadow Writers, a community of intelligence professionals.

Allison Nixon & May Chen-Contino, Unit 221B -- Allison Nixon specializes in modern threat intelligence, with a focus on youth-driven cybercrime ecosystems and The Com. Her work involves translating criminal network activity into actionable intelligence for investigations. She has served as an expert for the media and policymakers, appearing in outlets such as 60 Minutes, The New York Times, and the HBO documentary Teen Hacker. May Chen-Contino is the CEO of Unit 221B, a threat disruption company providing cybersecurity solutions for enterprises and law enforcement. Her background includes leadership roles at PayPal, eBay, and Forter. She has a professional history of driving growth across technology sectors, including fintech, e-commerce, and mental-health technology. rhisac.org


AI & Burnout
More AI tools, more burnout! New research explains why
Workflows built around multiple AI agents and constant tool switching are adding cognitive strain across large enterprises. A recent Harvard Business Review analysis describes this pattern as “AI brain fry,” a form of mental fatigue tied to intensive use and oversight of AI systems.

Employees increasingly manage clusters of agents that generate code, synthesize information, and produce drafts at high speed. Performance systems in some organizations reward activity metrics such as token consumption and AI output volume. This structure pushes workers to monitor more systems and outcomes within the same workday.

Researchers studying workforce and AI trends surveyed full time U.S. employees at large companies across industries, roles, and seniority levels. Respondents detailed patterns of AI use, work experiences, and cognitive and emotional conditions tied to those workflows.

Participants described a “buzzing” sensation, mental fog, difficulty focusing, slower decision making, and headaches after extended AI oversight. Researchers define AI brain fry as mental fatigue from excessive use or oversight of AI tools beyond a person’s cognitive capacity.

Roles requiring sustained monitoring of AI systems demanded greater mental effort and produced higher levels of fatigue and information overload. Employees who said AI tools increased their workload also reported heavier cognitive strain. Oversight demands combined with added responsibilities expanded the number of outcomes employees had to track during the workday. helpnetsecurity.com


'Cyber Strategy for America'
Trump’s new cybersecurity strategy makes promises but lacks details

In a document released Friday, the administration vowed to increase the government’s use of AI for rapid cyber defense.

The Trump administration on Friday released a cybersecurity strategy that commits the U.S. to disrupting malicious cyber threat actors, protecting critical infrastructure, harnessing the power of AI and reducing regulations on businesses.

The seven-page Cyber Strategy for America offers no details about how the government will implement the six pillars of President Donald Trump’s ambitious cybersecurity agenda. But it is suffused with rhetoric that echoes Trump’s “America First” messaging, boasting about U.S. military operations against Iran and Venezuela and threatening to wreak havoc on nations that attack the U.S. in cyberspace.

“Unlike other Administrations,” the document says, “the Trump Administration will not tinker at the edges and apply partial measures and ambiguous strategies that neglect the growing number and severity of cyber threats.”

Instead, according to the strategy, the U.S. will embrace “unprecedented coordination across government and the private sector to invest in the best technologies and continue world-class innovation, and to make the most of America’s cyber capabilities for both offensive and defensive missions.” cybersecuritydive.com


Why phishing still works today

State-linked actors targeted US networks in lead-up to Iran war

Tips to avoid e-commerce scams

• Check reviews and reputation: Search the company name on sites like Trustpilot or the Better Business Bureau. Use Google’s Safe Browsing site to verify if the URL is flagged as unsafe.

• Verify social media presence: Legitimate businesses usually have active social media presence with real followers and engagement. Avoid accounts that are new or inactive.

• Check domain age and registration: Use WHOIS lookup tools to confirm a website is registered. Recently registered domains claiming to be a major brand are suspicious and potentially a scam.

• Examine the URL: Look for “https” and a padlock icon. Watch for misspellings or extra characters. Scammers often mimic legitimate domains (e.g., www.vacanteen.us/ instead of vacanteen.va.gov).

• Check site quality: Poor grammar, spelling errors or low-quality images can signal a scam. Scammers often copy logos and layouts to appear credible.

• Verify contact details: Legitimate sites provide physical addresses, valid email addresses and working phone numbers. Missing contact information is suspicious.

• Use trusted retailers: Avoid buying directly from social media ads or unverified websites. news.va.gov