Thursday, October 30th, 2025
Smarter MDR: How to Achieve Better Protection
4:00pm – 5:30pm CT | Virtual
Event Overview
Tool sprawl, talent shortages, tight budgets, siloed technology stacks and ever-persistent adversaries. These factors inhibit organizations of all sizes and sectors as they attempt to manage and monitor their security infrastructures.
Add AI-powered attacks and cyber defenses to this complex landscape, and you quickly conclude: Managed detection and response isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s a game changer, shifting organizations from reactive firefighting to proactive resilience.
But with so many MDR options out there, how do you choose the one that’s right for you? Do you even know what the business needs you to secure, and what a mature MDR relationship looks like?
Register for this session now to gain insights into the smarter MDR – and how to achieve better protection.
Among the discussion points:
- How has your enterprise approached MDR in the past – what’s succeeded and failed?
- What does your business need you to secure in today’s threat landscape, and how do you measure your success?
- What role does AI need to play in your detection and response?
Request to Attend
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*Please note that this is an invitation-only event and space is limited. All requests to attend will be reviewed by our event staff and approved based on professional qualifications and event capacity. Additionally, these events will not be recorded and the Chatham House Rule will apply.
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Moderator
Tom Field
SVP Editorial
ISMG
Benjamin Spencer
Director
Optiv
Pia McSharry
Global Head of Partner
Engineering
Google Cloud
Speakers
This roundtable discussion brings together IT decision-makers and security leaders to discuss Smarter MDR: How to Achieve Better Protection. Join your peers and thought-leaders from event sponsor Optiv.
This session will be:
- Chatham house rules
- Peer driven
- Pitch free
Subject matter expert
Benjamin Spencer
Director
Optiv
Benjamin Spencer has worked in IT and security for over 10 years, specializing in Incident response,
detection and response, and threat intelligence. Previously an MDR Director and Lead Incident
responder, he is now our Product Director. He works with internal and external stakeholders, as well as
leading multiple teams to make Optiv managed Services the best in the market.
Subject matter expert
Pia McSharry
Global Head of Partner Engineering
Google Cloud
Pia McSharry is the Global Head of Partner Engineering at Google Cloud Security. She is currently responsible for leading the global partner engineering team which provides technical solutions consulting for the Google Cloud Security strategic partner ecosystem. Pia has spent the last seventeen years working in cybersecurity start-ups, focused on hiring, developing, and scaling global teams at organizations such as Rapid7, Securonix, SecurityScorecard, and Beyond Identity. Pia spent many years as a security solutions consultant, acquiring experience and knowledge in multiple security domains including vulnerability management, incident response, SIEM, penetration testing, compliance, and vendor risk management.
Exclusive Sneak Peek: Get a Preview of this Roundtable
Venue
Willie G's
1640 West Loop S, Houston, TX 77027
Underwritten by
Optiv is the cyber advisory and solutions leader, delivering strategic and technical expertise to nearly 6,000 companies across every major industry. We partner with organizations to advise, deploy and operate complete cybersecurity programs from strategy and managed security services to risk, integration and technology solutions. With clients at the center of our unmatched ecosystem of people, products, partners and programs, we accelerate business progress like no other company can. At Optiv, we manage cyber risk so you can secure your full potential.
Make Google part of your security team with unmatched threat visibility, a unified security platform, and Mandiant frontline experts — supercharged by AI.
Organizations can reduce digital risk and secure their AI transformation with the same cybersecurity specialists, capabilities, and secure enterprise platforms Google uses to keep more people and organizations safe online than anyone else in the world, powered by our industry-leading threat intelligence. AI enhances all of these components, enabling security teams to detect more threats, minimize toil, and take productivity to new levels
Rules of Engagement
By taking part in this discussion you agree that:
- These events follow Chatham House Rule. Nothing shared will be recorded or distributed anywhere online.
- If for any reason you need to cancel your reservation, we ask you to let us know 48 hours prior to the event commencing so we can open your seat up to someone else.
- These are interactive discussions, so we ask that all attendees participate in the discussion. If this is a virtual event, we ask all attendees to join via video.