Haunted by Hackers: Cybersecurity Threats & How Associations Fight Back

It’s October — which means it’s the perfect time to talk about things that go bump in the night. 🦇 But forget the ghosts and goblins. The scariest things lurking out there right now have names like ransomware, phishing-as-a-service, and AI-powered attacks that move at machine speed.
 
This month, we’re bringing in a seasoned association executive who’s spent years managing the realities of cybersecurity with limited staff, tight budgets, and a board full of questions and an outside expert in cybersecurity and managed detection and response, to help us make sense of what the threat landscape actually looks like in 2026. Spoiler: it’s spookier than ever.
The good news? You don’t have to figure this out alone.
What You’ll Learn:
 
🤖 How AI is changing the threat landscape — attackers are moving faster and automating more, and your defenses need to keep up
🔦 What cybersecurity risk actually looks like day-to-day for an association exec — the conversations, the trade-offs, and the decisions that keep you up at night
🛡️ What “cyber resilience” really means for a small-to-mid-size association team (hint: it’s more than just antivirus software)
🔐 The most common vulnerabilities Arctic Wolf sees in organizations like yours — and the practical steps to close them
📋 How to talk to your leadership and board about cybersecurity risk — without inducing panic or putting them to sleep
💡 What managed detection and response (MDR) looks like in practice, and whether it might be right for your organization
 
Whether you’ve already had a scare or you’re doing your best to avoid one, this is the episode you don’t want to miss — or let haunt you later. 👀

EXTRA 30 ​

Due to the popularity of this topic, we’re adding an EXTRA 30 minutes with the panelists from 3:00 to 3:30. This is your opportunity to ask questions and share ideas on the AMS Selection process with the other participants and panelists.

The CIO Hour is NOT just for CIO’s!

The CIO Hour is a monthly webinar designed specifically for non-tech association staff to boost their IT-IQ.


How to Submit Questions

The CIO Hour will be recorded each month in case you miss it. However, we hope you attend and engage with the industry experts and other participants regularly so you continue to boost your IT-IQ.

The event is finished.

Cost

Free

Date

Oct 01 2026

Time

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Speakers

  • Brian Scott
    Brian Scott
    Founder, ClearTone Consulting

    As founder of ClearTone Consulting, provider of industry leading 501CISO cybersecurity leadership services to the nonprofit and association markets, Brian has been helping organizations of all sizes and within various industries improve their cybersecurity risk profiles. Based upon over 20 years of being the CISO within a $100M company, Brian effectively translates the complex and dynamic world of cybersecurity risk and protections into an understandable and achievable program that helps small and medium-sized organizations.

  • James Marquis
    James Marquis
    CIO, 501Works

    James is a seasoned senior executive with more than 20 years of experience working with associations and non-profits of all sizes. James possesses excellent communications skills allowing him to function as a trainer, technology evangelist and to bridge the divide which frequently exists between functional business units and information technology specialists. Coupled with his ability to deep-dive into technology, these key skills allow James to operate across department lines and organizational levels to better integrate technology with the strategic and tactical needs of an organization

  • Villy Savino
    Villy Savino
    Vice President of Technology Transformation for CoreNet Global

    Villy Savino currently serves as Vice President of Technology Transformation for CoreNet Global. She is a results-oriented leader with over 20 years-experience in operational optimization with a focus on delivering process improvements. She is currently serving her 3rd term in the ASAE’s marketing council.

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