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CYBER SECURITY

26.09.25

About the conference

DISH, ManchesteR

9am Registration, 9:40am Talks Commence, 4:30pm Closing Remarks & Evening Social

As digital systems evolve at lightning speed, the threats surrounding them grow just as fast. That’s why our Cyber Security Conference is built specifically for practitioners working deep in the field—engineers, analysts, and technologists safeguarding infrastructure every day. This is a space for technical minds to connect, learn, and get hands-on with the latest innovations. Hear directly from professionals who are leading advancements in cyber defence, tackling today’s challenges with tomorrow’s tools. Join us at Manchester’s Digital Security Hub—the centre of the city’s cyber ecosystem—for a day of serious knowledge sharing and practical insight.

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SPONSORED BY
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What to expect

Our Cyber Security conference is aimed at tech professionals working in the cyber space.

Across the day, we’ll hear from six expert speakers diving into real-world issues around security, threat detection, and cyber ethics—sharing what they’ve learned from working on the front lines of the industry. We’ll also host two engaging panel discussions designed to open up the conversation, giving delegates a chance to pose questions, challenge ideas, and contribute to the wider dialogue.

Our practical workshops are built for techies who learn by doing. Dive deeper into specific topics, collaborate with peers facing similar challenges, and walk away with actionable insights you can apply in your day-to-day work. It’s about more than theory—it’s about solving real problems, together.

Round off the day with our informal evening social—a chance to connect with fellow delegates and speakers, swap stories, and get those burning questions answered. Whether you’re looking to expand your network, explore new ideas, or spark career opportunities, it’s the perfect way to keep the conversation going.

New for 2025! The MTF event app is a virtual environment which puts you in the centre of the festival! Log on, explore sessions and choose your own agenda. Plus! Interact with other guests, access pre-conference content, pose questions to our speakers and more! The best part? You get access to the app for upto 6 months after the festival where all of our talks will be posted so you don’t need to worry about missing a thing! 

SPEAKERS

Discover this years speaker bio’s by clicking the images below!

Nafiseh Taghavi

Specialist Intelligence Analyst
Resolver (a Kroll Business)

Niamh Muldoon

Trusts & Security
Thought Leader

Osama Okunbo

Senior Software Engineer & Cybersecurity Analyst
Immibuddy

Ken Munro

Founder & Partner
Pen Test Partners

Lewis Keeling

Director & Co-Founder
Wolf Network Security

Ryan Keeling

Senior Penetration Tester & Director
Wolf Network Security

Will Poole

Leader in Incident Response

Akmal Khalil

Software Engineer
Roke

Louis Holt

CEO & Co-Founder
ESPROFILER

AGENDA

Have your QR Code Ticket in hand and head on over to our registration desk to grab your pass for the day

Take your seats for the opening of the days conference

Meet your host for the day and join us for opening remarks

Osama Okunbo
Senior Software Engineer & Cybersecurity Analyst
Immibuddy

SESSION OVERVIEW:

This talk explores how agentic AI in cybersecurity by demonstrating how autonomous agents can detect, triage, and remediate threats. We’ll unpack the architecture of agentic systems integrating large language models, planners, and executors and showcase live demos of AI agents hunting phishing campaigns and deploying network countermeasures. The session examines critical risks like reward poisoning and runaway automation, then presents best practices for human-in-the-loop governance, safe boundary setting, and performance monitoring. Attendees will leave with an actionable framework to safely deploy agentic AI in SOCs, accelerating incident response and reducing breach impact.

Lewis Keeling
Director & Co-Founder
Wolf Network Security

Ryan Keeling
Senior Penetration Tester & Director
Wolf Network Security

 

We break down the real-world cyber incidents that shook some of the UK’s most iconic retailers. The talk explores how social engineering and legacy system vulnerabilities led to months of disruption and what security teams can do to prepare. From practical insights on internal infrastructure testing to red team simulations and business continuity planning, this talk offers a sharp, actionable perspective on building cyber resilience before crisis hits.

Take a break, grab some refreshments and meet our sponsors

Akmal Khalil
Software Engineer
Roke

SESSION OVERVIEW:

“Quantum computers are going to break security!” is a common worry amongst many people. Modern secure communication relies on mathematically hard problems to conceal and verify messages. In a post-quantum future, many of these problems become significantly easier to break allowing an attacker access to your secrets.
But not all!
In this talk we look at the challenges quantum computing brings to cryptography, why we should care sooner rather than later and what’s being done to overcome these challenges 

Will Poole
Leader in Incident Response

What happens after ransomware hits? In this talk, Will Poole opens the door to real-world negotiations with ransomware groups. He’ll explore the tactics used by threat actors, how criminal communications are managed, and what’s at stake behind the scenes. Expect war stories, lessons learned, and insights into the illegitimate economics of cyber extortion.

Take a break, grab some lunch and meet our sponsors

Niamh Muldoon
Trusts & Security Thought Leader

Nafiseh Taghavi
Specialist intelligence analyst
Resolver (a Kroll Business)

SESSION OVERVIEW:

My talk will uncover the tech-driven methods we use to detect exploitation, analyse digital behaviour and collaborate with platforms to protect vulnerable users, especially children.
 
This session is aimed at technologists, data professionals, content safety teams and anyone curious about how tech can be used for social impact. I want to give the audience a rare look into the intelligence and tooling behind keeping the internet safer, with a focus on real-world applications of behavioural analysis, AI moderation and data-led investigations.
 
The talk will begin with a clear explanation of the digital threats we face today across mainstream platforms, from social media and messaging apps to adult subscription sites. I’ll introduce three main categories of predatory behaviour we investigate.
 
  • First, CSAM, or Child Sexual Abuse Material.
  • Second, COITP, or Content of Interest to Predators.
  • Third, grooming.
 
The central part of the talk is how we use digital intelligence and behavioural patterns to identify bad actors. I’ll walk through real methodologies and explain how seemingly small details like an emoji, a hashtag or an oddly cropped image can lead to the unmasking of entire abuse networks. I’ll discuss how predators operate in clusters, share evasion tactics and exploit algorithmic gaps. Understanding these behaviours helps us shape safer platforms.
 
This work sits at the crossroads of human intelligence, data science and ethics. It’s not just about technology. It’s about designing systems that understand behaviour and context. I’ll also share insights into how we feed intelligence back into trust and safety teams and machine learning models, improving the way platforms detect and remove harmful content automatically.
 
To bring the audience into the work, I’ll include an interactive segment. A short investigation game where attendees can examine real-world inspired examples and try to spot the clues we use in digital investigations. It’s a way to connect the abstract to the real and to show how technical curiosity can support public safety.
 
I’ll close the talk by reflecting on collaboration across industry, law enforcement and tech teams. No single tool or team can solve this alone. But when data, platforms and human insight come together, we can have real impact.
 
This talk is for anyone who believes tech should be used to solve meaningful problems. It’s about ethical innovation, applied intelligence and the power of technology to make the online world safer for everyone.

Take a break, grab some refreshments and meet our sponsors

Ken Munro
Founder & Partner
Pen Test Partners

SESSION OVERVIEW:

Flying is safe, far safer than many other modes of transport. However, aeroplanes are increasingly connected and consume data from multiple sources. We’ve been carrying out independent research in to aviation cyber security for several years and have found some interesting vulnerabilities along the way.

We’ll look at some issues we’ve found in in-flight entertainment systems and electronic flight bags & the challenges we’ve had getting these resolved. Some of these could affect flight safety. Fortunately, many aviation technology vendors have been very proactive at fixing bugs, but not all. Is it really possible to hack a plane and how do we go about mitigating security issues? What can we learn on the ground from vulnerabilities in the air?

Louis Holt
CEO & Co-Founder
ESPROFILER

SESSION OVERVIEW:

 

Join us for our evening social

Purchase your Tickets

Tickets for the Cyber Security Conference are £26 per day and include entry to the conference, early access to the event app to build your own agenda, entry to the evening social and access to conference recordings and content for up to 6months following the festival! Your ticket also includes refreshments throughout the day and lunch!

Don’t forget, MTF is a two week festival so check out our other events and once you’re ready to book your tickets, follow the links below!

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FUNDING

Many of our attendees have their costs covered by their employer, find out more about how to ask for funding.
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AFTER PARTY

DiSH MCR, Heron House

Our evening social offers the perfect setting to forge new connections, exchange insights, and build valuable relationships within the tech community. 

With a vibrant atmosphere, delicious refreshments, and opportunities to engage with industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and like-minded enthusiasts, this evening social is the ideal platform to relax, unwind, and expand your professional network.

 

JOIN OR SPONSOR COMMUNITY

From an exhibition stand at our core conference to sponsorship of one of our mid-year events, MTF offers businesses of all sizes an opportunity to join together and engage with the Manchester Tech Ecosystem. 

From boosting brand awareness to securing your next big hire, our sponsorship packages offer a year of benefits designed to hit your business goals, regardless of your priorities!

Enquiry today or explore the different opportunities for MTF 2026

Find Out More >
I’ve never seen a conference with such a high level of visible diversity and inclusion, and I’ve never seem so many delegates that were positively BUZZING from all of the inspirational talks and stories. What a brilliant, brilliant day.

Thank you to all the organisers, I can’t wait for next year!
Paul O'Donnell
Attendee
So many ‘WIT’ events focus on how women need to lean in. They are all focused on how women need to change. My biggest takeaway from today is that we need to talk more about changing the system. Not about changing women in under-represented groups. Honestly the best conference I’ve been to for a long time.
Holly Donohue
Attendee
The unfiltered requirement did not miss. Each speaker brought their authentic selves to that stage and very moving stories. Thank you all for your honesty and openness. Thank you for the most inclusive agenda I’ve seen.

You understood that representation would matter, and rose to the challenge!
Natalie Navickas
Attendee
MTF25_NafisehTaghavi

Nafiseh
Taghavi

Linkedin

ABOUT

Specialist Intelligence Analyst, Resolver (a Kroll Business)
I’m an intelligence analyst with over seven years of experience in online safety, currently working at Resolver. My role centres around monitoring and analysing a wide range of digital threats and harmful behaviours across social media platforms, messaging apps, and online forums. I work closely with major tech companies and digital platforms to help them understand complex safety challenges, improve user protections, and respond more effectively to emerging risks.

 

What sets my work apart is the direct exposure I have to high-risk and sensitive content on a daily basis. I engage with material and behaviours that often never make it into public view: content that’s removed quickly, trends that surface briefly before disappearing, and techniques used to evade detection. I work with content in various formats, languages, and cultural contexts, which gives me a global view of how online harm operates and shifts over time.

 

Much of my work involves spotting patterns across platforms. I help clients understand how certain behaviours move from one environment to another, and how design, algorithmic systems, and platform features can unintentionally create space for abuse. Because I work across a broad range of digital services, I’ve developed a strong sense of how different types of platforms face different challenges depending on their user base, their functionality, and their moderation capabilities.

 

At Resolver, we collaborate directly with trust and safety teams from some of the world’s biggest tech companies. This gives me insight into what’s working behind the scenes and where there are still critical gaps. I understand how moderation systems are built and tested, how platforms try to balance safety with user privacy and freedom of expression, and how algorithms influence what gets seen, flagged, or ignored.
niamh_Muldoon_MTF

Niamh
Muldoon

Linkedin

ABOUT

Trust & Security | Thought Leader 

Niamh is an award-winning Information security thought leader and Guinness World Record Holder for Cybersecurity Awareness. Over her 24 years of experience and dedication to the industry she has become globally recognised as a well established and experienced Chief Trust & Security Officer.

Niamh has been both CISO and DPO, and leading all things Cyber, Privacy and Compliance related for fast-paced growing global organizations. Recently she established and now leads a cyber innovation function enabling all to use AI safely and Securely.. Working to support the fight against cybercrime and seeing the impacts cyber security attacks, incidents and breaches have on individuals, organizations and businesses, 

Niamh qualified as a professional coach in 2023. Niamh wants to continue to collaborate with individuals, teams, and businesses – coaching them to make informed risk-based decisions to support their businesses moving forward and becoming a trust brand differentiator. 

Holding true to her value that people are at the core to leading any successful program in the Trust and Security industry she started her own company titled ‘Security Stronger’. 

Niamh continues to mentor and coach security professionals in her spare time as well as giving back to the industry through her industry involvement, as well as working with (ISC)2 on their Scholarship review panel.

Osama

Osama Okunbo

Linkedin

ABOUT

Senior Software Engineer and Cybersecurity Analyst | Immibuddy
Osama Okunbo is a cybersecurity researcher and senior software engineer at Immibuddy Canada, where he also serves as a cybersecurity analyst securing complex enterprise environments. He holds a master’s in cybersecurity and is about to begin PhD studies focused on autonomous defense systems. His key interests span emerging paradigms like zero trust architecture, edge computing, multi-cloud security, and the intersection of cybersecurity and AI. Osama combines academic rigor with practical expertise, contributes to open-source security frameworks, and regularly mentors future security professionals.
KenMunro

Ken Munro

Linkedin

ABOUT

Founder & Partner<br>Pen Test Partners

Ken Munro is Partner and Founder of Pen Test Partners, a firm of ethical hackers. He regularly blogs on everything from ICS issues in maritime security to hacking cars and the Internet of Things. This has led to regular appearances on TV and BBC News online as well as the broadsheet press.

Ken has become a voice for reform and legislative change, briefing UK and US government departments as well as being involved with various EU consumer councils. He has also spoken about ICS and IIoT security issues at various events including the Maritime Cyber Security Summit, and CMA Shipping.

He’s also not averse to getting deeply techie, regularly participating in hacking challenges and demos at RSA, Black Hat, 44CON, DEF CON and BSides amongst others. Ken is also a member of the CVE Board.

 
LewisWold

Lewis
Keeling

Linkedin

ABOUT

Director and Co-Founder of Wolf Network Security
Director and Co-Founder of Wolf Network Security, is a highly motivated and client-focused cyber professional with over 7 years of experience in network security. As a CREST Registered Tester, Lewis has performed penetration testing for FTSE companies, helping uncover vulnerabilities and strengthen defenses.
Lewis co-founded Wolf Network Security with his twin brother, Ryan. Wolf Network Security is built on approachability and transparency, specialising in penetration testing and Cyber Essentials certifications. Outside of cybersecurity, Lewis enjoys mountain biking and is a coffee connoisseur.
RyanWolf

Ryan
Keeling

Linkedin

ABOUT

Senior Penetration Tester & Director 
Director and Co-Founder of Wolf Network Security. CREST Registered Tester with a wealth of experience performing penetration testing for FTSE 100 companies. Avid technologist with a love for networking kit. Mountain Biker and coffee connoisseur.
HoldSpeaker_1

Akmal Khalil

Linkedin

ABOUT

Software Engineer | Roke

Reading spy novels such as the Alex Rider or the CHERUB series as a teen, Akmal was very quickly introduced the world of concealing information. Combining that with mathematical and technical interests he attended University of Bristol to study Maths and Computer Science, focusing on cryptography. To build on his experience in securing systems he began working at Roke in 2021 and has since worked in a range of areas covering secure communication and cloud.