Name: Polk County Security Summit 2026
Start: 2026-10-09T09:30:00.000-04:00
End: 2026-10-09T14:00:00.000-04:00
Location: Catapult Lakeland

ThinkTank

AI changed the threat model. This is where Polk County's IT and security leaders catch up, together.

A half-day summit for the people accountable for security at Polk County's banks, hospitals, campuses, logistics firms, manufacturers, and city and county government. Nine sessions, a live AI adversary demonstration, box lunch, and the peer conversations that are hard to get anywhere else.

Free for students and IT leaders, in recognition of Cybersecurity Awareness Month.

Presented by Daybook Consulting, Sittadel, and Hook Security, anchored by the Polk County CIO ThinkTank.

Doors 9:30 AM. Program 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM.

Catapult Lakeland, The Assembly, 2nd Floor

9:30 - 10:00 AM | Doors Open and Networking

Arrival, introductions, coffee, and informal networking.

10:00 - 10:10 AM | Welcome and Setting the Stage

Joshua Sitta (Sittadel) and Chip Nuttall (Daybook Consulting). The purpose of the day, and an introduction to the Polk County CIO ThinkTank.

10:10 - 10:40 AM | Building a Common Language: Traditional Threats, AI Threats, and Agency

Joshua Sitta, Co-Founder, Sittadel. AI usage still lacks a standardized universal language. This session builds a common baseline for talking about internal and external AI use cases before the day moves into more advanced material.

10:40 - 11:20 AM | Make the Threat Real: AI Adversary Live Demonstration

Matt Wagner (Red Leg Dev) and Garrett Poorbaugh (Sittadel). From concepts of external AI capability to a tangible demonstration of what AI-enabled adversarial activity actually looks like, and how to convert those threats into growth opportunities for your program.

11:20 - 11:50 AM | Governing AI: Moving Before the Rules Are Finished

Zachary Eikenberry, CEO, Hook Security. A provocative governance session for leaders who have to make AI usage and approval calls now.

11:50 AM - 12:10 PM | Box Lunch and Break

12:10 - 12:50 PM | AI in Action: Initial Lessons from SOC Operations

Garrett Poorbaugh, COO, Sittadel. The first hurdles of applying AI to security operations, building operations from natural language, and how to design these solutions around your program's objectives.

12:50 - 1:20 PM | AI Workforce Today: Efficiency, Effectiveness, and Human Behavior

Garrett Poorbaugh and Alex Delfino, Sittadel. Introducing AI into daily operations demands intention about its impact on processes and on people.

1:20 - 1:50 PM | 2035: Three Predictions About the Future of Security

Zachary Eikenberry, CEO, Hook Security. Beyond the operational conversation and into what the security landscape may actually look like five to ten years out.

Closing statements and a short list of things team leaders can act on Monday morning.

Free tickets for students and IT and security leaders across Polk County and Central Florida: CIO, CISO, VP of IT, Director of IT and Security, network and security engineers, IT managers, GRC and compliance, public sector IT, and CS/cyber/IT students with a valid .edu or student ID.

$1 per hour at the Main Street Parking Garage. The first 50 registrants get validated parking.