Central Maryland Chapter of ISSA

Yom Kippur
2026-09-20 | MD

Membership Meeting 09/23/2026
2026-09-23 17:00 - 19:30 (America/New_York) | HubSpot—The Gathering Place on the Gateway, 6724 Alexander Bell Drive Hub Spot, Suite 105, Columbia, MD, 21046
Chapter Business Meeting Slides: TBD
Speaker Slides: TBD
Topic: Behaviors as Artifacts
Cybersecurity has traditionally treated software as something to be identified. Hashes, file names, extensions, certificates, and other metadata have become the artifacts we collect, store, and reason about. While these attributes are valuable, they answer only one question: What is this? They tell us very little about what it does.
The same is true when describing a person. We can list their height, hair color, occupation, or where they live, but those characteristics don’t tell us who they really are. Identity is ultimately expressed through behavior: how someone thinks, acts, adapts, and responds to the world around them. Software is no different.
Every application, script, or binary exhibits a unique set of behaviors that can be derived through static analysis, dynamic execution, or both. Those behaviors extend beyond the concept of a traditional fingerprint. They become behavioral artifacts that capture intent, capability, and function rather than simply appearance.
This shift fundamentally changes how we reason about software. Instead of asking, “Have I seen this file before?” we can begin asking, “Have I seen this behavior before?” or even, “Does this behavior belong in my environment?” That perspective moves cybersecurity beyond signatures and reputation toward understanding software by how it acts, regardless of its name, hash, or origin.
As advances in compute and AI make behavioral analysis possible at unprecedented scale, defenders have an opportunity to build behavioral catalogs that continuously learn, correlate, and contextualize software activity across an environment. These catalogs can reveal emerging threats, detect changes in trusted software, identify anomalous behavior, and provide a deeper understanding of the operational health of modern systems.
The future of cyber defense may not be defined by identifying more files, but by understanding more behaviors. As behaviors become artifacts themselves, they have the potential to redefine how we classify software, detect threats, and reason about the increasingly complex digital ecosystems we are responsible for protecting.

Speaker: Jared Sladich, Senior Solutions Engineer, CodeHunter
Jared Sladich is a cybersecurity expert with deep specialization in automated malware analysis, threat visibility, and technology integration. He works at the intersection of technical depth and practical application, helping security teams move beyond the limitations of manual reverse engineering to identify and understand advanced threats faster.
His expertise was built over a career spanning the Department of Defense, Intelligence Community, and the commercial cybersecurity industry. He began as a Human Intelligence Collector in the United States Army, then branched out into digital forensics and cyber threat intelligence work before progressing into senior technical roles where he built various data analysis and email security products. That foundation in intelligence collection and forensics continues to shape how he approaches malware analysis and threat intelligence today. Across each of these roles, Jared has honed a rare combination of skills: the analytical rigor of intelligence tradecraft paired with hands-on technical fluency in modern threat analysis.
That same hands-on expertise carries into every conversation where he shares it regularly with SOC and MSSP audiences at industry events like Black Hat USA, Pax8 Beyond, and regional Cybersecurity Summits.

Columbus Day
2026-10-12 | MD

Membership Meeting 10/28/2026
2026-10-28 17:00 - 19:30 | HubSpot—The Gathering Place on the Gateway, 6724 Alexander Bell Drive Hub Spot, Suite 105, Columbia, MD, 21046
Chapter Business Meeting Slides: TBD
Speaker Slides: TBD
Topic: Inside the Infostealer Economy: How Threat Actors Turn Stolen Credentials into Enterprise Breaches
Infostealer malware has emerged as one of the most significant threats facing organizations today. Millions of credentials, session tokens, browser cookies, and other sensitive data elements are harvested daily and sold through a thriving underground economy. These stolen assets frequently become the initial access vectors for ransomware attacks, business email compromise, account takeovers, and large-scale enterprise breaches.
This presentation provides a technical and operational examination of the modern infostealer ecosystem. Attendees will learn how infostealers infect systems, what data they collect, how threat actors monetize stolen information, and how organizations can identify and mitigate risks associated with credential theft. Drawing from current threat intelligence research and real-world examples, this session provides practical guidance that security practitioners can immediately apply within their own environments.
Attendee Takeaways

Understanding the current infostealer threat landscape
How stolen credentials, cookies, and session tokens are harvested and sold
The connection between infostealers, ransomware, business email compromise, and account takeover
Common indicators of compromise and investigative techniques
Practical threat intelligence applications for security teams
Detection, response, and prevention strategies to reduce organizational risk

Speaker: Marcelle Lee, Founder and Principal Advisor of Fractal Security Group
Marcelle Lee is the Founder and Principal Advisor of Fractal Security Group, where she helps organizations strengthen their cybersecurity posture through strategic advisory services, threat intelligence, security awareness, and cyber resilience initiatives.
A cybersecurity leader, researcher, educator, and public speaker, Marcelle specializes in cyber threat intelligence, security operations, emerging technologies, and the evolving tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) used by today’s threat actors. Her research focuses on cybercriminal ecosystems, credential theft operations, and the growing impact of infostealer malware on organizations across industries.
Marcelle is passionate about translating complex technical threats into actionable insights for security practitioners, business leaders, and executive audiences. Through conference presentations, workshops, consulting engagements, and training programs, she helps organizations better understand emerging threats and build practical, risk-based security strategies.

Veterans Day
2026-11-11 | MD

Membership Meeting 11/18/2026
2026-11-18 17:00 - 19:30 | HubSpot—The Gathering Place on the Gateway, 6724 Alexander Bell Drive Hub Spot, Suite 105, Columbia, MD, 21046
Chapter Business Meeting Slides: TBD
Speaker Slides: TBD
Topic:

Speaker:

Thanksgiving Day
2026-11-26 | MD

Membership Meeting 12/16/2026
2026-12-16 17:00 - 19:30 | HubSpot—The Gathering Place on the Gateway, 6724 Alexander Bell Drive Hub Spot, Suite 105, Columbia, MD, 21046

Christmas Day
2026-12-25 | MD
