VIDEO: Cyber-Focused 2017 Retail Summit Draws 100-Plus

TYLER, Texas — The University of Texas at Tyler Center for Retail Enterprises and the Center for Consumer Cybersecurity held the seventh-annual Retail Summit last week at the Ornelas Activity Center on the university campus about 100 miles east of Dallas.

This year's featured guest speaker was R. David Mahon, chief security officer for CenturyLink Inc. Mahon discussed emerging trends and new technologies in cybersecurity for retail and services.

Mahon has served in his current role since April 2011. He is responsible for cybersecurity, critical infrastructure protection, physical security, network fraud and abuse, industrial security, international travel security, global threat intelligence, workplace violence prevention, executive protection, and investigations. He is also CenturyLink's liaison with the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Council, National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center, as well as federal and state law enforcement and homeland security agencies.

A bonus panel discussion immediately followed the Retail Summit and lunch. On the panel, Mahon was joined by AJ Burns, assistant professor of computer science, and Paula Anthony, vice president and chief information officer at ETMC Regional Healthcare System. The topic was "Avoid Being Tomorrow's Headline: Securing Data in Your Organization." 

The 2017 Retail Summit was attended by approximately 130 people from such companies as Austin Bank, Regions Bank, Cavender's Boot City, Heartland Security Insurance Group, Texas Retailers Association, East Texas Medical Center, Brookshire Grocery Co., and others.

The event was sponsored by Austin Bank, Cavendar's, Convenience Store News, Learning Evolution, Progressive Grocer, Regions, and TREF. 

The Center for Retail Enterprises provides continuing education and professional development to the retail community, with a strong emphasis on small-business retailers. The annual Retail Summit is a community event featuring speakers with vast knowledge on retail and service issues.

Click above to view a video of this year’s Retail Summit.