BSides Vancouver Island

Steve Pellerin joins Jason D’Souza, host of CBC’s All Points West, for a timely conversation about cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and the practical steps we can all take to stay safer online.

From AI-generated deepfakes and synthetic voices to increasingly convincing phishing and financial scams, the online threat landscape is changing quickly. Steve explains why awareness, strong account security, and local community connections matter more than ever—for individuals, families, businesses, and public institutions.

They also discuss the value of building a stronger local cybersecurity community and preview BSides Vancouver Island, the annual community-driven cybersecurity conference bringing together security professionals, students, researchers, and curious newcomers on Vancouver Island.

In this interview, you’ll hear about:

• How AI is making scams, deepfakes, and impersonation attempts more convincing
• Why “community is your first line of defense” against emerging cyber threats
• Practical ways to protect your accounts, including enabling multi-factor authentication
• How local meetup groups and security communities can improve cyber awareness
• Why organizations need to invest in people, training, and a stronger human firewall
• What to expect from BSides Vancouver Island

If you take only one action after watching: turn on multi-factor authentication now—especially for your email, banking, and social-media accounts.

🎟️ Get your ticket now at bsidesvi.com and join Vancouver Island’s cybersecurity community for a full day of practical, community-driven security research and conversation.

Follow BSides Vancouver Island for conference updates, community content, and future interviews:
https://www.youtube.com/@BSidesVancouverIsland
https://www.linkedin.com/company/26519449
https://www.instagram.com/bsidesvi

#Cybersecurity #OnlineSafety #ArtificialIntelligence #Deepfakes #ScamAwareness #MFA #BSidesVI #BSidesVancouverIsland #VancouverIsland #CyberSecurityConference

Our very own Ryan Smith joined CBC On the Island host Gregor Craigie for a quick look at our upcoming BSides Vancouver Island conference and his upcoming talk, The Control Plane Awakens: How Attackers Are Taking Over Network Edge Infrastructure.

Attackers are no longer just trying to get through the firewall or VPN—they are turning network-edge infrastructure into a long-term operational foothold. Ryan shares why this matters, how adversaries exploit these critical control points, and what defenders can do to detect and respond.

See Ryan’s full presentation live at BSides Vancouver Island 2026 on Friday, September 25 at the Victoria Conference Centre.

 🎟️ Get your ticket now at bsidesvi.com and join Vancouver Island’s cybersecurity community for a full day of practical, community-driven security research and conversation.

 #BSidesVI #Cybersecurity #NetworkSecurity #InfoSec #VictoriaBC

Get a rapid fire preview of the ideas, people and conversations coming to BSides Vancouver Island 2026.

In this final speaker-highlight compilation, hear from researchers, defenders, builders and community leaders tackling the issues shaping cybersecurity today: AI and agentic systems, identity, network defence, software supply-chain risk, emerging threats and the practical work of keeping organizations secure.

But BSidesVI is about more than the talks. It is a grassroots, community-driven event where security professionals, students, researchers, technology leaders, and people who are simply curious can learn, connect, share experience, and help strengthen the cybersecurity community on Vancouver Island and beyond.

A huge thank-you to every speaker, volunteer, attendee, organizer and sponsor helping make this conference possible. Your support is what turns BSidesVI from a conference into a community.

Join us this Friday, September 25, at the Victoria Conference Centre. Come hear the full talks, meet the speakers, reconnect with colleagues, make new connections and be part of the conversation.

🎟️ Tickets, schedule, and event details: http://bsidesvi.com

#BSidesVI #Cybersecurity #InfoSec #VictoriaBC #VancouverIsland #SecurityResearch #AISecurity #CyberSecurityCommunity

Our volunteer Director at Large, Steven Pellerin, explores the use of AI in cybersecurity and the concept of a security harness with Michael Argast. It delves into the challenges of implementing AI, the importance of human-in-the-loop controls, and the role of community events in learning and sharing knowledge.

Takeaways

• Security harness: AI requires a structured approach to ensure predictable and reliable outcomes.
• Human-in-the-loop: Human oversight and controls are essential for AI to work with sensitive client data.
• Community learning: Participation in community events and learning from experts is valuable for small organizations in the cybersecurity space.

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction to AI in Cybersecurity
• 01:37 B-Sides Vancouver Island 2026 Conference
• 03:00 The Concept of a Security Harness
• 06:05 Human-in-the-Loop Controls for AI
• 15:27 AI in Small Organizations

The conversation explores the challenges and risks associated with agentic AI and the need for a multi-layered defense approach, drawing parallels to the Thedosian Walls of Constantinople. It delves into the rise of non-human identities, the uniqueness and risk of AI agents, and the complexities of securing agentic AI in organizations.

Takeaways

• Defense in depth is crucial for securing agentic AI
• Understanding and controlling AI agents is essential for organizational security

Chapters

• 00:00 The Thedosian Walls of Constantinople
• 01:37 Introduction to B-Sides Vancouver Island 2026
• 03:22 The Rise of Non-Human Identities
• 04:51 The Uniqueness and Risk of AI Agents
• 05:40 Risks and Challenges of Agentic AI
• 09:48 The Thedosian Walls of 2026: Defense in Depth
• 10:13 Building Thedosian Layers for AI Security
• 13:34 Detecting and Understanding Deployed AI Agents

The conversation delves into the challenges of AI governance and accountability, highlighting the story of Agent B and the implications for managing AI agents. It explores the trust boundaries and decision-making processes in the context of agentic systems, providing valuable insights for organizations deploying AI agents.

Takeaways

• AI Governance
• Accountability

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction to AI Governance
• 00:57 The Story of Agent B
• 03:19 Managing AI Agents
• 10:07 Trust Boundaries and Decision Making

The conversation explores the topic of residential proxies and their impact on cybersecurity, focusing on the research and insights shared by threat researcher David Brunsdon. It delves into the use of residential proxies, their risks, and the implications for enterprise environments.

Takeaways

• Residential proxies enable traffic to appear as though it comes from a normal home or business connection, posing significant risks to organizations.
• The use of residential proxies in cyber attacks, ad fraud, and botnet activities highlights the need for organizations to address this threat in their security policies.

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction to Residential Proxies
• 04:40 Understanding Residential Proxies and Their Functionality
• 07:00 The Usefulness of Residential Proxies to Attackers
• 09:05 Real-World Risks of Residential Proxies in Enterprise Environments
• 11:33 Addressing Residential Proxies in Security Policies

JOIN US AT BSIDES VANCOUVER ISLAND 2026

BSides Vancouver Island is a community-driven, grassroots cybersecurity conference bringing together security practitioners, researchers, students, and technology enthusiasts to learn, connect, and share knowledge.

Friday, September 25, 2026
Victoria Conference Centre — Victoria, BC

This year marks our fifth anniversary*, with *two talk tracks for the first time.

🎟️ Tickets and conference details: https://bsidesvi.com

The conversation explores the importance of community in cybersecurity, highlighting the isolation of the profession, the power of community, building professional relationships, belonging in the community, participating in the community, low-pressure participation, panel discussion preview, the role of community in cybersecurity, and joining the cybersecurity community.

Takeaways

• Community is essential in cybersecurity
• Belonging in the community is valuable for career growth

Chapters

• 00:00 The Isolation of Cybersecurity
• 02:12 The Power of Community
• 03:00 Building Professional Relationships
• 04:20 Belonging in the Community
• 06:22 Participating in the Community
• 07:25 Low-Pressure Participation
• 08:15 Panel Discussion Preview
• 09:22 The Role of Community in Cybersecurity
• 12:12 Joining the Cybersecurity Community

Panelists: 

• Ryan Clarke, Principal Incident Response Consultant, Mandiant (Google Cloud) — representing ISACA Vancouver Chapter, DC604, and VancitySec 

• Roberto Salgado, Co-Founder and CEO, Websec — representing OWASP Victoria 

• Parisa Saqib, Cybersecurity Analyst, BCIT — representing DMZ604 
  
  JOIN US AT BSIDES VANCOUVER ISLAND 2026
  
  BSides Vancouver Island is a community-driven, grassroots cybersecurity conference bringing together security practitioners, researchers, students, and technology enthusiasts to learn, connect, and share knowledge.
  
  Friday, September 25, 2026
  Victoria Conference Centre — Victoria, BC
  
  This year marks our fifth anniversary*, with *two talk tracks for the first time.
  
  🎟️ Tickets and conference details: https://bsidesvi.com

The conversation delves into the world of evasive VPN clients and the Living Off the Tunnel project, shedding light on the real-world impact of these tools and the importance of defender awareness. Darren Smith, a threat research expert, shares insights into the development of the project and the significance of detecting evasive VPN tools.

Takeaways

• Evasive VPN clients can pose a significant threat to enterprise network security.
• Awareness and concrete strategies are crucial for defending against threats posed by evasive VPN tools.

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction to Vancouver Island Security Research Society
• 01:36 Guest Introduction and Background
• 02:17 Path to Threat Research and Detection Engineering
• 04:05 Evasive VPN Clients and Living Off the Tunnel Project
• 06:14 Forensic Toolkit for Evasive VPN Clients
• 08:20 Real-World Impact of Evasive VPNs
• 09:38 AI Agents and Defender's Radar
• 10:06 Key Takeaways and Conclusion

JOIN US AT BSIDES VANCOUVER ISLAND 2026

BSides Vancouver Island is a community-driven, grassroots cybersecurity conference bringing together security practitioners, researchers, students, and technology enthusiasts to learn, connect, and share knowledge.

Friday, September 25, 2026
Victoria Conference Centre — Victoria, BC

This year marks our fifth anniversary*, with *two talk tracks for the first time.

🎟️ Tickets and conference details: https://bsidesvi.com

The podcast features Greg Pollock, Director of Research and Insight at UpGuard, discussing his research into internet-wide threats and publicly available data sets, particularly focusing on DMCA data and its insights into compromised websites and online criminal activity. Greg emphasizes the value of cybersecurity fundamentals and shares tools and approaches for threat researchers to apply to their own investigations.

Takeaways

• DMCA data provides valuable insights into online criminal activity.
• Cybersecurity fundamentals are crucial for identifying and addressing website compromises.

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction to B-Sides Vancouver Island 2026
• 00:54 Greg Pollock's Background and Research
• 02:20 Investigating Internet-Wide Threats and Data Sets
• 03:02 DMCA Data and Compromised Websites
• 04:36 Patterns in DMCA Requests and Compromised Sites
• 05:20 Value of DMCA Data for Threat Intelligence
• 07:12 Insights into Online Criminal Activity
• 11:10 Main Message and Takeaways

JOIN US AT BSIDES VANCOUVER ISLAND 2026

BSides Vancouver Island is a community-driven, grassroots cybersecurity conference bringing together security practitioners, researchers, students, and technology enthusiasts to learn, connect, and share knowledge.

Friday, September 25, 2026
Victoria Conference Centre — Victoria, BC

This year marks our fifth anniversary*, with *two talk tracks for the first time.

🎟️ Tickets and conference details: https://bsidesvi.com