Keynote by Former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff
WASHINGTON, 2014-5-2 — /EPR Retail News/ — The National Retail Federation will kick off its annual Loss Prevention Conference and Expo in Fort Lauderdale this June and will welcome Chairman of the Chertoff Group and former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff, for the opening keynote address. Industry leaders, loss prevention professionals, cybersecurity experts and law enforcement officers will convene for the three-day event taking place June 10-13 at the Broward County Convention Center. The conference will feature top-notch educational sessions and provide a forum for professionals to identify solutions to industry security challenges and explore the latest cutting-edge technologies.
The issue of cybersecurity is an evolving and persistent threat to the retail industry, and Chertoff’s keynote will focus on what retailers and the nation as a whole can do to meet this challenge. Chertoff’s expertise will provide attendees with insight on how cyber risks develop, how the retail industry can more effectively manage risk, and how companies can better assess, identify and mitigate real and potential threats. Chertoff will take the stage Wednesday, June 11 at 8:30 a.m. for the opening keynote titled “The Persistent Threat: Understanding the Evolving Cybersecurity Challenge We Face Today.”
Other notable keynote sessions include:
Cybersecurity expert and blogger Brian Krebs will discuss how retailers large and small remain vulnerable to data theft and cyber crimes by sophisticated underground groups. His session, titled“Exploiting the Security ‘PR Gap’: Perception vs. Reality,” will take place Thursday, June 12 at 3:45 p.m. Krebs is the author of KrebsonSecurity.com, a daily news site dedicated to in-depth cybersecurity news and investigations, with a special focus on cybercrime.
NRF will also welcome Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel as a keynote speaker Thursday, June 12 from 8:30-9:15 a.m. for a session titled “Value of Law Enforcement and Retail Partnerships.” Israel will discuss how retailers and law enforcement agencies partner to support initiatives against organized retail crime enterprises and their illicit activities.
Additionally, experts will discuss recent events involving active shooters and the impact these crimes have on retailers, their employees and customers. The panel, titled “Active Shooters: Your Business, Your Customers, Your Responsibility,” is scheduled for Friday, June 13 from 8:45-11:00 a.m. Panelists include PCG Solutions CEO and President Walter Palmer; Sterling Jewelers, Inc. Director of Loss Prevention Mark Neapolitan; Banana Republic, Inc. Vice President of Loss Prevention Bryan O’Brien; and Hudson Bay Corporation Senior Director, Administration, Asset Protection Michael Liberatore.
For more information about NRF’s Loss Prevention Conference and EXPO, visit http://lp14.nrf.com/.
NRF is the world’s largest retail trade association, representing discount and department stores, home goods and specialty stores, Main Street merchants, grocers, wholesalers, chain restaurants and Internet retailers from the United States and more than 45 countries. Retail is the nation’s largest private sector employer, supporting one in four U.S. jobs – 42 million working Americans. Contributing $2.5 trillion to annual GDP, retail is a daily barometer for the nation’s economy. NRF’s This is Retail campaign highlights the industry’s opportunities for life-long careers, how retailers strengthen communities, and the critical role that retail plays in driving innovation. www.nrf.com.
###
NRF is pleased to grant complimentary registration to editorial staff members of the press, as well as accredited retail analysts. To register for NRF’s Loss Prevention Conference and EXPO, visit www.nrf.com/pressreg or contact NRF’s media relations team at press@nrf.com.
Bethany Aronhalt or Kathy Grannis (855) NRF-PRESS
press@nrf.com