Continent 8 Technologies’ Regional Sales Director, Jerad Swimmer, and Principal Solutions Architect, Tony Engel, recently attended TribalNet Conference & Tradeshow.
Here, Jerad and Tony share their key takeaways from the show.
Tony Engel (TE): It was another great event. The show was noticeably larger this year, with considerable growth in participation and an impressive expansion in educational track sessions, which was great to see.
Jerad Swimmer (JS): I absolutely agree with Tony – it was another great event! We had the opportunity to engage with CIOs, CTOs, CSOs, IT directors, IT managers and security analysts, demonstrating active interest from all levels of IT infrastructure and security leadership.
TE: A notable theme from this year’s event was the continued advancement of cybersecurity maturity across the industry. Attendees displayed deep technical expertise and a proactive commitment to implementing cybersecurity strategies, whether it’s security operations centers (SOCs) or vulnerability assessment and penetration tests (VAPTs). I can see the tides are changing, and they’re changing fast, which is great to see through the lens of a cybersecurity professional.
JS: 100%! Cybersecurity dominated our discussions, with significant interest in pen testing, the latest threat detection and response approaches, as well as the real-world benefits of cyber training and simulation methods to strengthen the human element within an organization’s security posture.
It was also interesting to see the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) as a key presentation track at this year’s event. I had the opportunity to attend some of the sessions which explored AI’s role as both a protective and adversarial entity and insights into how tribal casinos can monitor and protect their operations.
TE: As I mentioned earlier, cybersecurity evolves quickly, and this necessitates ongoing discussions with managed security service providers (MSSPs) to ensure the adoption of leading best practices. The increased visibility of cybersecurity as a core presentation track at the conference demonstrates the industry’s commitment to making cybersecurity a strategic priority, which is reassuring to see.
JS: Threat intelligence was a focal point at TribalNet, with tribal organizations actively seeking to integrate this capability into their security frameworks. The tribal gaming community will be pleased to hear that Continent 8 has just launched Threat Exchange – the industry’s first dedicated cyber threat intelligence (CTI) platform. Purpose-built for the gaming community, this platform delivers actionable intelligence, providing tribal gaming entities with exclusive insights into emerging threats. This development enables tribal organizations to now make informed decisions and implement advanced measures to enhance the security of their gaming environments.
If you’re also looking to further the conversation on cybersecurity for tribal gaming, we invite you to visit Booth #4235 at G2E Las Vegas, from October 7-9. Book a meeting today and we’ll be happy to schedule a time with you at the show: https://lp.continent8.com/global-gaming-expo-2025
Continent 8 provides comprehensive, multi-layered threat prevention, detection and response solutions to secure your tribal organization’s digital assets in the face of evolving cyber threats. For more information on how Continent 8 can support your cybersecurity initiatives, email sales@continent.com or fill out our Contact Us page.
Download the tribal cybersecurity checklist to start your proactive cybersecurity journey.
Also, be sure to watch the latest episode in our Tribal Talks: Cybersecurity Unlocked podcast series. Each episode delves into new stories, insights gained, best practices and key developments that are shaping the future of tribal casino gaming and cybersecurity.
Tribal Talks: Cybersecurity Unlocked
Continent 8 Technologies’ Regional Sales Directors, Jerad Swimmer and Jamie Garcia, and Principal Solutions Architect, Anthony Engel, recently attended the TribalNet 2024 Conference and Tradeshow.
At the booth, they were showcasing Continent 8’s multi-layered cybersecurity solutions designed to support tribal casinos and their cybersecurity programs.
Jamie Garcia and Jerad Swimmer at TribalNet 2024
Here, Jerad, Jamie and Tony share their key takeaways from the show.
Jamie Garcia (JG): Following the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association (OIGA) 2024 event, we experienced yet another exceptionally organized and well-attended conference. It’s always a pleasure to reconnect with familiar faces, industry experts and organizational leaders, while also exploring opportunities on how we can shape, power and protect the industry together.
Jerad Swimmer (JS): Absolutely, Jamie! TribalNet was indeed a remarkable event. As one of our primary tribal-focused conferences, and a show I’ve proudly attended for many years, it provides an excellent platform for us to engage directly with new and existing customers and decision-makers who are dedicated to protecting their tribal casinos, enterprises, corporations and government organizations.
JG: Cybersecurity was a central theme at OIGA 2024, and it was front and center in most of our discussions at TribalNet as well. Artificial intelligence (AI) was a particularly prominent topic, with many attendees eager to learn about the latest trends and best practices in AI and machine learning (ML) technologies, especially in their roles for both cyber protection and cyber threats.
Tony Engel (TE): Jamie raises an excellent point about the dual nature of AI as both a tool and a threat. Cybersecurity firms are using AI to help identify risky behaviors, automate mitigation steps and assist analysts in efficient data queries. Conversely, cybercriminals are also exploiting AI and ML capabilities to launch cyber attacks – and at scale! Building robust cybersecurity programs to counter AI-driven threats can be challenging but partnering with managed security service providers (MSSPs) equipped with 24x7x365 Security Operations Centers (SOCs) and up-to-date AI, ML and threat intelligence tools and platforms is an effective strategy to combat these sophisticated threats.
JS: In addition to AI, another key focus at the event was Vulnerability Assessment & Penetration Testing (VAPT), with numerous TribalNet attendees inquiring about VAPT approaches and solutions for their organizations.
For VAPT, we advise choosing a service that can identify vulnerabilities across your entire organization, including infrastructure, networks, applications and cloud environments. A comprehensive end-to-end assessment allows you to isolate and prioritize security investments for maximum risk reduction. We also suggest regularly scheduled VAPTs to ensure a proactive and continuous evaluation and enhancement of your cyber attack surface area.
Anthony Engel and Jerad Swimmer at TribalNet 2024.
JS: As cyber threats evolve, so must our cybersecurity strategies. AI and ML will remain pivotal in cybersecurity platforms, enabling the most innovative solutions to keep the most sophisticated AI-driven threats at bay.
We also foresee the tribal gaming community continuing to expand and enhance their cybersecurity measures. We are committed to strengthening our relationships with key tribal decision makers to ensure we provide the necessary safeguards for their cyber ecosystems.
And finally, we wanted to thank all the TribalNet attendees who visited the Continent 8 booth to share their cybersecurity insights, experiences and perspectives. For those interested in continuing the discussion in person, we invite you to visit us at the Global Gaming Expo 2024 in Booth 4235 to learn more about how we can support your cybersecurity initiatives. I’m really looking forward to the event.
Book a meeting at G2E 2024: https://lp.continent8.com/g2e-vegas-2024
Continent 8 provides comprehensive, multi-layered threat prevention, detection and response solutions to secure your tribal organization’s digital assets in the face of evolving cyber threats. For more information on how Continent 8 can support your cybersecurity initiatives, email sales@continent.com or fill out our Contact Us page.
Also, be sure to watch the latest episode in our Tribal Talks: Cybersecurity Unlocked podcast series. In this episode, Jerad Swimmer talks with Anthony Engel about cybersecurity challenges in the age of modern AI as cyber threats become increasingly sophisticated.