CSAA International, Vienna, Va., announced the first three featured speakers for its 2015 Annual Meeting in Sonoma, Calif., October 10-14, 2015 with education sessions on October 12-14. The 2015 meeting marks the beginning of a multi-year reimagining of CSAA’s annual event. “Over the next several years, CSAA will be restructuring our traditional annual meeting in order to bring the greatest possible value to our members who attend,” said CSAA President Pamela J. Petrow. “We are in the process of reviewing content, duration, fee structure, type of location, format – all aspects of the event.

“Our goal is for attendees to have an experience that will add value to their business. We want them to take away information that will change and improve their business practices. Members will start to see these changes in Sonoma, where we have already assembled an exciting roster of speakers to present on topics that will help them advance their businesses.”

The announced speakers are:

Keynote Speaker: Stan Stahl, Ph.D. -- “Meeting the Information Security Management Challenge: The Financial Implications of Cybercrime on the Alarm Monitoring Industry” (Sponsored by Honeywell Security Products)

Stan Stahl, president of Citadel Information Group, an information security management services firm, says that cybercrime costs businesses and non-profits billions of dollars annually in theft, fraud, embezzlement, and other losses, and that meeting the cyber security challenge requires executive management and their boards to take cyber security as seriously as they take operations and finance. His keynote address will illustrate the dangers of cybercrime, show how we let cyber-criminals onto our networks and provide actionable management strategies and tactics every business can take to effectively manage its cyber-risk.

“Managing cyber-risk has become the new normal, whether it's protecting your network from cyber-criminals who want to steal your online bank credentials, dishonest competitors wanting to steal your customer lists or thieves wanting to disrupt the IP connection between you and your customers,” said Stahl. “Statistics suggest that more than 30 percent of cybercrime victims are small businesses like many of those in CSAA, and that 60 percent of these victims are out-of-business within six months of being hacked.”

A pioneer in the field of information security, Stahl began his career securing teleconferencing at the White House, databases inside Cheyenne Mountain and the communications network controlling our nuclear weapons arsenal. He was recently invited to join the California Cybersecurity Task Force convened jointly by the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services and the California Department of Technology.

Featured Speaker: David Margulies --“Protect Your Reputation: Crisis Management in the Cyber Age”

David Margulies frequently reminds audiences that in the Cyber Age, “A lie can be halfway around the world before the truth has an opportunity to put its pants on.” At his presentation in Sonoma, he will demonstrate to attendees that “what you don’t know about crisis management in the Cyber Age can kill your business.” He will share strategies and tactics for managing unforeseen events to protect company brand and reputation.

Margulies has worked with the alarm industry for more than a decade helping to enhance the industry’s reputation through positive media coverage, and successfully dealing with crisis situations and legislative issues working with the Security Industry Alarm Coalition. His firm also consults with local police agencies on media relations and crisis management. He is a frequent commentator on high-profile issues on programs including Marketplace, The Today Show, CNNfn, and Your World with Neil Cavuto. Margulies has been quoted as an expert in public relations and crisis management in Business Week, The Wall Street Journal, and many other publications. He is the author of the book “Save Your Company, Save Your Job: Crisis Management in the Internet Age”.

Featured Speaker: Robert A. Rohm, Ph.D. -- “Why Can’t You Be Normal…Like Me!”

Robert A. Rohm is a dynamic inspirational international speaker, best-selling author, educational consultant and guest lecturer. He earned his Ph.D. at the University of North Texas in Higher Education Administration and Counseling. His message focuses on transforming people into leaders who can maximize their individual potential.

Describing his special session at the CSAA Annual Meeting, Rohm says, “In the normal course of a day we meet all kinds of people. Some of them we really connect with and others… well – let’s just say we don’t quite understand them. Have you ever considered the fact that most people do not do things against you as much as they do things for themselves? This will be a lively, interactive session that will help you understand yourself and others better than you ever thought possible.”

A dynamic and energetic speaker, Rohm has educated audiences as large as 70,000 people and shared the platform with other great speakers like Zig Ziglar, Les Brown, Dr. John C. Maxwell, Frank W. Abagnale (from the movie “Catch Me If You Can”), Ron MacLean (Canadian Sports Announcer), Dr. Stephen Covey (author of “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”), Harvey Mackay (author of “Swimming With The Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive”), President George Bush, Rush Limbaugh, Charles “Tremendous” Jones and Peter Lowe.