Threathunter.AI aims to make Defcon 32 and Vetcon a little more bearable by bringing back its annual whiskey-tasting event. Whiskey aficionado James McMurry, CEO of Threathunter.AI and honorary Chief Petty Officer (USCG), will host the event at Vetcon.
The company will demonstrate its Threat Hunting as a Service (THaaS) solution on its AI/ML platform. The platform is managed by Threathunter.AI’s experienced threat-hunting teams, which have been protecting customers for over 17 years. Also on show will be the company’s XDR, MxDR and SOC Service offerings.
All about supporting veterans
For McMurry, this is all about supporting veterans looking for a career outside the military. In addition to using social media to support veterans, McMurry donates to individual veterans every year.
In a podcast with Enterprise Times earlier this year, McMurry said, “we want to start giving out mini scholarships to help those veterans who don’t want to burn their GI Bill, or they don’t have a GI Bill available to them for one reason or another, by helping them up to $500 per month to take tests, to take training, to get books, even if it’s just for basic subsistence to help them.”
Importantly, this money is not coming from the business or any other source. It comes from McMurry himself to help veterans who need help.
McMurry and friend Bill Campbell, the founder of CDT, set up Vetcon to provide a place to support veterans. For those who question how many veterans are in cybersecurity, McMurry says that at Vetcon last year, more than 3,000 people turned up. That’s a significant number of people and a self-supporting community.
How to get involved in the whiskey tasting?
Getting involved in the whiskey-tasting event costs nothing. All that is required is that attendees obtain the one-of-a-kind @whiskeyhacker coin for 2024 to gain access. Coins are prized among the veteran community, and only the 2024 edition will be accepted.
The coin alone, however, is not enough to guarantee entry. McMurry recently visited the Veteran Administration Hospital in Long Beach, CA. While there, he spoke to several veterans who are long-term patients. They told him that there was a lack of visitors and a lack of books. To address this, McMurry has said that everyone attending the whiskey tasting must bring a book that will be donated to the hospital.
McMurry said, “As a veteran and honorary Chief Petty Officer, I understand the importance of giving back to our fellow service members. DEFCON and VETCON are not just about networking and learning; they’re also about supporting others.
“The annual whiskey tasting event is a great way to connect with fellow Cybersecurity people, while also supporting veterans who have given so much for our country. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone at the whiskey tasting and making a significant contribution to our long-term care hospital-bound veterans who love to read.”
Enterprise Times: What does this mean?
This is no publicity stunt by Threathunter.AI. Unlike many businesses that call themselves veteran-friendly, it backs up that statement with positive actions. The whiskey-tasting event is always popular, and there will be much competition for coins. Using the event to gather books for veterans is another example of McMurry’s commitment to veterans.
For Threathunter.AI, Defcon is a chance to demonstrate its commitment to protecting customers. It recently announced a free firewall assessment service for businesses and a Response:Ready solution at RSA. McMurry says there will be more to come at Defcon.
