The Techno Security & Digital Forensics Conference East 2026 is a premier event dedicated to digital forensics, incident response, and eDiscovery. Scheduled for June 2–4, 2026, at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, the conference aims to unite professionals from various sectors to advance the field of digital investigations.
The conference will feature over 120 educational sessions led by more than 110 industry experts, covering topics such as artificial intelligence in digital forensics, cyber and financial crimes, digital forensics methodologies, incident response strategies, eDiscovery processes, compliance, legal technology, and investigations related to Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) and human exploitation. Attendees can expect real-world case studies, emerging tools, and hands-on methodologies designed to mirror the complexity of modern digital investigations.
In addition to the educational sessions, the conference will host an exhibit hall featuring over 75 sponsors and exhibitors, providing opportunities to explore the latest investigative technologies. Notable speakers include Michael Quartararo, President of the Association of Certified E-Discovery Specialists (ACEDS), who will present a session titled "To Cull or Not to Cull: Why Early Data Volume Assessment Matters."
This conference is ideal for professionals in digital forensics, incident response, eDiscovery, and related fields seeking to enhance their knowledge, network with peers, and stay updated on the latest developments in the industry.
Speakers(10)
AJ Iafrate
Law Enforcement & Government Relations at Kodex
AJ joined Kodex in July 2024 after spending over three years building the Law Enforcement Outreach program at TikTok. Before TikTok, AJ enjoyed a decorated career in law enforcement. After seven years as a Sergeant, AJ was promoted to his agency's Investigations Unit, where he quickly became the lead Detective in many high-profile investigations led by his team. He was also responsible for drafting any legal process used to support criminal investigations, which gave him great insight into how many companies interact with law enforcement. AJ is passionate about keeping children safe online. He sits on the board of directors of the Ontario Child Sexual Exploitation Investigators Association and was the inaugural chair of the Technology Coalition’s Law Enforcement Outreach and Response Committee, where he led the development of an industry-wide approach to how tech platforms interact with law enforcement. In his spare time, AJ is an avid coach, athlete, and writer. He recently published his first novel, which became an Amazon bestseller. He earned a degree in psychology at Wilfrid Laurier University and lives in the Toronto area with his wife and three daughters.
Alek Hurst
CEO at Lumyx
Alek is the founder of Lumyx, technology built for compelling forensically accurate case presentations. He has built a number of software products in the industry, previously at Grayshift and Magnet forensics.
Amber Schroader
CEO at Paraben Corporation
For over 30 years, Ms. Schroader has been a leading innovator in digital forensics. She's developed software to recover data from various sources, including smartphones, hard drives, cloud storage, email, and even gaming systems. Her expertise extends to creating protocols for evidence seizure and processing, used by organizations worldwide. Ms. Schroader's vision extends beyond specific tools. She's championed a '360-degree approach' and 'Forensics of Everything (FoE),' emphasizing the importance of considering the complete picture of digital evidence. This influential perspective has pushed the field towards a more holistic approach. Her contributions go beyond software. Ms. Schroader is an accomplished instructor, having written and delivered numerous courses in this specialized field. She's even founded certifications, further solidifying her role in shaping the digital forensics landscape. Her passion continues through industry talks and book contributions.
Bob Osgood
Director of Digital Forensics and Cyber Analysis Programs at George Mason University
Bob Osgood is the Director of Mason’s Digital Forensics and Cyber Analysis program. Bob is an accomplished, proactive professional with expertise in developing and applying analytics to law enforcement with combined experience and achievement in the areas of: Digital Forensics, Enterprise Case Management, Cyber Crime, Counterintelligence, Information Security/Technology, Team Leadership, and Critical Infrastructure Protection. Prior to Mason, Bob served for 26 years as an FBI Special Agent. Bob was a computer forensics examiner, technically trained agent, and covert entry specialist (Flaps and Seals). Bob is a Certified Public Accountant and has a Masters in Network Engineering.
Cristin Traylor
Senior Director, AI Transformation & Law Firm Strategy at Relativity
Cristin Traylor is Senior Director of AI Transformation & Law Firm Strategy at Relativity, where she works closely with law firms, corporations, government entities, and partner organizations to align AI-driven legal data intelligence with organizational strategy, client service, and risk management. She brings a practitioner’s perspective to this work, drawing on her background as a former litigator and Discovery Counsel at McGuireWoods, where she handled complex Government Investigations & White Collar Litigation and Business & Securities matters, and led firmwide discovery strategy. Traylor advises the legal industry on how to responsibly and defensibly deploy AI across e-discovery and other high-stakes legal workflows, helping organizations enhance efficiency, consistency, and client value. A frequent author and speaker on generative AI and legal data intelligence, she also plays an active leadership role across the industry. Her service includes the Steering Committee of The Sedona Conference Working Group 1, liaison to Working Group 13 on Artificial Intelligence and the Law, the board of Richmond Women in eDiscovery and membership on the EDRM Global Advisory Council. She is a Relativity Master, Legal Data Intelligence Ambassador, and a member of the Virginia and District of Columbia Bar Associations.
Dr. Kall Loper
Managing Director at BDO
Dr. Kall Loper leads BDO’s Data Breach Review (DBR) services offering. This offering combines cyber incident response and business crisis management to serve BDO’s clients and their counsel during cyber security events. He has over 25 years of experience researching cyber threats and delivering incident response and digital forensic services. Kall’s experience includes hundreds of digital forensic investigations and cyber incident responses including some of largest threat campaigns to date.
Ken Cutler
Principal Consultant at Ken Cutler & Associates, LLC (KCA)
Ken Cutler is President and Principal Consultant of Ken Cutler & Associates (KCA) InfoSec Assurance, an independent consulting firm delivering a wide array of Information Security (IS) and Information Technology (IT) audit professional consulting services. He is the Director – Professional Certification Programs for Security University. Mr. Cutler is also a Director – CyberSecurity/CyberAudit at CPEinteractive, specializing in Technical Audits of IT Security and related IT controls. Ken is an internationally recognized consultant and trainer in the Information Security and IT audit fields. He is both certified as and has conducted courses for: Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), CompTIA Security+, and CompTIA SecurityX (formerly CASP+). Mr. Cutler has over 40 years of progressive experience in IS, IT auditing, quality assurance, business continuity/disaster recovery planning, and information technology services. He has been performing different forms of IT Auditing projects and services since 1979. His industry experience includes: insurance, banking, financial services, natural resources, manufacturing, government contracting, security and audit software product design and utilization, consulting and training.
Michael Quartararo
President at Association of Certified E-Discovery Specialists (ACEDS)
Mike Quartararo is the President of the Association of Certified E-Discovery Specialists (ACEDS), the world’s leading organization for training and certification in e-discovery. For more than 25 years, Mike has been training lawyers, paralegals and legal support professionals at law firms, corporate legal departments, and the government. He is the author of the book Project Management in Electronic Discovery, now in its second edition, and he has been consulting in e-discovery, information governance, project management and legal technology for two decades. Following 10 years as a paralegal, database specialist, and project manager at Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP and another 10 years as the director of litigation support at Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP, Mike launched a successful consulting practice that provides advisory services to corporate legal departments and law firms. He has been an adjunct instructor and guest lecturer at law schools and paralegal schools across the U.S., and he frequently writes and speaks at legal industry events on e-discovery, project management, legal technology topics. A graduate of the State University of New York, he also attended law school in London. He is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and a Certified E-Discovery Specialist (CEDS). Reach him via email at mquartararo@aceds.org.
Patterson Cake
Director of Incident Response at Black Hills Information Security
Patterson Cake has worked in cybersecurity for more than two decades, specializing in the development of incident-response teams, programs, and processes. He is currently a Principal DFIR Consultant with Black Hills Information Security, holds more than twenty-five industry certifications, is a former SANS instructor, currently teaches for Antisyphon, and has trained law enforcement, military, and national cybersecurity organizations on four continents. Patterson is the creator of the 'Incident Response Capabilities Matrix Model,' developed 'Rapid Triage Workflow' for IR investigations, is a prolific speaker, and is actively involved in the cybersecurity community.
Patti Zerwas
Project Manager at Haynes and Boone, LLP
Patti Zerwas, CEDS, is a Discovery Project Manager at Haynes Boone. She has been in the Litigation Technology Industry since 2001, focusing on Consulting, Management and Education. Prior to joining Haynes and Boone in 2013, Patti was a Sr. eDiscovery Consultant with LIT Group and the VP of Consulting Services for C2 Legal. She has been a member of Women in eDiscovery since 2016 and has held leadership positions on both the local and national level.
Event Details
- Date
- June 2, 2026
- Location
- 🇺🇸 Myrtle Beach, United States
- Myrtle Beach Convention Center
- Pricing
- Pricing details not available
- Audience
- Digital forensics, incident response, eDiscovery professionals
- CLE Credits
- CLE accreditation pending
- Attendees
- Approximately 710