Meeting/Event Information

Speakers: 

Daniel McKee & Tedlin Nieto

Intelligence Analysts with the Southwest Texas Fusion Center

Topic:

An Introduction to the Southwest Texas Fusion Center and the Fusion Center Cyber Mission

• After the educational session, you will:

  • Learn about resources the Southwest Texas Fusion Center (SWTFC) provides private and public sectors and SWTFC’s cyber mission
  • Identify cyber exploits & vulnerabilities in South Texas
  • Hear how the experts identify industries vulnerable to cyber incidents

In order to baseline the internet infrastructure for San Antonio and surrounding area-of-responsibility (AOR), the Southwest Texas Fusion Center (SWTFC) uses tools such as Shodan, FireEye, and other internet research tools in order to establish metrics of internet-connected devices and vulnerability-related information. While fusion centers have historically focused on homeland security threats stemming from terrorism and extremist groups, the mission has since expanded to monitor growth in the surrounding internet infrastructure, while quantifying a measurable number of potential exploits and vulnerabilities within their respective AOR. As such, this presentation will depict an introduction to the Southwest Texas Fusion Center with a central focus on the cyber mission while also highlighting the top current intelligence priorities for the organization. Topics such as collection of internet device information, methods used to identify vulnerable industries through internet research, and ways to maintaining accuracy within the results for the creation of high-level judgments will be discussed.

Before working at the SWTFC, Daniel McKee attended the University of Texas at El Paso for a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and minor in Intelligence & National Security Studies from 2009 to 2013. From 2013 to 2015 he worked as a graduate teaching assistant while also attending the University of Texas at San Antonio for a Master’s Degree in Justice Policy. Since his completed studies, Daniel has been working as a subject matter expert for the SWTFC where he typically works on various cyber-oriented duties including computer crime analysis, internet threat research, and supporting the fusion center’s local cyber intelligence-sharing initiative.

Tedlin B. Nieto joined the SWTFC staff after serving 10 years in public service as Adult Probation Officer and as Case Manager for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Tedlin’s has a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminology from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio and she completed her graduate studies in Homeland Security at The Bush School of Public Service at Texas A&M University.  Her current role at the SWTFC is focused on domestic and international extremism. Tedlin also serves as one of the authors of the SWTFC’s Weekly Threat Brief and a lead instructor for the SWTFC’s Fusion Liaison Officer Program.