LAS VEGAS, NV (May 6, 2026) – Jim West, Cybersecurity Expert, Founder, and Chief Executive Officer of TopCyberPro.com, presented at ISACA North America Conference 2026, held May 6–8, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
West co-presented the session, “Dark Web & Cybersecurity,” alongside Adrian Cheek, Senior Cybercrime Researcher at Flare. The presentation guided attendees through the realities of the deep and dark web, demonstrating how cybersecurity professionals can safely access and leverage dark web resources for Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI), breach investigations, and proactive threat monitoring.
The session explored the differences between the surface web, deep web, and dark web while emphasizing the growing importance of dark web monitoring in modern cybersecurity operations. Attendees learned how organizations can monitor threat actors, investigate stolen data, identify emerging threats, and utilize forensic analysis tools to improve cyber defense capabilities. Cheek and West also provided live demonstrations and practical guidance on how security professionals can safely connect to and navigate dark web environments while protecting operational security and organizational data.
“Organizations can no longer afford to ignore the intelligence available on the dark web,” said West. “Threat actors openly collaborate, exchange stolen information, and plan attacks in these spaces every day. Understanding how to safely monitor and analyze these environments is becoming a critical capability for cybersecurity teams worldwide.”
Cheek brought extensive global cybercrime and threat intelligence experience to the session. He previously played a pivotal role in the disruption and takedown of the GameOver Zeus botnet in 2014 and has worked internationally building intelligence and threat hunting teams across the United States, Brazil, Canada, and the United Kingdom. His background includes anti-counterfeiting enforcement, digital fraud investigations, intelligence operations, and collaborations with global law enforcement organizations, including Interpol.
West possesses more than 35 years of experience in cybersecurity across commercial, space, federal, and defense sectors with expertise in Biometrics, Risk Management, Security Analysis, and Network and Systems Auditing. He holds multiple certifications, including CISSP-ISSEP, ISSMP, GSLC, GSNA, GPEN, C-CISO, S-CISO, and many others.
West has been invited to speak at cybersecurity conferences and events worldwide, including the NSA IA Symposium, Texas Technology Summit, Global CISO Forum, Cyber Bowl, ISACA GRC, and many others. He is the recipient of the 2021 Cyber Security Awards “Cyber Personality of the Year,” the 2024 Cybersecurity Leader of the Year Award, and the 2026 Cybersecurity Advocate of the Year Award. West is also an award-winning author and writer known for developing cybersecurity strategies and solutions for National Security Systems and enterprise networks.
In addition to the ISACA North America presentation, West is scheduled to present at the ISACA GRC Conference 2026, to be held in San Diego from August 17–19, 2026.
About TopCyberPro.com
TopCyberPro.com was established in 2020 by cybersecurity expert and author Jim West to affordably train, coach, and mentor individuals seeking to enter or advance within the cybersecurity profession. Based in Houston, Texas, the organization focuses on helping bridge the cybersecurity skills gap by providing practical guidance, mentorship, and industry-driven education. Many students featured through TopCyberPro.com have shared success stories ranging from entering the cybersecurity industry for the first time to achieving major career advancements and professional certifications.
About Flare.io
Flare is a Threat Exposure Management SaaS platform that combines proprietary world-class collection from across the dark and clear web with radical ease-of-use—empowering organizations to proactively detect, prioritize, and respond to external threats, ultimately reducing risk exposure and enhancing overall cyber resilience.