Gabrielle Hempel
Security Operations Strategist
Exabeam
Gabrielle Hempel is a Security Operations Strategist at Exabeam, specializing in detection engineering, threat intelligence, and AI-driven defense. She has spoken at conferences including Black Hat and DEF CON, where her work focuses on improving the speed, accuracy, and operational effectiveness of modern SOCs.In addition to her industry work, Gabrielle serves in a cybersecurity leadership role with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and the Ohio Cyber Reserve, where she supports incident response and cyber defense operations. She holds a master's degree in cybersecurity from New York University and is currently pursuing her J.D. with a focus on technology law.
Speaker sessions
Briefings and Arsenals | Confirmed Speakers | No Session Assigned
Placeholder session for confirmed speakers without an assigned session, allowing them to be pushed to Swapcard and Visit.
- 07:30
- Tue
- 01 Dec
Stage:
Briefing Stage 2
Sessions Type:
Keynote
The Signal and the Noise: Building High-Fidelity Detections in Modern SOCs
Security Operations Centers (SOCs) are overwhelmed by alerts, but the core issue isn't volume, it's fidelity. Many detections are technically correct yet operationally ineffective, generating noise that slows analysts, obscures real threats, and degrades response outcomes.This session reframes the signal-versus-noise problem as a failure of system design and decision-making, not simply a tuning challenge. Drawing from real-world SOC operations, it introduces a practical approach to building high-fidelity detections that prioritize actionability, context, and measurable outcomes over raw coverage.Attendees will explore why traditional detection metrics such as precision and recall fail in production environments, and how concepts like detection debt and alert fatigue impact security posture over time. The talk will also examine how AI is reshaping detection�both amplifying noise and enabling new opportunities for signal�while introducing risks when applied without sufficient oversight.Through concrete examples and frameworks, this session will demonstrate how to design detections that align with analyst workflows, reduce cognitive load, and improve response effectiveness. It will also address a critical but often overlooked question: what should not be detected, and how to make that decision strategically.Participants will leave with a clear methodology for transforming detection engineering into a disciplined, outcome-driven practice that improves both efficiency and security.
- 16:20
- Tue
- 01 Dec
Stage:
Briefing Stage 1
Sessions Type:
Keynote