Chief Architect Mitch Hall to Deliver Expert Session on Open-Source Infrastructure for Secure Data Environments
SYDNEY, NOVA SCOTIA - June 10, 2025 (NEWMEDIAWIRE) - 45Drives, a global leader in high-performance open-source storage and virtualization infrastructure for enterprise and mid-sized organizations, proudly announces its participation in the 2025 Rocky Mountain CyberSecurity Symposium (RMCS), taking place June 16–20 at Casper College in Casper, Wyoming. As part of its ongoing mission to make scalable, secure, and transparent data systems more accessible to all sectors, 45Drives will contribute technical expertise to this nationally regarded cybersecurity event.
The RMCS Symposium draws top cybersecurity professionals, educators, and technologists from across the U.S. for a week of training, collaboration, and forward-looking discussions on critical infrastructure, threat mitigation, and cyber resilience. With a dual-track format - featuring both deeply technical and strategic awareness content - the event plays a key role in advancing cybersecurity skills and preparedness across public and private sectors.
As part of the event’s Technical Track, 45Drives’ Chief Architect, Mitch Hall, will deliver a session titled “Designing Resilient Open-Source Storage Architectures for Security-Conscious Organizations.” The session will explore best practices for building on-premises data infrastructure using open-source components - including Ceph, ZFS, and 45Drives' Storinator and Houston Command Center software. Hall will provide a deep dive into how these systems can serve as the backbone for cybersecurity-conscious enterprises, government agencies, and educational institutions seeking to reduce attack surfaces, avoid vendor lock-in, and retain full data sovereignty.
Following the presentation, Hall will lead an interactive workshop that offers participants a hands-on experience with open-source infrastructure design and security. Using the Proxinator VM8 storage server, the workshop will feature:
Live Demonstration of Proxmox VE
Attendees will explore Proxmox VE running on the VM8, equipped with high-speed NVMe ZFS storage and a dedicated GPU. Participants will run storage benchmarks to evaluate real-world performance and gain hands-on experience with scalable virtualization infrastructure.
Software-Defined Networking and Security
Hall will configure OPNsense, an open-source software-defined router and firewall, as a virtual machine within Proxmox. This setup will include physical network port passthroughs, enabling the VM8 to function as both a compute and firewall layer - a sandboxed environment that illustrates practical, real-world network security practices.
Ransomware Detection with SnapShield
A virtual machine running SnapShield, 45Drives’ anti-ransomware software, will showcase ransomware detection in action. Using a sandboxed setup with real ransomware samples (under strict controls), participants will be invited to observe how SnapShield rapidly detects and neutralizes ransomware threats - often in a matter of seconds.
“We’re excited to contribute to a growing dialogue around secure, transparent, and community-driven data infrastructure,” said Dr. Doug Milburn, President of 45Drives. “Cybersecurity starts with infrastructure decisions. When organizations understand how open-source hardware and software can enable control, customization, and cost-efficiency, they’re empowered to build data environments that don’t just withstand attacks - but avoid them altogether.”
Dr. Milburn also emphasized the need for more awareness around the cybersecurity implications of relying on black-box, cloud-based services. “Proprietary systems often obscure vulnerabilities. Openness is not a liability - it’s a strength when applied with rigor and knowledge.”
RMCS 2025 is expected to welcome hundreds of cybersecurity professionals from government, defense, education, and private enterprise. Highlights of the conference include a pre-conference OSINT workshop by global security expert Mishaal Khan, the “Defend the Rockies” Capture the Flag competition, and a wide array of hands-on technical labs and awareness seminars. The event is designed for both seasoned professionals and those newer to cybersecurity roles, reflecting the evolving needs of the workforce.
“We’re proud to welcome 45Drives to RMCS 2025, not just as a vendor but as a partner,” said Kent Brooks, IT Director at Casper College. “We use their solutions ourselves and have seen firsthand how they can help institutions save money and take back control of their infrastructure. With rising costs and changing terms from some virtualization vendors, it’s more important than ever to explore open, flexible alternatives. Supporting this conversation at RMCS is just common sense.”
45Drives’ presence at RMCS underscores its growing influence in cybersecurity, defense, and research sectors. The company’s solutions are trusted by national labs, defense contractors, media companies, universities, and municipal governments worldwide. With products like the Storinator, Stornado, and its Ceph-based high-availability clusters, 45Drives continues to challenge the status quo by offering affordable, auditable alternatives to traditional enterprise storage - without sacrificing performance or reliability.
For more information on RMCS 2025, visit https://rmcscon.com. For technical documentation or to learn more about 45Drives’ open-source enterprise storage solutions, visit https://www.45drives.com.
About 45Drives
45Drives specializes in the best open-source, enterprise-grade data storage systems in the world. Known for its industry-leading hardware, software, and support ecosystem, 45Drives offers scalable, secure, and affordable solutions tailored for data-intensive sectors including government, media, healthcare, research, and cybersecurity. With an open philosophy and a global customer base, 45Drives is on a mission to democratize enterprise storage and help organizations take full control of their data infrastructure.
Contact:
Jonathan Phillips
45Drives@phillcomm.global
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