--- title: "OpenVPN [Con]nected 2026 Speaker: Micah Spady of SecureW2" description: Meet Micah Spady of SecureW2, an OpenVPN technology partner, and preview his session on MAC spoofing, AirSnitch, and certificate-based defenses on Oct. 22. image: https://blog.openvpn.net/hubfs/34ae50b7-f497-4300-a49f-6dc1fc6b0778.png --- - [Blog](https://blog.openvpn.net) - [Cybersecurity](https://blog.openvpn.net/tag/cybersecurity) # Meet the \[Con\]nected 2026 Speakers: Micah Spady of SecureW2 on 2026 Network Layer Attacks and How to Stop Them Oct 15, 2026 • 4 min read ![Connected conference classroom inside of a cloud shaped bubble openvpn](https://blog.openvpn.net/hubfs/34ae50b7-f497-4300-a49f-6dc1fc6b0778.png) Share - - - - OpenVPN \[Con\]nected 2026 Speaker: Micah Spady of SecureW2 5:09 By Krista Lyons Network attacks that once took specialized gear are now within anyone's reach. Meet Micah Spady of SecureW2, who'll share practical ways to lock down your network and get back to basics at OpenVPN \[Con\]nected 2026 on October 22. Micah Spady of SecureW2 presents "2026 Network Layer Attacks & Remediation" at 3:15 p.m. ET at OpenVPN \[Con\]nected 2026, our free virtual event on October 22, 2026. SecureW2 is an OpenVPN technology partner whose cloud PKI and RADIUS platform brings certificate-based, passwordless authentication to networks and VPNs. Welcome to the next post in our Meet the \[Con\]nected 2026 Speakers series. Each post introduces one of our guest speakers, the company behind them, and what they'll bring to the event. [Register for free](https://events.openvpn.net/) to join Micah's session. ## Meet Micah Spady ![Micah Spady, SecureW2](https://blog.openvpn.net/hs-fs/hubfs/Micah%20Spadey%20SecureW2%20OpenVPN%20Connected%202026.png?width=244&height=244&name=Micah%20Spadey%20SecureW2%20OpenVPN%20Connected%202026.png)Micah has more than 10 years of experience in IT and cybersecurity and has helped thousands of organizations implement PKI, 802.1X, and RADIUS-based security. He works closely with SecureW2's sales and marketing teams to turn real-world security challenges into clear guidance for customers, and he stays current on the latest trends in PKI and authentication security to share with customers and the broader community. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his wife and cat, and tending his garden when it's not raining. ## Who is SecureW2? [SecureW2](https://securew2.com/) provides cloud PKI and RADIUS for passwordless, certificate-based authentication. Its JoinNow platform includes Dynamic PKI, which automates certificate issuance and lifecycle management without a self-hosted certificate authority, and CloudRADIUS, a cloud-native RADIUS service for 802.1X Wi-Fi and wired authentication. According to SecureW2, more than 1,000 organizations use its platform across enterprise, education, government, and MSPs. ## SecureW2 and OpenVPN SecureW2 integrates with [OpenVPN Access Server](https://openvpn.net/access-server/) through Access Server's external PKI mode. Instead of Access Server managing certificates itself, SecureW2 issues, renews, and revokes client and server certificates. SecureW2's Dynamic PKI can also suspend or revoke a certificate based on device posture or signals from endpoint security tools, tying VPN access to device health. The result: certificate-based VPN authentication that reduces reliance on passwords, less manual certificate work for administrators, and a smoother experience for users. Learn more in [OpenVPN and SecureW2 Partner for Stronger, Simpler PKI](https://blog.openvpn.net/openvpn-and-securew2-partner-for-stronger-simpler-pki), or follow the step-by-step [tutorial to configure external PKI with SecureW2](https://openvpn.net/as-docs/tutorials/tutorial--epki-with-securew2.html). ## What Micah will cover at \[Con\]nected 2026 What was considered safe in 2025 may not be enough today. In "2026 Network Layer Attacks & Remediation," Micah shows how modern Layer 2 threats, including MAC spoofing and AirSnitch attacks, can affect your network now. AirSnitch is a set of techniques, presented by academic researchers at the NDSS Symposium in February 2026, that can bypass Wi-Fi client isolation on many access points. That means devices on a guest or shared network may be reachable by other clients, even when isolation is turned on. Like MAC spoofing, it no longer takes special equipment to try. **The good news:** practical defenses exist. Micah will focus on high-level strategies you can apply right away: - **Solid switching and segmentation**, so one compromised device can't reach everything else - **VPNs**, which encrypt traffic at a higher layer, so local network tricks don't expose your data - **Strong certificate-based authentication**, such as 802.1X with EAP-TLS, so devices prove who they are with certificates instead of spoofable identifiers or shared passwords ## About OpenVPN \[Con\]nected 2026 OpenVPN \[Con\]nected 2026 is a free, half-day virtual event on Thursday, October 22, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET. As OpenVPN celebrates its 25th anniversary, the event dives into AI and Zero Trust, with product roadmap sessions for Access Server and CloudConnexa, guest speakers, live Q&A, and on-demand product support. See the [full agenda](https://events.openvpn.net/agenda). [![OPENVPN\_Connected2026\_Blog\_CTA\_Register\_1200x400](https://blog.openvpn.net/hs-fs/hubfs/OPENVPN_Connected2026_Blog_CTA_Register_1200x400.png?width=1200&height=400&name=OPENVPN_Connected2026_Blog_CTA_Register_1200x400.png)](http://events.openvpn.net) ## Frequently asked questions ### When is Micah Spady's session at OpenVPN \[Con\]nected 2026? Micah presents "2026 Network Layer Attacks & Remediation" at 3:15 p.m. ET on October 22, 2026. ### What is MAC spoofing? MAC spoofing is when a device pretends to be another device by copying its MAC address, the hardware identifier networks often use to recognize devices. Because MAC addresses are easy to change, they shouldn't be used as the only way to grant network access. ### Does OpenVPN work with SecureW2? Yes. OpenVPN Access Server supports SecureW2 as an external PKI, so SecureW2 can issue and manage the certificates used for VPN authentication. ### Is \[Con\]nected 2026 free? Yes. It's free and fully virtual, and replays will be emailed to all registrants. ## Save your spot Get practical tips you can use to protect your network, and bring your questions for Micah. [Register for OpenVPN \[Con\]nected 2026](https://events.openvpn.net/) today. It's free. [![OpenVPN-Connected-600x315](https://blog.openvpn.net/hs-fs/hubfs/OpenVPN-Connected-600x315.png?width=600&height=315&name=OpenVPN-Connected-600x315.png)](http://events.openvpn.net) ## Related posts from OpenVPN ### Subscribe for Blog Updates ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Krista Lyons", "url" : "https://blog.openvpn.net/author/krista-lyons" }, "dateModified" : "2026-10-15T13:00:00.091Z", "datePublished" : "2026-10-15T13:00:00.000Z", "headline" : "OpenVPN [Con]nected 2026 Speaker: Micah Spady of SecureW2", "image" : [ "https://blog.openvpn.net/hubfs/34ae50b7-f497-4300-a49f-6dc1fc6b0778.png" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://blog.openvpn.net/connected-2026-speaker-micah-spady-securew2", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://blog.openvpn.net/hubfs/Dark=True%20Medium.png" }, "name" : "OpenVPN" } } ```