Matt Barnett

Matt Barnett is a cybersecurity executive and incident response leader who has worked on high-stakes ransomware incidents affecting organizations across multiple industries. He is frequently seen on NBC as a go to resource in Philadelphia for cyber events. As a founder of SEVN-X, he specializes in adversary-focused security, digital forensics, and incident response, including direct involvement in ransomware negotiations where business risk, legal exposure, and operational survival intersect. Matt brings a rare perspective from the front lines—combining technical depth, real-world negotiation experience, and an understanding of how threat actors think, operate, and exploit pressure. His talks focus on what actually happens during ransomware events, what organizations get wrong, and how negotiation decisions shape outcomes long after the ransom note appears.

Dealing with Shadows: A day in the life of a threat actor negotiator

This talk provides a real-world view of ransomware negotiations as high-pressure psychological engagements, not simple financial transactions. Drawing on live extortion cases, the talk examines how threat actors communicate, what their behavior signals, and how disciplined negotiation tactics (such as pacing, message control, and delay) can reduce risk and preserve decision-making authority during an active incident. The session also dispels common myths, highlights costly negotiation mistakes, and explains how negotiation fits into a broader incident response strategy.