It’s official; Infosecurity Magazine has thrown itself into the conference market for the first time, hosting its very own event in Boston, December 06 - 07. After 12 years of bringing you all the latest news, knowledge and insight from the information security community both online and in print, Infosecurity Magazine Conference now offers security professionals the chance to come together under one roof to share their experiences, learn from others and, above all, forge the type of relationships that help keep the industry at the very forefront of innovation.
As part of the Infosecurity Group – home also to Infosecurity Europe – Infosecurity Magazine is no stranger to the ins and outs of the conference world. However, this first foray into hosting a standalone magazine event has brought about its own set of exciting and rewarding challenges for the editorial team who have worked tirelessly to put the show together.
So, with the conference just around the corner, I was intrigued to delve a little deeper into what makes these types of shows so well-attended, what they mean to people, and why security experts continue to give up their time to appear as speakers.
“The cybersecurity community enjoys conferences because we love to learn and to share knowledge,” independent researcher Dr Jessica Barker told Infosecurity. “Despite the perception that we're an introverted bunch, we love the networking aspects of conferences, too!
“The hallway conversations and after-party are as valued as the talks themselves - if not more so. Conferences provide a space to have conversations with like-minded people who 'get' the subject in a way that your family, friends or other people in your organization might not.”
James Chappell, CTO and co-founder of Digital Shadows, holds a similar view, explaining that conferences provide the perfect opportunity to not only share, but also evolve, our own understanding of security – after all, collaboration is the key to education, and that’s no different with events.
“It’s important to attend with an open mind and be prepared to learn about new concepts and approaches to tackling security issues, but at the same time expect to be challenged about one’s own approach and take on board valuable feedback”, Chappell said.
In an industry that moves as quickly as ours, he added, there’s always something new to debate about how we tackle the complex challenges facing our customers.
Of course, these events would be nothing without the terrific lineups of speakers, frequently enduring long-distant flights or traversing city traffic for what can sometimes be a speaking slot of just 20 minutes or so. So what is it about speaking at events that is so appealing and valuable?
For Tony Pepper, CEO at Egress, speaking at events not only allows him to enhance the profile of his company, but also directly engage with Egress clients.
“We’re able to emphasize the importance of data protection in front of those best placed to address the security challenges faced across all industries, and it’s important for us to take the chance to spread our message as widely as possible whenever we can,” he said. “Cybersecurity is one of the most critical business issues of our time. It seems as if we’re never more than a few hours away from the next data breach and the importance of staying one step ahead of threats has never been higher. Security summits are one of the most effective ways for the industry to discuss these threats, bringing the user’s concerns directly to the security industry and its supply chain.”
So, as we prepare to lift the curtain on our maiden magazine conference, I’d like to extend my gratitude to the fantastic set of experts and guests we have due to speak over the two days. Also, for those going along as attendees, I hope you have an incredible experience at what promises to be a fantastic industry event, and for anyone unfortunately not able to make it this time around, we hope to see you elsewhere in the very near future!