If you follow the Royals, it has been quite a decade for grand events – from Kate Middleton and Prince William’s wedding in 2011, to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s wedding in 2018, to the birth of their first child.
What captures the attention of the public is an interesting phenomenon, as we’ve learned in the public relations and media world. While the public is drawn to negative headlines, a recent survey from the Harvard School of Public Health, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and NPR found that reading, watching or listening to negative news is one of the leading causes of stress among Americans. Such research indicates that the public enjoys positive news that they can participate in or celebrate – physically or virtually. In the name of celebration, we wanted to focus on events that the security realm, much like consumers following the royal wedding, can celebrate and engage in.
While you may not see these in the tabloids at your local grocery store, here are the can’t-miss cyber events of the season:
Interop (May 20-23, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada) – As an IT conference with a 30-year legacy, Interop provides an independent space where IT pros can meet and learn from each other about what’s really going on in the industry. This year’s session topics focus on cloud, data and analytics, DevOps, emerging tech, infrastructure, IT strategy, professional development and security.
Gartner Security & Risk Management (June 17-20 in National Harbor, Maryland) – As the name suggests, this IT security event is led by renowned analyst firm, Gartner, with a focus on how to manage risk and deliver security in a digital world. It is geared toward CISOs and security, risk and resilience professionals who are seeking to shift organizational culture to improve cybersecurity, privacy and business resilience.
Black Hat (August 3-8, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada) – Now in its 22nd year, Black Hat USA is the world’s leading information security event, providing attendees with the very latest in research, development and trends. Black Hat USA 2019 opens with four days of technical trainings (August 3-6) followed by a two-day main conference (August 7-8) featuring Briefings, Arsenal, Business Hall and more.
DEF CON (August 8-11, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada) – DEF CON is one of the oldest continuously running hacker conventions around, and also one of the largest sponsor-free conferences. The theme for DEF CON 27 is Technology’s Promise, which glimpses into a future where technology supports and inspires instead of controlling and surveilling. Each year, DEF CON also holds its world-famous Capture the Flag contest, known among the hacker circles as the “World Series of Hacking.”
B-Sides Las Vegas (August 6-7, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada) – B-Sides Las Vegas is a nonprofit organization formed to stimulate the information security industry and community by providing an annual, two-day conference for security practitioners and those interested in (or looking to) enter the field. The event, held in tandem with Black Hat, is a source of education, communication and collaboration. There are a number of other affiliated Security B-Sides events held around the nation, as part of a community-driven framework for building events for and by information security community members.
Diana Initiative (August 9-10, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada) – Held in tandem with DEF CON, the Diana Initiative’s two-day conference was created for those identifying as women, non-binary and allies in infosecurity.
CyberScoop’s D.C. CyberWeek (October 21-25, 2019 in Washington D.C.) – Known as the nation’s largest cybersecurity festival, D.C. CyberWeek is presented by leading security trade media company, CyberScoop. The week of activities draws over 10,000 attendees for hundreds of cybersecurity community events — for learning, networking, hacking and improving cybersecurity.
Infosecurity ISACA North America (November 20-21, 2019 in New York City, New York) – In November 2019, Infosecurity North America and ISACA will align in the field of security, cybersecurity and risk management to create a combined conference for attendees in programming, solutions and networking.
GSX (September 8-12, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois) – Hosted by ASIS International, the world’s largest association for security management professionals and a globally recognized leader for education, networking and information resources, the Global Security Exchange (GSX) is a pioneering security event that unites the full spectrum of the industry. Cyber, operational and physical security professionals from across the private and public sectors, allied organizations and partners and industry solution providers come to GSX for comprehensive security education and innovative technology.
(ISC)² Security Congress 2019 (October 28-30, 2019 in Orlando, Florida) – Hosted by (ISC)², an international nonprofit membership association focused on inspiring a safe and secure cyber world, (ISC)² Security Congress brings together more than 4,000 industry colleagues, offers 100+ educational and thought-leadership sessions, and fosters collaboration with other forward-thinking companies. The goal of the conference is to advance security leaders by arming them with the knowledge, tools and expertise to protect their organizations.
RSA Conference (February 24-28, 2020 in San Francisco, California) – Founded in 1991 and recognized as the world’s leading information security conference series, RSA Conference takes place in the United States, Europe, Asia, and the United Arab Emirates each year. Approximately 45,000 people attend one of the conferences each year. The U.S. conference is the place to be for the latest in cybersecurity data, innovation and thought leadership.
ISC West (March 17-20, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada) – The International Security Conference & Exposition – also known as ISC West – is the largest converged security trade show in the U.S., covering everything from video surveillance, access control, biometrics, smart home, public security, drones and robotics, and more. At ISC West, attendees will discover the newest security products and security technology, network with colleagues and security professionals, and gain valuable security industry training and knowledge to keep ahead through SIA Education@ISC.
Are you planning to attend some or all of these security-focused events? The Merritt Group Security team is pleased to support cybersecurity teams and executives surrounding conferences like these. In addition to a wide spectrum of PR, marketing and creative services, we strive to help take brands to the next level of market awareness and – dare we say – engagement.
If you’d like to learn more about Merritt Group’s PR and Marketing services – even if you aren’t quite ready to put a ring on it – please contact us.