Last week I had the opportunity to attend the ISC2 Congress in Atlanta. It was held in conjunction with that physical security organization. When I arrived to walk the show floor, it was nothing but physical security vendors – as far as the eye could see. After about 45 minutes (sans program guide), I discovered where the information security vendors where. There were about five of them and they were tucked away in the back off the beaten path.
That wasn’t what I was expecting.
Then I thought, this isn’t why I came to the show anyway. Sure, it’s good to hear what the booth babes are waxing poetic about, and see the latest tech in action, but it’s usually better to hear what other experts are saying in their presentations – that’s how we learn the most, anyway. One presentation stood out – way out. It was Winn Schwartau’s irreverent take on security awareness: “How to Make a Security Awareness Program Fail”. I’ve had my strong opinions on that subject for years now and his thoughts/ideas helped solidify them. [Good to know Winn!]
If you’ve never seen this man present, you must. Winn made me – and the audience – laugh literally every 30 seconds for the entire presentation. It was the best IT/security related presentation I’ve ever seen…not too serious, not too unprofessional and not starting every sentence with “So…” (you’ve heard/seen the cussing and beer drinking at some of the shows in our field). It was perfectly delivered and I learned a ton. Most importantly I decided that I want to be as entertaining and informative a speaker as Winn when I grow up!
All in all, ISC2 Congress is a worthy show if you ever have a chance to attend in the future.