RSAC

RSAC 2018 – Here’s what you’ve missed

If you missed RSA Conference (RSAC) last week, don’t worry. We’ve got you covered. We organized an overview of interesting sessions and takeaways about everything you need to know from the leading cybersecurity event across the globe.

The RSAC 2018 took place April 16-20 in San Francisco, and it was full of interesting sessions and events. It addressed many fascinating topics on the current and future trends of cybersecurity. Still, it also involved broader topics of similar interest for anyone interested in the digital world, its evolution, and how it affects us.

If you didn’t make it to the conference last week, here are some great sessions, quotes, and tweets to beat your FOMO.

The ROI of Security 

The opening session focused on how digital transformation and security come together. Opportunities also include risks, and this has brought numerous questions from the C-suite, BOD, regulators, and policymakers. Rohit Ghai, President of RSA, delivered a very interesting presentation addressing the topic, reminding us of the importance of thinking security into perspective and how it impacts rational economic decisions.

https://twitter.com/Zulfikar_Ramzan/status/986269243078406145

https://twitter.com/RSAsecurity/status/986269808969699328

What’s the price of cyber warfare?

Brad Smith, President of Microsoft, talked about the price of cyber warfare and how companies and governments should help in keeping everyone safe.

As Brad Smith mentioned, 2017 could be labeled as a ‘cybergeddon,’ and it’s time for all of us to work together to ensure security. He suggested a coordinated and global movement that involves a governmental response and a principle that will keep civilians protected.

After all, he raised an important question:

“The question today is not what will 2018 bring to us, but what will we bring to 2018? What can we bring to improve the world?”

https://twitter.com/plurilock/status/986661148710842383

Protecting citizens from cyberattacks

Kirstjen Nielsen, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, talked about the importance of protecting citizens from cyberattacks.

She presented the department’s initiatives for more secure networks and how they can address the threats that affect people.

As she mentioned, hyper-connectivity brings out a shared risk, and we need to step up:

“The threat is evolving constantly, and innovation is evolving constantly, the latter we want and the former we want to get ahead of, so our posture needs to change. We need to be forward on our toes and not leaning back.”

https://twitter.com/mathewjschwartz/status/986578088300445697

The future of cybersecurity 

What does the future of cybersecurity hold? Samir Kapuria, GM of Symantec’s Cyber Security Group, presented his thoughts on the opportunities and the risks that are coming up.

He called for the need to embrace innovations while focusing on digital knowledge and the demands of a new generation:

“The question isn’t what’s possible. The question is, what’s right or wrong? As we go to our digital civilization, it’s important for us to realize all of the changes that are sitting on us.”

https://twitter.com/symantec/status/987120548185550850

Five dangerous new attack techniques

This panel session involved James Lyne, Head of R&D at SANS Institute, Ed Skoudis, Instructor at SANS, and Johannes Ullrich, Dean of Research at SANS Technology Institute.

The topic covered the five most dangerous new attack techniques, and the discussion focused on the current threats and what’s coming up next.

According to Johannes Ullrich, we can feel safer by following these tips:
  • Trust no one
  • Beware of the cloud
  • Encrypt and authenticate not just on the network but on the wire
Ed Skoudis also offered his own tips:
  • Be careful about exposing data, even if it seems innocuous
  • Analyze business risks in terms of privacy implications
  • Consider how your data could be used with others’ data to undermine your mission

https://twitter.com/euroinfosec/status/986680139592298496

https://twitter.com/GlobalCyberAlln/status/986676237669097472

Changing the course of cybersecurity 

Marc van Zadelhoff, General Manager at IBM Security, talked about the changes in cybersecurity and how we need to act.

As he mentioned, we need to think of cybersecurity as an immune system, and now it’s the time to take big bets to keep the world safe while driving innovation.

The three most important lessons they have learned during breaches are:
  • Culture counts
  • Playbooks crack under pressure
  • Leadership matters
Moreover, he highlights the three force multipliers that can shape the future:
  • Augmented Intelligence
  • Security Orchestration
  • Open Collaboration (and this is probably the biggest bet)

https://twitter.com/michellewaugh/status/987106461443485696

If you want to learn more details about one particular session, you can visit RSA’s video section.

Here are some interesting tweets to give you a glimpse of #RSAC: