The next RSAC Ambassador Q&A is with Ryan Louie, Psychiatrist at Vituity:

How many times have you attended RSAC? (And what keeps you coming back?)

This will be my third year in a row attending RSAC. I'm very excited about RSAC because of the people and community that Conference brings together, and I enjoy the discussions and exchange of new ideas. As a psychiatrist, attending this security conference has been a unique experience, and it adds a new dimension to my daily clinical work providing care for patients. RSAC 2020 has the theme of the Human Element—and so of course I had to attend!

What is the topic of your session?

My session will be "#Psybersecurity: Mental Health Impact of Cyberattacks." I will talk about what can happen to people's mental health from a cyberattack, with impact to victims and to first responders. Topics being covered include burnout, depression, PTSD-like symptoms, paranoia and others. By understanding the mental health signs and symptoms in the context of cybersecurity, I believe that we as a community can help individuals build personally stronger mental health. And in the process, we can build a stronger and more resilient mental security network for a more effective incident response and cyber-defense.

How are you preparing for your session?

I think Twitter can be a great forum for learning about what's new in cybersecurity and infosec. You can find me there @ryanlouie, and please join the conversation about #psybersecurity! I am also thinking back to my own clinical experience of working with patients for which the element of cybersecurity was part of the psychiatric case.

What skills/info will those who attend your session walk away with?

Attendees will walk away with a mental framework that they can carry within their minds, which can help them navigate the stressors and threats in cybersecurity. They will learn about “psybersecurity” and how there can be a mental health exploit in addition to the technological exploit of a cyberattack. And attendees will learn about possible ways for building a stronger security network based on mental health. There will be an interactive Q&A and an opportunity to meet other people with common interests to exchange ideas and knowledge.

Which session are you most excited to attend and why?

I'm excited about many sessions at RSAC. One of these sessions is "Why Your People Are Still Your Best Cyber-Defense" by Ann Johnson of Microsoft. I am looking forward to hearing Ann's insights about building a culture of resilience for cybersecurity based on people and their human spirit.

What’s your favorite thing to do when in San Francisco?

I work in San Francisco, so I'm local. :-) But every time people from across the country and across the globe come to visit the city for RSAC, the atmosphere gets a refresh with their new perspectives, and this is fun for both locals and visitors alike. Besides psychiatry and cybersecurity, I'm a big fan of National Park Service sites, and San Francisco has a big one: Golden Gate National Recreation Area. This includes great places such as the Presidio, where people can enjoy nature, culture and history.

Outside of sessions and the expo, which program is a must-attend for you?

I am looking forward to the RSAC Innovation Sandbox, where startup founders pitch their technology and vision for a more cybersecure world. The journey of the entrepreneur has ups and downs, and building a startup requires resilience in and of itself. I think there's a lot that entrepreneurship and startup venture formation can contribute to the conversation with cybersecurity. Both share the core element of people and the products of the mind. The security of those elements—technology and people and the mind—becomes one and the same.