Q&A Series with RSAC Ambassador Mark Nunnikhoven


Posted on by RSAC Editorial Team

As an information security professional, your work is never truly done. A new threat here. An advancing challenge there. All the more reason why you need to stay one step ahead of the cyber-curve. RSA Conference 2018 is here to help you do just that. As the world’s leading cybersecurity event, we bring together professionals from all sides of the field—CISOs to security engineers—to give you the perspectives and insights you need to conquer looming risks and leave hackers in the dust.

But don’t just take our word for it. As the RSA Conference Editorial team, we often share content about what we think you will be interested in at RSA Conference. But this time, we wanted to share someone else’s perspective. We thought you might like to hear directly from other attendees – infosec pros just like you – about what they are looking forward to at this year’s Conference – plus a few tips to keep in mind.

In part one of this four-part series, meet RSAC Ambassador, Mark Nunnikhoven!

Mark Nunnikhoven

Mark is VP of Cloud Research at Trend Micro, and is a recent speaker at RSA Conference. We reached out to Mark to ask him a few questions as a past RSAC attendee, so read on for his thoughts on what to do at RSAC, and who and what you can’t miss: 

How many times have you attended RSAC?

This will be my third RSAC. I’m really looking forward to it as it’s a great opportunity to reconnect with the fantastic community and get an accurate snapshot of what people are working on and what interesting ideas are out there.

Which session are you most excited to attend and why?

I’m going to cheat a bit here and highlight the three of the RSAC Sandboxes that I’m very excited about. The ICS, IoT, and Car Hacking Village Sandboxes all represent an important area for cybersecurity: operational technologies. This area presents a different set of risks when compared to more traditional cybersecurity. The Sandboxes are a great combination of talks and hands-on experiences that will help broaden attendees’ perspectives. They are going to be fantastic. 

Who is the best speaker you’ve heard at RSAC?

Keren Elazari, hands down. Keren is an excellent speaker and her talks are always thought provoking. Her work on responsible disclosure and bug bounties has really helped move cybersecurity research forward.

What’s the one touristy thing everyone should do when in San Francisco?

There’s a ton of fun activities throughout San Francisco so it’s hard to pick just one. But I would say taking a ride on a cable car. It’s a unique experience and a great way to see some spectacular views.

What’s your favorite party to attend the week of RSAC?

I’ll admit that I’m not much of a party goer. I know that the parties at RSAC are a ton of fun, but I much prefer grabbing a bite with some friends, catching up, and talking about all of the great stuff we’ve learned during the day.

Which keynote are you looking forward to hearing and why?

I’m really looking forward to hearing Tim Urban speak. There are a ton of great security-focused keynotes but I think it’s crucial that we seek out alternative perspectives and ways of looking at things. Tim’s got a great and unique style that is really captivating. I think his talk is going to be amazing.

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

I’ve already mentioned the Sandboxes so I’m going to take this opportunity to promote the “Ransomware and Destructive Attacks” seminar on happening on Monday, April 16. This set of talks is going to dive deep into the motivations behind the attacks and the impacts of these attacks that organizations are facing daily. Most of the talks relate first-hand experience and hard-won knowledge. It’s a great opportunity to get a realistic view of the attack landscape. 

To check out the Seminar, grab your Full Conference Pass today. Click here to register: Register 

Check back on the RSAC blog soon for part two and to hear more from our RSAC Ambassadors!


Contributors
RSAC Editorial Team

Editorial, RSA Conference

Blogs posted to the RSAConference.com website are intended for educational purposes only and do not replace independent professional judgment. Statements of fact and opinions expressed are those of the blog author individually and, unless expressly stated to the contrary, are not the opinion or position of RSA Conference™, or any other co-sponsors. RSA Conference does not endorse or approve, and assumes no responsibility for, the content, accuracy or completeness of the information presented in this blog.


Share With Your Community

Related Blogs