RSA Conference officially opens in the afternoon on Wednesday, July 22 with the keynote speech by Amit Yoran, president of RSA Security. However, the Expo floor opens in the morning, and this is the best opportunity you will have this week to explore. Discover new products and solutions from leading vendors in the information security industry, participate in hands-on demos, and attend 20-min sessions in the Expo Theater.
The Expo floor can get a little overwhelming, so approach it with a plan. Check out the floor plan (online as well as in the program guide) and read the exhibitor descriptions to identify the companies and products you are interested in learning more about. Don’t just look at the companies you know, though—keep an open mind and take the opportunity to get to know some of the players you may not be familiar with. Some attendees walk every inch of the expo floor first, and then set up meetings. Others set up client and/or vendor meetings first, and then visit the expo floor. And some schedule a quick visit to the expo floor to skim the offerings and get a sense of the industry trends are.
Veteran conference attendees have different strategies, but most agree that just one visit to the Expo floor isn’t enough. Devote at least one visit to just walking around and discovering companies you didn’t know. Plan to visit those “musts” for your organization in one of the early visits while you are still feeling fresh.
Can’t get to the Expo floor today? Don’t worry, the floor will be open Thursday and Friday, too.
Wednesday Keynotes
Yoran’s opening keynote The Game Has Changed officially opens the conference, but you will have to wait till Thursday, July 23 and Friday, July 24 for the presentations. Yoran kicked off the US conference in April with a very provocative talk, and he is expected to continue the theme, addressing the fact that how the industry has approached security isn’t working. The adversary continues to get through even “next generation" defenses and what’s worse, too often they do so undetected for months or even years.
Other keynote speakers include Raimund Genes of Trend Micro, who will discuss targeted attacks, advanced persistent threats, and the question of cyberwar; a look at cybercrime by Ernst and Young’s Ken Allan; and a discussion of borderless clouds, security, and privacy by Philippe Courtot from Qualys.
Don’t miss the Welcome Reception afterwards to make new contacts and meet your peers.