(ISC)² Blog

It’s Official: (ISC)² Security Congress is Back for the 11th Year in a Row!

Registration for the 11th annual (ISC)² Security Congress is now open! The renowned global three-day conference, focused on continuing education for cybersecurity professionals and information security specialists, will be hosted as a hybrid event for the first time in 2021. Engaging in-person sessions, discussions, and networking events will be held at the Hyatt Regency in Orlando, FL from October 18-20, and will also be accessible online. (ISC)² members are eligible for a special discount of $300 off all pass types. Including an optional two days of pre-conference certification-focused education on October 16-17, (ISC)² members can earn as many as 40... Read more →

Deadline is Extended for 2021(ISC)² Global Achievement Awards Nominations!

Haven’t had a chance to nominate a colleague, peer or mentor yet for the Global Achievement Awards? Great news, the deadline has been extended to April 23! There are a few updates to the awards this year. With so many awards to choose from, let’s take a look at a few of them. These awards are similar in that they recognize individuals who have made a significant impact on the security industry during the past year. (ISC)² Government Professional Award This award recognizes regional government information security leaders who have made significant security developments at the federal, state or local... Read more →

So Many Awards, So Little Time Left to Nominate. Complete Your Global Achievement Award Nomination Today!

So Many Awards, So Little Time Left to Nominate. Complete Your Global Achievement Award Nomination Today! Do you have a colleague or perhaps a mentor who has accomplished something exceptional and worthy of recognition? Nominate them for the Global Achievement Awards before the deadline of April 9! Winners of these awards receive recognition throughout the (ISC)² Security Congress event and recognition during the exclusive VIP awards reception and the attendee networking night, as well as in the InfoSecurity Professional magazine. Each award winner and their nominator will receive a complimentary pass to attend Security Congress. A few reminders as you... Read more →

Women Leaders Offer Tips For Building a Cybersecurity Career

On March 8, 2021, in celebration of International Women’s Day, five accomplished female security professionals met for a wide-ranging and spirited panel discussion on how to encourage more women to join the cybersecurity field, and provided highlights from their own journeys in the profession. The panel was moderated by Sharon Smith, CISSP, cybersecurity strategy and advisory consultant, and included the following security industry leaders: Clar Rosso, CEO, (ISC)² Aanchal Gupta, CISSP, vice president of Azure Security, Microsoft Lori Ross O’Neil, CISSP, senior ICS cyber security researcher & project manager, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, vice chairperson, (ISC)² Board of Directors Megan... Read more →

Celebrating Women in Cybersecurity and Committing to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Today is International Women’s Day and what better way to celebrate it than with a glimpse into the careers of four successful women in cybersecurity. At 11 a.m. ET, (ISC)2 will host “Celebrating International Women’s Day: Carving a Cybersecurity Career Path.” This group of accomplished security professionals will come together to discuss why women should be interested in joining the cybersecurity field and ways to encourage this. They will also share highlights in their own journeys in the profession that led them to the leadership positions they now hold. You can attend the event live or watch the replay by... Read more →

Global Achievement Awards - What's new in 2021?

Nominations are now open for the (ISC)² Global Achievement Awards. These awards recognize individuals whose excellence, leadership and volunteer efforts have significantly advanced the cybersecurity industry and contributed to the vision of inspiring a safe and secure cyber world. Most awards are open to both (ISC)² members and non-members, though self-nomination is not permitted. Individual awards for cybersecurity professionals throughout their career include: (ISC)² Government Professional Award (ISC)² Rising Star Professional Award (ISC)² Mid-Career Award (ISC)² Senior Professional Award Additionally, the following awards which were previously selected exclusively by the (ISC)² Board of Directors are now open to nominations from... Read more →

(ISC)² Cybersecurity Webinars Available On-Demand on BrightTalk

Going forward, all (ISC)² webinars, recorded and live, will be available on the BrightTALK platform. All recorded Solutions Summits from 2020 have moved from BlueSky to BrightTALK. This consolidation will provide a seamless viewing experience for you on one platform and with one login. Members who are logged in will automatically receive CPE credits when viewing live or recorded webinars. Free Cybersecurity Webinars. Earn CPE Credits. Solutions Summits are typically three-part webinar series which provide three CPE credits. Check out these archived Solutions Summits from 2020: Top Cybersecurity Threats Every Online Business Should Know Online businesses are particularly vulnerable to... Read more →

Workforce Study: Reviewing Cybersecurity’s Pandemic Response

In a year that presented so many challenges – a global pandemic, social unrest and an economic downturn – one success is worth noting: When cybersecurity professionals were called upon to secure remote environments in a hurry, they stepped up. As many companies were forced to shift to a work-from-home model because of COVID-19 for most or all employees, cybersecurity teams went to work on securing both these newly created remote environments and existing corporate networks. Data from (ISC)²’s 2020 Cybersecurity Workforce Study shows respondents believe those efforts were largely successful. Even though 30% of cybersecurity professionals had a deadline... Read more →

#ISC2CONGRESS ‘We Got This:’ Adaptability Is Nothing New to Cybersecurity

During her (ISC)2 Security Congress 2020 keynote speech, Juliette Kayyem used three words that tidily sum up the can-do spirit of the cybersecurity community: “We got this.” Kayyem, a former assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security, was speaking within the context of society’s ability to adapt, learn and build resilience during the COVID-19 crisis. Still, her remarks reflect the general ethos of the cybersecurity profession. Cybersecurity professionals recognize that if they can’t say, “we got this,” the alternative is too alarming to fathom. Cybersecurity workers have to adapt – all the time. Just like what society at large... Read more →

#ISC2CONGRESS: Post-Incident Reviews As Prevention

If there is one thing adversity can teach you, it’s how to avoid bad situations in the future. Or so you would think. But when it comes to incident response, most organizations fail to conduct a post-incident review (PIR) or when they do, it tends to be ineffective, according to Faranak Firozan, who works in Incident Response for NVIDIA. As part of the (ISC)2 Security Congress 2020, Faranak delivered a presentation on PIR components and goals. She stressed the importance of PIRs in determining the causes of a security incident, its effects and the lessons an organization can learn to... Read more →

Until Further Notice: #ISC2Congress Keynote Prescribes Adaptive Recovery and Resilience in Cybersecurity to Deal With Ongoing Pandemic

For anyone hoping the COVD-19 crisis will come to a quick end, former Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Juliette Kayyem offered some sobering words today: The virus will be with us for the foreseeable future. “I have to be blunt and tell you this period is going to exist until further notice. We are going to have to learn to live with the virus. Once you get your head around that, then the solution becomes clear,” Kayyem said. She delivered her remarks virtually as the third and final keynote speaker at (ISC)2 Security Congress 2020. Kayyem focused her talk on what... Read more →

#ISC2Congress: Recruiter: COVID Had a Minimal Impact on the Cybersecurity Job Market

The COVID-19 pandemic delivered a serious blow to the global economy, but plenty of job opportunities remain in the cybersecurity field, according to Kris Rides, CEO of cybersecurity staffing company Tiro Security. There were cybersecurity layoffs, Rides said, but in much smaller numbers than in industries such as travel and entertainment, which have taken the brunt of the pandemic’s economic impact. Cybersecurity “is one area where companies couldn’t really afford to lay off people,” Rides said, during a virtual presentation as part of the (ISC)2 2020 Security Congress taking place this week. Kris Rides, CEO of Tiro Security The pandemic’s... Read more →

#ISC2Congress: Light Bulb Moment: The Job of Cybersecurity Professionals Is About Assessing Risk

Cybersecurity expert Joseph Carson, CISSP, learned a valuable lesson after conducting a penetration test at a power station that took him four months of preparation: How you communicate your findings to an organization’s leadership makes all the difference in how they decide to act on the information. During a virtual presentation as part of the (ISC)2 2020 Security Congress, Carson, who serves as Thycotic’s chief security scientist and advisory CISO, said he was shocked when the power utility’s board essentially shrugged off his findings. After all, he thought the findings were pretty damning. Get this: After spending a morning inside... Read more →

#ISC2CONGRESS – Tuesday Keynote: Protecting Yourself During the Pandemic

Graham Cluley Despite the substantial increase in remote working since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, security breaches have stayed about the same for the vast majority of people and businesses, according to security expert Graham Cluley, an award-winning blogger who provided the Tuesday keynote speech at this year’s virtual (ISC)2 Security Congress. Only one in 10 businesses say they have experienced a dramatic increase in attacks, Cluley said, before quickly adding that attacks don’t always result in breaches. As a matter of fact, research shows breaches increased by only one percentage point over the past 12 months, to 16%... Read more →

#ISC2Congress Panel: Finding The Balance Between Skill and Usability

When does technology become too easy to use? And when does simplicity start working against you? These were among the many the questions tackled by a group of panelists during a 2020 (ISC)² Security Congress virtual session called “Easily Deployed and Sold Short.” At issue was whether easy-to-use user interfaces on complex security tools make it more difficult for cybersecurity team leaders to figure out what skills their team members have mastered. Timothy Robnett, vCISO at Wavefront Consulting, made no bones about it: “A simple UX makes it harder to promote somebody,” he said. Simplicity of use, he said, doesn’t... Read more →

#ISC2CONGRESS 5G Security: Two Sides of One Coin

5G is coming, bringing with it speedier connections and higher bandwidth. But what about security? As with most things related to technology, there’s good and bad, according to Kevin McNamee, director of threat intelligence at Nokia. It’s a two-sided coin. 5G is inherently more secure than previous wireless standards, but also vastly increases the attack surface as Internet of Things (IoT) devices proliferate, McNamee said. Monitoring, automation and secure communications will be essential to securing 5G investments, he added. His remarks came during a breakout session as part of (ISC)2 Security Congress 2020, taking place virtually this week. Kevin McNamee,... Read more →

#ISC2CONGRESS Opening Keynote Speaker: Policy and Technology Must Work Together

Bruce Schneier The relationship between technology and public policy is the defining challenge of the current century, according to Bruce Schneier, the keynote speaker at (ISC)2 Security Congress 2020, taking place virtually this week. “Today technology is deeply intertwined with society. It’s literally creating our world. It’s no longer sustainable for technology and policy to be in different worlds,” said Schneier, a security expert, best-selling author and Fellow at Harvard University’s Berkman-Klein Center for Internet & Society. When the internet was first commercialized, governments didn’t want to stifle the development of an important and profitable industry. As a result, the... Read more →

Virtual Engagement Activities at #ISC2Congress

Like most things this year, (ISC)² Security Congress looks a little different. This year’s virtual event might not have you gathering with thousands of colleagues in Orlando, but you can still enjoy many of the fun activities we’ve offered over the years. Be sure to log into https://securitycongress.brighttalk.live/networking-engagement/ using your BrightTALK credentials. Escape Room A crowd pleaser at past Security Congress conferences, Living Security is back this year with their Virtual CyberEscape Room. Play online with colleagues in this team-based, engaging and FUN exercise. Sign your team up. Panoply Another Security Congress classic is the Panoply competition. This network assessment... Read more →

Virtual Networking Lounges and Engagement Activities at #ISC2Congress

One of the biggest draws to (ISC)² Security Congress is networking and engaging with other experts in the cybersecurity industry. Despite the lack of gathering together in-person, #ISC2Congress 2020 will not be lacking in the opportunities for connecting with others, learning best practices and providing career enhancement in five networking lounges throughout the conference. With more than 4,500 attendees registered, there is something for everyone at all career levels. Each of the five topic-specific lounges will allow attendees to participate in a discussion forum, access resources, view presentations, ask questions and even earn CPEs for attending. Attendees and Members Lounge... Read more →

CPEs for CISSPs at #ISC2Congress

(ISC)² Security Congress is virtual for the first time this year making it even easier for CISSPs, and all certified (ISC)² members, to earn CPEs. Taking place November 16-18, we’ll been presenting 3 expert keynotes, a Town Hall meeting, virtual expo hall and networking opportunities, along with nearly 50 hours of educational breakout sessions. To attend, you’ll need to create an account and purchase your pass for the conference. Member pricing is U.S. $395 for an All Access Pass which is your best value for price and CPEs. Keynote sessions will be available on-demand for 60 days after the event.... Read more →