(ISC)² Blog

Quantum Cybersecurity: Addressing the Boogeyman in the Room

Duncan Jones, Head of Cybersecurity for Cambridge Quantum, recently spoke with Fierce Electronics about quantum cybersecurity and where it’s headed. In the interview, Duncan referred to quantum as “a boogeyman for cyber,” but said “it’s also going to help us as well.” With rapidly advancing technology, as many as 80% of cyber pros believe that quantum computers will become powerful enough over the next few years to break current encryption methods. For organizations looking to prepare for the threat of quantum and figure out the best path forward, Duncan will be presenting on how to protect your organization against threats... Read more →

Celebrating Service and Diversity – Nominate a Colleague Today!

Great team members like yours help our cybersecurity community share education, host stellar events, create a sense of community and continue to grow. The (ISC)² Global Achievement Awards honors these contributors annually. This year’s award winners will be highlighted during (ISC)² Security Congress being held in person in Las Vegas and online globally, October 10-12. The (ISC)² James R. Wade Service Award highlights the engagement of volunteers who merit special distinction for their sustained and valuable service to (ISC)². Those who volunteer to support the greater cybersecurity community to help promote a safe and secure cyber world are valued in... Read more →

What Does Volunteering at (ISC)² Mean? Hear From Volunteer Lisa Vaughan

Volunteering is at the heart of the mission of (ISC)². The individuals who offer their time, skills and knowledge positively impact their community helping create a safer and more secure cyber world. We want to highlight some of our volunteers, the impact they make on the cybersecurity profession and the world at large during annual Volunteer Appreciation Week. We interviewed Lisa Vaughan, CISSP to discuss her cybersecurity career, the various volunteer roles she has held at (ISC)² and the impact volunteering has on her life. Lisa is the Executive Director, Information Technology for Hexagon U.S. Federal. In addition to holding... Read more →

SECURE London stokes debate on the future of the cybersecurity workforce

April’s event calendar kicked off with (ISC)² SECURE London, a return to regional events for (ISC)² members and a conference that took place amid an unprecedented time for our industry and for practitioners. A global skills gap of over 2.7 million, years of disruption due to the pandemic and unprecedented digital transformation, geopolitical strife at the doorstep of Europe generating global cyberattack fallout and profound changes in the threats being faced and the technologies, tools and tactics that counter them. The day began with a keynote from Chris Ensor, Deputy Director for Cyber Skills and Growth at the NCSC. Ensor... Read more →

HOW CAN YOU WIN BIG IN VEGAS? – Global Achievement Awards Nominations Open Now

Nominations are now open for the 2022 (ISC)² Global Achievement Awards. These annual cybersecurity awards celebrate professionals whose excellence, leadership and efforts have significantly advanced the cybersecurity industry and contributed to the vision of inspiring a safe and secure cyber world. Nominations are open now through May 13 and recipients will be acknowledged at the 12th Annual (ISC)² Security Congress in Las Vegas and online October 10-12. Open to All – The following categories are open for all to nominate and those meeting the eligibility requirements to receive. Self-nomination is not permitted. (ISC)² Rising Star Professional Award - Recognizes the... Read more →

WANT TO SPEAK AT (ISC)² SECURITY CONGRESS 2022? THE CALL FOR SPEAKERS IS NOW OPEN

Want to share your expertise with thousands of your peers at Security Congress? Now’s your chance! (ISC)² has issued a call for speakers for its 12th annual (ISC)² Security Congress conference, a hybrid event taking place on October 10-12, 2022, in Las Vegas and online. After two successful back-to-back virtual conferences, this year’s hybrid event will feature 120+ educational and thought leadership sessions on the hottest cyber topics from a roster of an estimated 150 speakers. In-person and virtual attendees can expect engaging sessions on a variety of emerging and trending topics, including cyber liability, quantum computing, ICS/critical infrastructure, Zero... Read more →

New Opportunity: Join (ISC)² Regional Event Committees

As we expand our events in 2022, we look forward to offering increased opportunities for education and networking among cybersecurity professionals within their regions. To ensure that each event makes a significant impact with relevant content, (ISC)² is seeking interested volunteers to join event planning committees. Committee members will assist in developing an event that is educational and meaningful for their fellow (ISC)² members and cybersecurity professionals around the world. They will use their expertise to lead the development of localized content, as well as provide insight and guidance into their respective regions. Members will work closely with (ISC)² staff... Read more →

Looking Back at 2021 and Forward to 2022

As 2021 draws to a close, it provides an opportunity to reflect on the past year, and the success and growth we have achieved together. Under the backdrop of escalating cyber threats and a continuing global pandemic, (ISC)² members have demonstrated to the world that remote work can be effective and drive enhanced collaboration and innovation. Together we stood up for diversity, equity and inclusion as a critical way to close the workforce gap and continued our commitment to refining and growing our skills through education. Our members are more vital than ever to securing their organizations against a growing... Read more →

(ISC)² Security Congress Goes West – Las Vegas Here We Come!

(ISC)² Security Congress 2021 was a big success with more than 3,000 virtual attendees participating live and viewing 125+ educational breakout sessions on demand as well. During and after the show, we prioritized getting feedback on improving attendees’ conference experience year over year. We heard your feedback and are happy to share that we will host (ISC)² Security Congress 2022 in Las Vegas, NV, October 10-12, 2022, at Caesars Palace and virtually. What’s In the Works for 2022 Star keynotes with marquee value 100+ educational sessions on trending cyber topics CPE credit opportunities Exclusive (ISC)² networking Career guidance and resources... Read more →

Meet Roela Santos, Honoree of the 2021 (ISC)² Julie Peeler Franz "Do It for The Children" Volunteer Award

The Center for Cyber Safety and Education Julie Peeler Franz "Do It for The Children" Volunteer Award recognizes an individual who has significantly contributed to the betterment of internet safety. This year's distinction is awarded to Roela Santos of BAE Systems, Inc. for her long-time support of Center programs and leadership in developing the Raytheon, Engility, and SAIC cybersecurity scholarships, which have awarded $424,000 to 56 students over the past six years. Santos is the Vice President of Communications at BAE Systems, a global leader in defense technology and systems integration for the U.S. government and one of the world’s... Read more →

MEET THE RECIPIENTS OF THE 2021 (ISC)² GOVERNMENT PROFESSIONAL AWARD

The (ISC)² Government Professional Award recognizes government cybersecurity leaders whose commitment to excellence has helped to improve government information security and advance an in-demand workforce. The recognition is given to individuals whose initiatives have improved the areas of technology, process/policy or workforce and has led to significant developments in the security posture of a department, agency or entire government. We had a chance to learn more about the 2021 (ISC)² Government Professional Award honorees and their contributions to a safer and more secure cyber world. Asia-Pacific Region (ISC)² Government Professional Award Honoree Group Captain Amorn Chomchoey, CISSP is Acting Deputy... Read more →

#ISC2Congress - Diversity: The Key to Cybersecurity’s Future

You could say one of the purposes of the annual (ISC)² Security Congress is to deliver an industry status check. How is the cybersecurity industry doing, what could be better, and what are the biggest challenges it faces? This year’s Congress, which took place virtually from October 18 - 20, addressed a host of pressing topics in the industry, from combatting ransomware to zero trust implementation to protecting critical infrastructure against foreign adversaries. One of the biggest challenges though is to attract more diversity into the cybersecurity workforce to counter the shortage of personnel in the field. It was a... Read more →

#ISC2Congress - Critical Infrastructure a Main Focus of Security Congress 2021

Protecting critical infrastructure and associated challenges was a recurring theme during (ISC)² Security Congress 2021, which took place virtually from Monday to Wednesday this week. It was the subject of various sessions and came up during a keynote session delivered by Chris Krebs, former director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Krebs said critical infrastructure needs to be hardened against foreign adversaries that might have an interest in disrupting it at some point. CISA and other agencies are working to come up with standards and practices for infrastructure security. And they are looking for input from the cybersecurity... Read more →

#ISC2CONGRESS - Lisa Forte Keynote: Insider Threats A Bigger Challenge Than Ever

In one of the most sobering presentations about the current state of security delivered during (ISC)² Security Congress 2021, security expert Lisa Forte said no matter how many protective measures an organization takes, it can never achieve zero risk. Insider threats are always a possibility. Forte, co-founder of Red Goat Cyber Security, used her keynote speech on the third and final day of Security Congress to drive home the point that insider threats have gotten harder to identify. Not only does technology make it easier to steal data, bad actors also can manipulate insiders into becoming unwitting spies. And that’s... Read more →

#ISC2CONGRESS - Lessons Learned from the Baltimore Ransomware Attack

Martin R. Okumu lived through the ransomware attack on the City of Baltimore in 2018, which affected 90% of the municipality’s applications. As the then-director of IT infrastructure for the city, he learned a lot of valuable lessons about defending against and recovering from a ransomware attack. On Tuesday afternoon, he shared those lessons with (ISC)² Security Congress 2021 attendees during a virtual session. He is now the Chief Information Officer for the City and County of San Francisco. In many ways, Okumu said, Baltimore was not prepared for the attack. The city did not have a cyber incident response... Read more →

#ISC2CONGRESS - Adam Steltzner Keynote: Perseverance and Ingenuity Will Get Us through the Pandemic

"Perseverance” and “Ingenuity” aren’t just the names of spacecraft on Mars; they are also the human qualities we need to get us through the post-pandemic world, said Adam Steltzner, chief engineer and mission leader of NASA's Mars 2020 mission. Steltzner, who works at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, CA, was the keynote speaker on the second day of the (ISC)² Security Congress 2021, taking place virtually through Wednesday, October 20. After NASA landed the nuclear-powered “Curiosity” rover on Mars in 2012, the agency worked to send another rover to the Red Planet. That rover, “Perseverance,” landed on Mars... Read more →

#ISC2CONGRESS - Panel: DEI Initiatives Come Down To Choosing Talent

Picking up on the theme of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) that (ISC)² CEO Clar Rosso says is critical to solving the cybersecurity skills gap, a panel discussion on Monday addressed the challenges that get in the way of successful DEI implementations. Several themes emerged during the late-afternoon panel session, which was part of (ISC)2 Security Congress 2021, taking place virtually this week: Don’t expect change to occur immediately Diversity, equity and inclusion requires a step-by-step approach Keep talking about the issue so it stays at the forefront Measure success by looking at numbers within the organization The session, moderated... Read more →

#ISC2CONGRESS - Chris Krebs Keynote Address: Fighting Cyber Adversaries Requires New Thinking and Approaches

The number of connected devices will continue to increase in the next five years, widening the attack surface for cyber adversaries. If we hope to have a fighting chance against them, we need a shift in thinking about defenses as well as increased cooperation between the private sector and government. That was the message delivered by Chris Krebs in the opening keynote of (ISC)2 Security Congress 2021, taking place virtually today through Wednesday. His keynote was the first of about 130 sessions scheduled for the three-day event. Krebs is the former director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA),... Read more →

Meet the Recipients of the 2021 (ISC)² Diversity Global Achievement Awards

The (ISC)² Diversity Award honors individuals who have made significant contributions to building a more diverse workforce in the cybersecurity community. Asia-Pacific Region (ISC)² Diversity Award Honoree Neha Malhotra, CISSP, CCSP is the Vice President, Tech & Cybersecurity Operational Risk Manager at JP Morgan Chase, and was earlier working within Cyber Security Attack Surface Management at Credit Suisse. Neha is an information & cybersecurity professional based in Singapore, with more than 15 years of IT and leadership experience within the BFSI, consulting and manufacturing sectors. Neha was nominated for her advocacy work mentoring and serving as a career advisor for... Read more →

READY for (ISC)² Events of the Future

(ISC)² CEO Clar Rosso recently joined Megan Gavin, director of global events, for a webinar as part of the series Inside (ISC)². The two executives candidly discussed the 2021 (ISC)² Security Congress, taking place October 18-20, as well as the future of all (ISC)² global events. Megan shared that while Security Congress is changing from hybrid to virtual, the agenda, content, number of sessions and speakers will not be impacted, and the shift provides an opportunity for us to provide another world-class virtual conference. “As much as we’re disappointed that we will not see you in person, we are dedicated... Read more →