RSA Conference had a distinctive new look this year. Great speakers and content were once again in full force, but in 2019 the seemingly endless construction at the Moscone Center in downtown San Francisco had finally wrapped up, and the event had a glistening, new appearance and vibe.
It’s always interesting to see what grabs headlines while on site each year and which themes rise to the surface. This year was no different with Google and parent company Alphabet unveiling its first cyber security product creating extensive buzz throughout the conference and beyond. From chatter around the uptick in DevSecOps, to fully (mis)understanding personas, to a shifting focus on reducing risk instead of breaches, the week rarely fails to deliver on the latest and greatest in the cybersecurity industry for the year ahead.
After helping to lead the RSA Conference PR Team for several years on site, I was finally able to fully experience the conference in attendance for one of our flagship cybersecurity clients, Signal Sciences. It was a new experience to be able to sit in on a session or two and walk the show floor while rubbing elbows with a few of my media and analyst friendlies. Other Matter clients in attendance were Attivo Networks and Sectigo who promoted their latest solutions and discussed highlights from recent survey data.
With construction complete, bridging the North and South expo halls, there was more room overall and space for booths, which of course meant room for more creative and outlandish exhibits on display. Some companies that stood out included:
- CenturyLink: Botnet Slayer Arcade Game
- Infoblox: Simplify and take cybersecurity back to the basics
- German Pavillion: Authentic German musicians entertaining the crowds
- Plixer: Toy swords
- Swimlane: “Protesters” outside Moscone around SecOps and automation
- Tenable: Doughnut wall
- ThreatQuotient: Puppies!
The theme of RSA Conference this year was “BETTER.” Did we see that? I think so. The diverse speaker lineup, on point track and speaking sessions and aesthetic perspective all drove home that point. Do we see better in the industry? I will answer that with “TBD.” There’s a lot of great innovation and growth out there, but a lot of industry issues still exist. Each year cybersecurity issues grow and scale for organizations, and that’s not something going away anytime soon.