Dear John,
 
If there’s a silver lining to recent ransomware attacks such as WannaCry or NotPetya, it’s that they have highlighted the need to get back to basics in the practice of data defense. The everyday tasks of cybersecurity – patch management, backup, malware protection, and many others – are often the difference between a major breach and a quiet day at the office.
 
At Dark Reading, we are building an event that will feature these everyday tasks – and the people who perform them. The event, dubbed INsecurity, takes place on Nov. 29-30 at the Gaylord National Harbor near Washington, D.C. and is designed to highlight the practice of data defense. INsecurity takes a step back from latest threats and vulnerabilities to focus more on the basic “blocking and tackling” of cybersecurity – issues such as cyber risk management, security awareness training, and staffing/budgeting. It’s a chance to think about what security defenders do – and how they can do it better.

This event is shaping up well and many more speakers will be announced in the days to come.  

• Greg Touhill, the country’s first Federal CISO, author and a former cyber leader at the Department of Homeland Security and in the U.S. military will be joining us as a Keynoter. We believe that Greg will offer a unique insight on the practice of security, both on the front lines and in the boardroom.
• Dmitri Alperovitch, CTO and co-founder of Crowdstrike and one of the world’s leading experts on nation-state threats, will also join us at INsecurity to conduct a special cyber exercise in which attendees can each play a role.
• Paul Kurtz, a former White House cyber advisor and now the co-founder and CEO of TruSTAR, will lead a discussion on information sharing.
• Roselle Safran, who led the security operations center at the White House and US-CERT, will speak on managing security budgets.

We’re also excited about the way the INsecurity event will be conducted. Unlike some other security conferences, where attendees sit quietly in dark rooms illuminated only by PowerPoint slides, INsecurity is an event built for conversation. Half of the sessions will be large group discussions on critical issues, led by topic experts and protected under Chatham House Rules. There will also be many roundtable discussions, where groups of eight or ten security pros can meet and privately discuss topics of interest. The goal of the event is to not only promote learning, but also real, practical conversation among colleagues.
 
INsecurity will be a different type of IT security event, not only in its focus on defense, but in its format and structure. You’ll be able to get advice and recommendations from top experts and security practitioners, and you’ll be able to participate in large and small discussion groups, as well as cyber exercises that help illustrate today’s challenges and best practices. You’ll get insight that actually helps you to do your job.
 
If you haven’t already, I hope that you’ll take a look at our agenda and consider attending the conference this November. Be sure to register soon to get our Early Bird rate and save $500. This event is shaping up to be a game-changer!

Best regards,



Tim Wilson
Co-founder and Editor-in-Chief
Dark Reading

P.S. Don't hesitate to reach out to us with any questions at insecurityregistration@ubm.com.