Six Steps for Security Professionals to make the most out of the RSA Conference

This year’s RSA Conference is March 4^th-7^th in San Francisco. As always, it is a long and exhausting week for security professionals and the vendors who attend, trying to make the most of a short period of time when the industry gets together to share best practices to better protect enterprises from the never-ending wave of cyber threats.

The things that I find most relevant and important about the RSA Conference is to meet face to face with your peers and experts. There is no better way to learn, meet new contacts, and see what new solutions are out there than doing it face to face. My recommendation for security professionals to make the most of the RSA Conference is to follow these six steps:

1. At the conference, go on Monday or very early Tuesday to get your badge. You will save major time by doing this early and avoid the long registration/badge pick-up lines.

2. Select the key sessions in advance that you want to see and get to the sessions early. Having a game plan before you get there will help you get the most out of the right sessions that are relevant to you. Get to these sessions early as they fill up quickly. You can also “reserve a seat” in advance for some of the sessions.

3. On the trade show floor, it’s an absolute zoo. I would go through the sponsor directory and seek out the vendors where you have pain points and who lead in their specific categories as outlined by Gartner and Forrester.  Check out the RSA sponsor list here.. When you are on the floor, introduce yourself at the booth and say, “Who is the best person that could tell me about solving for ‘X’ pain point?” That way you get the most qualified person to help you and don’t waste your time. The giveaways are abound so don’t forget to take something back for your security team who couldn’t come or for your family.

4. The real action does not happen on the show floor. For the key vendors you want to meet, they will most likely have meeting spaces outside of the Moscone conference center in a more relaxed environment where you can have a real conversation, a drink, and a place to sit. This is where you will get the best 1:1 time with the people you want to meet with.

5. Evening activities are another great way to meet your peers and experts. The evening activities are limitless so decide where you want to go in advance where you think you will get the most out of the experience. Evening events could include dinners or music performances, and are where many of the best conversations happen. Don’t forget to get on the lists ahead of time too – sometimes they fill up!

6. Speaking of conversations, some of the best are held late at night at the lobby bars of the W or the St Regis, just down the street of the Moscone. It’s usually a who’s who of the security world including security leaders, CEOs, and so much more.

I hope this helps you to make the most out of the RSA Conference. We would certainly welcome you to visit with Digital Shadows if you have concerns around data loss, online brand exposure, and infrastructure risks. Here is where you can find us:

• Booth #4421 in the North Hall (Tuesday – Thursday)

• Our Meeting space @ Tabletop Tap House (just outside Moscone) (Tuesday-Thursday) – Feel free to book time with us here.
• Security Leader VIP Event (Tuesday evening) –  RSVP here

• Security VIP After Hours Happy Hour (Wednesday night) – RSVP here

For full details, check out our comprehensive event page here: https://info.digitalshadows.com/2019RSA.html