Tag Archives: cybersecurity

User Error: Training Your Organization Around Basic Security Threats

Posted on by

With October recognized as cybersecurity awareness month, we have been giving some thoughts to the areas of cybersecurity where events and training can make a big difference. One area that jumped to mind was general cybersecurity awareness training for all members of your organization.

In talking about "insider threat" most people think of the recent Snowden/NSA case where a credentialed and background cleared employee knowingly leaked data  he rightfully had access to. But insider threat is more than that. It is also accidental data leaks, breeches, and security violations. You may have great virus protection, firewall technology, even continuous monitoring devices, but one errant click by an employee can bring your IT system to its knees. Continue reading →

House Intelligence Committee Chairman: We Need More Cyber Offense

Posted on by

From time to time GovEvents will come across information we feel our members and audience would benefit from. Here's something we wanted to share:

Originally posted on FCW.com

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers said Oct. 1 he would like to see the United States go on the offensive in cyberspace more than it does, but that there is not a clear understanding across government of what an offensive policy entails.

The Michigan Republican said the Pentagon, the intelligence community and law-enforcement agencies must agree on attack protocols in the event Washington goes on the offensive in cyberspace.

"We haven't coordinated that policy," he told reporters after his appearance at a Washington Post-hosted conference. "We have disparate levels of cyber offensive capability across the federal government. ... Some are fantastic, some not so good and then [there are] some in the middle."

Continue reading →

Cybersecurity Awareness Month – A Look Ahead

Posted on by

October has been designated Cybersecurity Awareness Month. In 2009, President Obama recognized the need to increase education and dialogue about cybersecurity. As part of this policy review, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was asked to create an ongoing cybersecurity awareness campaign. The Stop.Think.Connect. Campaign that is highlighted in the month of October is a national public awareness effort challenging the American public to be more vigilant about practicing safer online habits.

With this attention on the far-ranging topic of cybersecurity, a number of events are planned for the IT community to educate and collaborate. In this post we wanted to highlight the range of events professionals have to choose from this month.

Continue reading →

What’s Trending in Government Events?

Posted on by

In a recent post, we aimed to break down some of the buzz around big data and take a look at what it really means for government entities. In digging around to find how many events were discussing the topic, we decided to look at what other topics seemed to be trending on GovEvents.com.

From an agency/department perspective, Defense has the largest number of events dedicated to it. While there is a lot of talk in the media about the Defense industry cutting back on meeting and training spending, that sector still accounts for the largest percentage of events listed on our site. These events run the gamut from technology, to personnel and training topics, to specific tactical discussions. From these numbers we can conclude that the Defense community still wants and needs training. Combine that need with the reality of tight budgets (in terms of time and money) and it is important to make events geared toward the Defense audience unique in content as well as accessible (online and in-person options) to stand out in a crowded field.

Digging down into specific technologies security and cybersecurity come out on top with the most upcoming events. Again, not a huge surprise given the amount of media attention given to security breeches. The training around cybersecurity is especially critical given the reported shortfall in qualified professionals in this area. Those planning cyber events should keep in mind that attendees may be more than cyber professionals. They may be IT generalists that are tasked with cyber work, for lack of anyone else to do it, and are looking to quickly get up to speed on trends, tactics, and technologies. The audience may also include attendees with little to no security experience looking to break into the seemingly lucrative field. Content, programming, and activities should assume that all three types of attendees will be present. Events could also be tailored to meet the needs of just one of these audiences.

While not earth shattering, this data does give us insight into the real demand for buzzed about topics. It shows that the demand is in fact where we expect it to be (security) and that the market for events in the Defense community is still high. If you are looking to organize an event, think about how to combine some of these high demand topics with ones that are not currently saturating the market.  Perhaps a discussion about softer topics like management aimed at the Defense audience. Or a security event that looks at training staff to meet the new cyber risks. Being able to tie your message or product to a trend but with a different twist will make you stand out in the crowded and competitive battle for people's time and attention.

What topical trends are you seeing in the market? Let us know in the comments!

 

Image from freedigitalphotos.net

Staying out of the jaws of a cyber attack

Posted on by

 

 

Please note that the webcasts associated with the Cyber Shark Event are available on-demand.

 

In looking at what event topics are trending on govevents.com, security and more specifically, cyber security, continue to rise to the top in terms of sheer numbers of events. For good reason though--every week seems to bring a new report of a security breach in a major consumer brand. In fact, just last week, the largest breach ever reported was attributed to a Russian crime ring that stole 1.2 billion username and password combinations from companies and individuals worldwide. Of course the Edward Snowden leak at NSA is still top of mind as he was just granted another three-year stay in Russia. While this news is real and alarming, it is coming at such a steady rate that some people are starting to tune it out, reading headlines and saying, "oh, another one." Even with the media attention, it is important to look at the reality of cyber threats.

Continue reading →