We’re focused on…
How cybersecurity conferences and events (like Black Hat MEA, but not limited to just BHMEA) can enable cybersecurity practitioners to maximise the lessons and knowledge they gain from major security incidents.
Why?
Because we spoke to Yassir Abousselham (Founder and CEO at Silicon Valley Cyber) about the global Crowdstrike IT outage. We asked him how events like BHMEA can facilitate the development of greater cyber resilience, and he said:
“Black Hat MEA plays a crucial role in facilitating the exchange of information on organisational resilience. As the largest gathering of cybersecurity professionals in the region, the event serves as a forum where organisations affected by outages can share lessons learned.”
A place to consolidate lessons learned
Every security incident (whether it’s a cyber attack or an IT outage that puts industries at risk) offers an opportunity for learning. But different cybersecurity practitioners take different lessons from every situation – based on their personal and professional background; the experiences that have shaped their worldview.
So when those practitioners get together with a focus on sharing knowledge and actively listening to their colleagues, everyone benefits: instead of just learning your lessons, you get to learn other people’s lessons too.
That’s why cybersecurity events are an engine that drives resilience
People come to BHMEA to do business. But that business isn’t just about making deals – there’s deeper work that happens around every corner.
It’s an opportunity for cybersecurity professionals to reflect on the lessons they’ve gathered over the course of a year (or their entire career), and offer that experience and knowledge out to the community – while absorbing the knowledge of others at the same time.
For government officials and regulators, it’s also a platform for exploring the potential of new policies and shaping the development of regulations that promote consistent, holistic, perhaps even global standards.
We all depend on tech – so we need to protect it together
“Both the cybersecurity community and the media reacted with shock at the impact that a single vendor can have across industries,” Abousselham said. “
“This reaction is typical for large-scale events that serve as a sobering reminder of the fragility of our technology-dependent economy.”
After the shock settled, cybersecurity practitioners began to do what they do so well: reflect on the impact of the situation and what it means for the safety of global technology going forward. Quickly, we began to see an explosion of insights across the digital spaces where cybersecurity folk spend their time.
Each of them had something different to add to the process of building knowledge and strategy based on the events that took place. And we know that when it comes to Black Hat MEA 2024, conversations on the exhibition floor will cover every angle of the Crowdstrike outage, with lessons shared to boost the resilience of every organisation there.
It’s true: a global economy that depends on technology and digital supply chains is fragile. Major cybersecurity events offer a route towards safety; not just through selling tools and investing in tech development, but also (or mainly) through facilitating conversations that can only happen when practitioners get together in one place.
P.S. - Mark your calendars for the return of Black Hat MEA in November 2024. Want to be a part of the action? Register now!
