In a recent chat at the RSA Conference (RSAC), cybersecurity experts Sean, Christina, and Marco delved deep into discussions about the evolving landscape of cyber threats, the impact of technology on security, and the need for regulations to keep up with emerging tech.
Guest: Christina Stokes, Host, On Cyber & AI Podcast, Founder of Narito Cybersecurity
On ITSPmagazine | https://www.itspmagazine.com/itspmagazine-podcast-radio-hosts/christina-stokes
On LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/xTinaStokes/
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Hosts:
Sean Martin, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine [@ITSPmagazine] and Host of Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast [@RedefiningCyber]
On ITSPmagazine | https://www.itspmagazine.com/sean-martin
Marco Ciappelli, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine [@ITSPmagazine] and Host of Redefining Society Podcast
On ITSPmagazine | https://www.itspmagazine.com/itspmagazine-podcast-radio-hosts/marco-ciappelli
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Episode Notes
The Evolution of Cybersecurity
The dialogue initiated by Sean, Christina, and Marco shed light on how cybersecurity has matured over the years. From the early days of hacking as a hobby to the current focus on ethical practices, the panelists emphasized the importance of adapting to the changing technological landscape. They discussed how regulations, policies, and laws have played a crucial role in shaping the cybersecurity industry, emphasizing the need for responsible use of technology to prevent it from becoming a monster.
AI and Its Implications
The conversation also touched upon the growing role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in cybersecurity. While AI has brought about advancements in threat detection and response, there are concerns about privacy and data protection. The panelists emphasized the importance of using AI ethically and responsibly to avoid potential risks associated with its misuse.
Supply Chain Vulnerabilities
A significant portion of the discussion revolved around supply chain vulnerabilities and the interconnected nature of global industries. The experts highlighted the importance of understanding and securing supply chains, particularly in the context of operational technology and manufacturing processes. They stressed the need for resilience and innovation to address evolving cybersecurity threats.
The Human Element in Cybersecurity
Throughout the conversation, the experts reiterated the significance of human connections and collaborations in the cybersecurity domain. They emphasized the need for organizations to invest in education, training, and building strong relationships within the industry to combat cyber threats effectively. The dialogue underscored the essential role of people in securing digital ecosystems and fostering a culture of cybersecurity awareness.
Looking Towards the Future
As the discussion came to a close, Sean, Christina, and Marco expressed optimism about the future of cybersecurity. They discussed upcoming trends such as Generative AI, AI Bill of Materials, and the continued focus on governance, data security, and AI ethics. The experts highlighted the importance of ongoing conversations, collaborations, and innovation in driving the industry forward.
This insightful chat at RSAC 2024 offered valuable perspectives on the current challenges and opportunities in cybersecurity. The experts' nuanced discussions about AI, supply chain vulnerabilities, and human-centric cybersecurity shed light on the complex nature of the digital threat landscape. As we navigate the evolving cybersecurity landscape, collaboration, innovation, and a shared commitment to ethical practices will be key to ensuring a secure digital future.
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Is there a Frankenstein's Industry Monster lurking in the shadow at RSAC 2024? | Cybersecurity Chronicles from Broadcast Alley with Christina Stokes | On Location Coverage with Sean Martin and Marco Ciappelli
Please note that this transcript was created using AI technology and may contain inaccuracies or deviations from the original audio file. The transcript is provided for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a substitute for the original recording, as errors may exist. At this time, we provide it “as it is,” and we hope it can be helpful for our audience.
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[00:00:00] none: Yeah. Are they picking up? Alright, we
[00:00:04] Sean Martin: have speed.
[00:00:05] none: Look at that, Marco. Are we going? Which camera are we looking
[00:00:11] Sean Martin: at, though? The engine's running. Oh, okay. What? Yeah, exactly. What?
[00:00:16] Christina Stokes: Turn
[00:00:17] Sean Martin: it to 11.
[00:00:26] none: It's already at 11, man. It is 11 in there. It's 11 in there. So,
[00:00:31] Marco Ciappelli: Sean.
[00:00:32] none: Margo.
[00:00:33] Marco Ciappelli: We're sitting. We're sitting. We usually stand. It's nice to sit. I know. It's micing anybody. Nope. We're actually having the mic positioned on us, which is a luxury. Right. But, uh, I'm excited to be here.
[00:00:47] Sean Martin: It is a luxury. It's a luxury to have Christina with us as well.
[00:00:51] Christina Stokes: It's been a great experience. guys for having me.
[00:00:55] Marco Ciappelli: How has it been so far?
[00:00:57] Christina Stokes: You know, this is my second time at RSA this year. It's been a lot of fun. And I think it's just a great event for gathering and meeting people and reuniting with friends that we, you know, get to see sometimes just once a year. And there's a lot of new activity this year too, so.
[00:01:16] Marco Ciappelli: What about you? I know this is the, what, the third, second time?
[00:01:19] Sean Martin: My second, tenth time. For twenty, twenty total. Yeah, a lot has changed. I think the escalator is the same, coming down. The escalator is the same? It was there? You notice I take the stairs down now. Yeah. And I take the stairs back up. Why? Because I eat a lot.
I eat a lot, so, uh.
[00:01:40] Christina Stokes: Gotta work it off.
[00:01:41] Sean Martin: Yeah, the logo's changed, I think the technology stayed the same. We just rebranded and throw, sprinkled a little AI on top and off we roll. But, uh, loads of people here.
[00:01:52] Marco Ciappelli: Yeah. A lot of people, a lot of noise. So here's what I want to do here. So this is kind of a recap for the day, but it's also for yesterday and the day before.
And the day before. And maybe we'll do a recap for tomorrow. If we can read into the future. But what I would like to do is to take the opportunity. You've been doing cyber for a while. Cyber security. You've been doing it for, I don't even know, more than 20 years, obviously. I'd like to take That's the third 10.
I'd like to take this opportunity to do a little bit of what I like to do on my show. Looking back, and looking at where we are, to see if it's really just AI sticker slapped on something. Of course, it's a joke, I guess, but So, um, when did you get into cyber?
[00:02:49] Christina Stokes: So, I started I guess I was an ethical hacker.
[00:02:54] Marco Ciappelli: Ethical hacker?
[00:02:57] Christina Stokes: I shouldn't put that into air quotes. No,
[00:02:59] Marco Ciappelli: you should never do the ethical hacker.
[00:03:02] Christina Stokes: Well, so I started hacking Let's start again, Chuck. Cut. I started hacking about 20 years ago as a hobby. And that grew As a hobby. As a hobby.
[00:03:14] Sean Martin: On non hobby stuff, though.
[00:03:16] Christina Stokes: What? On
[00:03:16] Sean Martin: non hobby stuff.
[00:03:17] Christina Stokes: Non hobby stuff.
Let's cut that too. Let me start over. Hold on, one second, before I like, I never did anything illegal. There were no laws back then. No
[00:03:29] none: laws. So,
[00:03:33] Christina Stokes: I started off as a web developer and I got into hacking and I learned how to hack into different websites and things, ethically, and continued working as a web developer and At the same time, I also worked as a journalist.
And my path into cyber kind of, you know, was indirect. I went into journalism, marketing, and continued with web development on the side. And then eventually I moved into the GRC portion and started working with ISO. And, um, that evolved into going to graduate school for a Masters in Cyber Security and MBA.
[00:04:18] Marco Ciappelli: Right. But now, you have this new show, and you talk about AI. I do. Yes. Surprise. Surprise, yes. So, your take, since when, in a few words, since when you started, um, how different is it now, besides AI? Besides
[00:04:38] Christina Stokes: AI, I think it's It's matured.
[00:04:42] Marco Ciappelli: Matured?
[00:04:43] Christina Stokes: Yes. Cybersecurity has definitely matured. Um, I remember, you know, back in the early 2000s, there was so much that we did not have that we have today and the policies and the development continue to change year in, year out as the technology changes and emerging technologies come through and start to impact our day to day.
So there's been, I've seen maturity. Over the last couple of decades.
[00:05:11] Marco Ciappelli: So it's not a Wild West anymore?
[00:05:14] Christina Stokes: Not as much as a Wild Wild West. I, you know, can't say it is. There's a lot more regulations.
[00:05:22] Marco Ciappelli: Sean, do you agree? No. No. AI is
Wild West. AI is
[00:05:28] Sean Martin: Wild West. I think the um, It certainly has matured. No question about that.
I just came here from a Seasonal luncheon. Hanging out with my family. I'm here with a few friends, meeting some new ones, and we were talking about the maturity of the industry and have we, have we created a monster? Oh, I like, we're going to Frankenstein. We are going to Frankenstein. Alright. Have we created a machine that can't keep up with itself?
Um, because when I, 30 years ago, let's just say it, when I started, nobody really knew or cared. We can still say that today, but really nobody knew. They're passing viruses around on floppy disks, right? So, the industry did a lot to educate. And did a lot with the media and the press to raise awareness of breaches and things like that.
Not unlike today. But because it was so new, it was very dramatic. And it really boosted things like this. And It basically built an industry that, uh, I don't know how many, 3, 000 vendors or something at this point.
[00:06:45] Marco Ciappelli: So is it, is it the monster that, that has to feed constantly in order to survive? Uh, or it can, do you remember before we started I said I'm going to say bad things about the industry?
But in a, in a nice way. So is it necessary to have this industry on his own or did slowly eventually going to embed into other industry like technology embedding, you know, clothing and manufacture and whatever you want.
[00:07:21] Sean Martin: Well, the, the interesting thing is I, I've heard this before the show and I've actually heard it here as well, that there's been a lot of.
I don't know the best way to put it, but the CIO comes up a lot in addition to the CISO. And so much more collaboration, much more integration. The CIO leading a lot of the, what is really secure by design, right? So taking, here are the business things we're trying to achieve, and we're going to enable those with technology and bring security.
So I'm starting to hear that. As well as still security kind of leading, but maybe more from a risk perspective. So let, certainly controls too. I think it's definitely a mix, but I guess my point is, the IT space, and especially now that we have the OT space, those two are looking at OT for the non practitioner.
Operational technology. I think we're starting to see what can those two groups That's, that's the code that we use to keep people safe. So it's a common, uh, um, uh, number. So it's not, it's not a new story, but the way people are talking about it, and specifically the CIO role coming up over and over and over,
[00:08:56] Marco Ciappelli: It's probably the sign of maturity
that you were talking about.
Feel free to disagree.
[00:09:03] Sean Martin: I know. Tell me I'm wrong.
[00:09:04] Christina Stokes: No, for me it's the policies, regulations and the laws. As technology changes, all of that changes. But we need to develop that in order to keep up with the technology. And that's where I have a lot of concerns with emerging tech. Can we keep up with that from
[00:09:29] Marco Ciappelli: So it's a, I know you're interested in AI, so I'm going to connect the monster Frankenstein and of course AI make me think about a brain, Abby, Abby something,
[00:09:41] Sean Martin: Abby not, Abby normal.
[00:09:44] Marco Ciappelli: Are we putting it, uh, the weird brain in our, in our machine? And we need this regulation to be sure that we're not doing it in a bad way.
[00:09:56] Christina Stokes: Definitely. That's
[00:09:57] Marco Ciappelli: the, that's the thing.
[00:09:58] Christina Stokes: We definitely need that. It's on display
[00:09:59] Marco Ciappelli: in the stage. I would like to see, actually, I'm going to give the idea of, you know, like a monster. Anyway, sorry. Go ahead.
[00:10:09] Christina Stokes: No, I, I think we do need that in order to keep up so it doesn't turn into a monster. Um, because there is a danger to it.
With any tool. Can be used as a weapon, but if we are not using those tools and being responsible and accountable, then it can become a monster. It can become a problem.
[00:10:33] Marco Ciappelli: But you do have, and I know because I heard some of your conversation today and yesterday, when I'm monitoring you, I learned, you know, that there is a very key moment always in your conversation with With vendors, with experts, where you're like, yeah, but it's too much regulation going to block innovation.
And there's always that balance that I'm not sure where it is, but I mean, you had already at least 10 conversation in these two days about that. Yeah. Yeah. I think,
[00:11:15] Sean Martin: the challenge with, well, there's many challenges to regulation, right? So only those who have money. Can meet the regulations and those that don't, that likely have some brilliant ideas, never see their stuff come to market. Um, regulation then, if you're using technologies, as an organization, not just building them, but using technologies, you're, you spend a lot of time reporting against how well, and we talked about this in some of the governance conversations, how much time are you spending just proving that you're doing the right thing.
The right thing per all of these things, whether it be an industry, a sector, a government, a law, whatever it is, all these things you have to juggle just to bring something forward. Sadly, I think it's necessary, um, but I, I question, well, even just with AI, right, if somebody wants to do something bad with it, there's no regulation or framework or standard Or anything that's gonna say, I'm just gonna go for
it.
Right. Right. Um,
I still see drones flying in no drone areas.
[00:12:26] none: Right. Right.
[00:12:28] Sean Martin: They get away for a while and then they get caught and they move off somewhere else.
[00:12:32] Marco Ciappelli: Yeah. Yeah. I don't know. Um, alright. That's cool. Uh.
[00:12:38] Sean Martin: No, it's not. It's not cool.
[00:12:40] Marco Ciappelli: Well, I could keep going. As a matter of fact, teaser alert, I'm gonna have a conversation right here.
After this, with a guy, an investigative journalist that has been looking at cyber crime, money laundering, and crime. com was his first book, so teaser for J. F. White, which I'm going to host really soon here, and it connects with that. You know, you may have regulation, but if all the good guys follow the rules, the bad guys don't care.
They're going to take advantage of it. So. It's, it's hard. It's really, really hard. So I, I'm curious to know what, uh, what Jeff is going to unveil on that.
I want your thoughts on AI regulation because we, we've seen it for privacy, right? EU did a great job. Great job. They did something anyway, good or bad way or however you take it.
The U. S. kind of mixed match different states or make some things coming nationally. AI is kind of to me that same. pattern again, right? We see the AI Act in the UK and in Europe. We see some states taking action in the US and then the government as well now at the federal level looking at it. But it's going to be a mixed match.
[00:14:03] Christina Stokes: It is. I think so. I think, um, at times, you know, we see Europe doing things a little bit faster than the US is doing them. And then we follow maybe behind that. But what happens in other countries and other regions impacts what we are doing here and how we are doing what we do with regulations and, and GRC.
So, but, you know, there, there does have to be that balance to make sure that what we are doing is right for us domestically, so that we can continue to work internationally, whether that is, you know, In private industry or government and be able to compete and protect as well.
[00:14:55] Sean Martin: This reminds me of the conversation we had with um, Kate Esprit.
Remember, we were talking about the geopolitics of the technology and who you buy from and how you deploy it and who you have serviced. The solutions you use could put you as a company and Right. As a state and as a nation, perhaps even in a political position, that just because you select some technology, right?
And I think, same thing for AI, how you use it, how you apply it, how you let the society use it, I think, might put folks in a position, geopolitically, that could change boundaries and, and how we collaborate and interact with each other. Yeah,
[00:15:40] Marco Ciappelli: she was talking specifically about Cybercrime in South America.
[00:15:45] Sean Martin: Yeah, but selecting a particular network switch from a nation state that's not friendly with the U. S. Right. Where does that nation use that technology?
[00:15:57] Marco Ciappelli: That's why you invited me on that conversation. Because it was very much about social demographic and economy actually. Because when does the crime Go and recruit it.
Most of the time is where people need job and need to make money because they're like, that's we're giving you money. It's like mafia. You know what I mean? It has become always, it's always been the state inside the state. It's grow because it couldn't, the people couldn't trust the state. So the organized crime got in between.
So we take care of you. You take care of me. You know, I'm Italian, I know this. But, uh, but the same thing was coming out in South America. And, uh, to be honest, the same thing, I had a conversation with, uh, a, uh, congressional nominee, which she's here, Madison Horne, right before, as part of the pre event coverage.
And she was talking about her state, which is Oklahoma, which is not one of the most rich states at all in the United States, and how she's running. Uh, because she wants to bring technology and cyber security to the forefront of the way we do politics and legislation, but also to bring jobs with technology and not looking at it as fear, like, uh, with technology comes cyber security, cyber crime, and therefore you better don't have it.
No, you can't do that. You know, it's not like if I don't want to be phished, I'm not going to use email. No, you can do that, you know, you gotta use the car, even if you may risk something, but do it as safely as you can. And regulation help. So that's a good example of how that works.
[00:17:58] Sean Martin: I think we need to regulate education to include this.
I think, I don't know, I did. It's interesting to me because I, I, I see over the years, I see a lot of cycles where the, the technology is built for governments and large enterprises and then we try to feed it down into the small mid market and then it ends up into the consumer space and then it, then the threats change and the technology grows and it, it kind of cycles back through and, and throughout this cycle I also see Businesses sprout and new services being offered to help companies use the technology, manage the technology, monitor the technology, all this stuff.
It's because there aren't enough people to support all of the companies for all of those technologies, all those, against all those threats 24 7. So we need companies that offer services, but then We bring new technologies in that creates even more services. So we just, I guess, kind of my point earlier, we continue to add layers, right?
And partly it's because we're adding technology layers. But for every technology layer and every business process and every data set, we're adding more controls and more policies and more, the need for more people for all of this stuff. I don't know if we, I don't know if that's the mantra. I don't know if we can sustain that.
I don't know if it'll sustain.
[00:19:37] Christina Stokes: Technology is so embedded in everything we do in our day to day lives. No matter what industry we look at, whether it's financial, healthcare, education, it's in everything. And I think, you know, for those of us inside and outside the industry, we have to realize that technology is not There is no physical border to it.
So it doesn't matter what state you're in. It doesn't matter what country you're in or what region you're in. There are no physical borders. We're all interacting, right? So, I think it's important to keep that in mind.
[00:20:16] Marco Ciappelli: Yeah, and I need to come back to the idea that is, uh, You know what I'm envisioning is very visual in the way I talk.
Uh, well, fungi, they What you see on the surface, it's nothing. The whole microcosm is underneath. That's where all is networked. And we don't even know where it goes. And I feel like that monster is kind of like that. I've seen it on TV. Uh, The Last of Us, I think, was about that. But the point is, it's everywhere, even when we don't realize it.
And the everyday user, it's everywhere. That say, oh, now there is AI. And you're like, no, AI has been here for a long time. Maybe it wasn't as buzzword as now. And not embedding your phone. But it was here. So you just can't ignore it anymore. Everything is connected.
[00:21:11] Christina Stokes: Yeah, I mean, machine learning has been around for years.
But now that it's AI and that's the buzzword. It's suddenly like, it's like this new thing. But it really isn't. This new thing. It is new in the sense that it is now getting embedded into everything, into our phones, our emails, our softwares. Um, you know, whether you want it or not, sometimes.
[00:21:34] Marco Ciappelli: And is the consequence of everything connected?
If we didn't have the internet, we probably I mean, AI was, Turing was looking at it in the 40s, right? But, in the 50s, but we didn't have the technology really to do it. It has always been that. Dr. Frankenstein dream, right? Anyway, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
[00:21:57] Christina Stokes: Now we have the technology to leverage that for good or evil.
[00:22:06] Sean Martin: Evil.
[00:22:07] Marco Ciappelli: Evil. I don't know.
[00:22:10] Sean Martin: Not today. Not today. As you were describing the, uh, the fun guy.
[00:22:15] Marco Ciappelli: Yeah.
[00:22:17] Sean Martin: I'm picturing, and we had this conversation, more of a philosophical, but we were talking kind of like ants and You know what? We were talking about ants and life. Oh, yeah, yeah. I remember that. But anyway, I was picturing the fungi is just, it's not just the fungi there, right?
There's dirt and there are ants in the ground and, and rain and the sun and all this stuff. And so I'm mentioning that because I, I'm looking back at the conversations leading up To this conference, I don't know, maybe half of them directly tied back to supply chain in some way, and the others touched on it in some way.
Even the conversations, I haven't had any direct supply chain or bill of materials yet conversations here on location directly, but they've all touched on it as well. And I think that's the other part that's really interesting to me in terms of a sustainability. There's a lot to make this happen, right?
Supply, software, supply chain, even just for the security software, right? We saw SolarWinds and other stuff where those weaknesses can take out the stuff that's using, being used to protect us. So I think, and the government's on this, at least in the U. S., so I think there's some positive movement there. I I'm thrilled to have more conversations on that topic because I think it's a critical one.
[00:23:47] Christina Stokes: I was having a conversation earlier today about supply chains and supply chains in Asia and how, you know, when that's impacted, other parts of the world are also impacted because they're connected. So, and that's another thing, like we can't be so insular to think that what's happening in this country It's only happening here because it impacts supply chains, you know, outside of the U.
S., going both directions.
[00:24:17] Sean Martin: And you're going to have a chat with Helen on AI, Bobby?
[00:24:21] Christina Stokes: Yes. Yes. I will be talking with Helen. All
[00:24:24] Marco Ciappelli: right. Let's take this last, let's say, ten minutes as we monopolize our own broadcast alley today. We're doing this.
[00:24:32] Sean Martin: Our monster alley.
[00:24:33] Marco Ciappelli: Monster alley. All right. I know again, you've done a, a lot of, uh, interview already so far, the vibe, what's the pulse of, of the event and what, what, what's coming up tomorrow, today, later today?
And same thing for her and a real recap. Right now
[00:24:53] Sean Martin: we have been recap, expressing ourselves. It's dangerous to try to remember everything. I think. Um, not everything. No, no. I think there. It's a few themes, so I'm hearing a lot of data, so focusing on the data again. I think there's a lot of data, data, data. A lot of realization that the perimeter, it's nothing new here, the perimeters change, non existent, porous, whatever you want to, I think that's impacting how technologies are transforming their IT stack and changing the way they manage their people stack.
I know you love it when I say people. No, but um, but it, it's forcing a shift in how we put controls on the technology. And monitor those controls and look for anomalies. Because, back to the data, there's so much more data. And one conversation in particular with Colby. Just talking because I built a sim and the hardest part was getting all the data parts together so you can have a picture in a way that a human and maybe ultimately some machines can automate a response to something bad happening before it becomes an issue.
And it comes back to the data again for that, for me. So I think there's
[00:26:22] Marco Ciappelli: Garbage in, garbage out?
[00:26:24] Sean Martin: Garbage in, garbage out.
[00:26:25] Marco Ciappelli: I'd love to say that. You're missing a piece. Every time I can, I just plug garbage in, garbage out.
[00:26:31] Sean Martin: Cherry pie without the crust? I don't know. Is that any good? I don't like cherries, but not what I was expecting.
But, um, yeah, I think the other point I made is just the idea that, that organizations still need help. You can't just throw some technology or ten layers of technology and yet another new one to solve all the problems. In fact, that can make things more complex and cause more a challenge and create more exposure.
And so I know I, I think I continue to see organizations growing and new businesses blooming and we'll see. I don't know that that's over the next couple days. I'm more of the same, I think, to be honest with you. I don't know if there's any, any shockers coming. We'll see.
[00:27:17] Marco Ciappelli: So I said governance data and ai.
Can we bet on these three buzzwords for the year? I didn't even mention
[00:27:28] Sean Martin: resilient. Resilience is a word.
[00:27:31] Marco Ciappelli: Resilience is old. It was like five years ago already. But
it
goes back to
my point.
Especially when you look at operational. I'm sorry, I'm taking more than ten minutes. But when you look at operational technology, running a manufacturing thing, resilience means That means the line doesn't go down. Right? And it's not just that it loses power, it's that it could potentially have a denial of service.
And I think IT, or the OT team, are learning from the IT team to say, this is what resilience means. We better bring security in. And I think we've struggled with security leaning, or leading the resilience. There's also Generative
[00:28:22] Christina Stokes: AI, that's another buzzword we're hearing because a lot of companies are using Generative AI in their operations and their products and with their own data as well.
Another, you know, area of concern is the data, and the privacy involved with that. And how do we protect that especially when we're using AI and giving AI access to the data? To all of that. Right. And, you know, that makes me a little bit nervous sometimes.
[00:28:54] Marco Ciappelli: Okay. Are you, um, does it make, uh, this experience come some ideas in your mind for future conversation on your show?
[00:29:07] Christina Stokes: Oh, absolutely. Yeah, definitely. Wanna start, I wanna talk to a lot of people about generative AI and, and how they're using that. But how are they? I'm going to be using that safely and ethically. Um, I also, uh, we're going to be having different conversations about the AI Bill of Materials and how that is going to be applied as well, but also how that will change in the coming years as AI gets more incorporated into what we're doing.
[00:29:35] Marco Ciappelli: Very cool. I am excited
[00:29:38] none: for
[00:29:40] Marco Ciappelli: everything.
[00:29:42] Sean Martin: And nothing, all at the same time. I don't know, like
[00:29:45] Marco Ciappelli: Sometimes I wonder if events like this are necessary. Like, do we need to have this old show, this old circus moving, which certainly gave jobs to a lot of people, a lot of people come here. Why do we come to this event?
I think often we, we have this conversation because when we couldn't come a few years ago, we said, this is what we're missing. Right? Networking with people, coming up with idea. It's not really something tangible that you sell. Cyber security, and I can dive a little bit into the marketing of it. We're not, we don't have the box anymore.
And you give the, you sell the idea of security. It's kind of like what you do with pharmaceutical, drug, insurance, and banks, and finance. Bye. We don't have events for that kind of thing. Of course, maybe because the community is not so doesn't need to be so innovative? Well, maybe
[00:30:51] Sean Martin: we don't know about those events.
[00:30:54] Marco Ciappelli: True.
[00:30:55] Sean Martin: Okay. Touché. I think these are critical events to have. I think there's a lot of money being spent that maybe organized in a different way. Get a bigger bang for the buck, but I think just the fact that, uh, Anthony Blinken was here and got coverage, right? Awareness from that perspective, that alone is, is, is, uh, significant.
I think tons of different roles here. I mean, we have students. I think you're going to talk to some students, hopefully. Uh, students are here, I think, to my education point earlier. That group needs to know that Monster industry exists, right? So they can become part of it and hopefully, hopefully help out.
There are defenders in the organizations. There are companies trying to find the problems, right? So I think that connection between the defenders and the solution writers, not just to sell and hopefully buy stuff, but to understand the challenges and take it back to the R& D. So I, I think that's important.
[00:32:07] Marco Ciappelli: And the competition, the
[00:32:09] Sean Martin: fuel,
[00:32:10] Christina Stokes: right?
[00:32:10] Sean Martin: Innovation and the innovation. Absolutely.
[00:32:13] Christina Stokes: And I think we come here for connection and that's something that's also important to have, not just virtually, but it's nice to be able to connect with other people face to face and to, to develop those connections and, and continue to, to foster those relationships as well.
And. Like, for me, that's one of the reasons that I come to RSA and I go to different conferences. It's to be able to connect. Because what are we striving to protect? We're striving to protect the people that we care about. We're striving to protect the connections and relationships that we have. And that, for me, is what drives me in cybersecurity.
To help keep people safe. But it's not without care. So, of course That's definitely one of the reasons I think we have these events.
[00:33:08] Marco Ciappelli: Yeah. For me it's about the, it's kind of like the old school World Trade Fair back in the 1800, 1900. You wanted to have the best product to present, to showcase what you could do, either Edison presenting the light bulb or, you know, or other innovation.
It was, it's even now, and I'm saying this because It's not just about, we are very close to the Expo here, we'll show you in another episode on the camera, but also on the other side there is the Expo, the Sandbox, the Innovation Sandbox where there is all the new companies that are competing, there are 10 finalists which some of them we talked to, uh, there is our friends at the Villages, so I'm gonna throw a, you know, shout out for them from the IoT.
The OPSEC, the physical security, and of course,
[00:34:05] none: my favorite,
[00:34:06] Marco Ciappelli: the aerospace of my good friends. And, uh, and that's also what it's about. So, I'm happy to be here. I'm happy to have this opportunity to have a chat with you guys. And to have many more here right after this and tomorrow. And, uh, I have
[00:34:24] Sean Martin: one pet peeve.
I want to see change. One more thing from Sean. I always have one. What? Thing. What's that?
[00:34:29] Marco Ciappelli: The swag?
[00:34:29] Sean Martin: Well, I was going, that was gonna be my second. I, I'm not a big fan of the swag and, and all that waste. Thankfully they don't even offer us a bag, so I don't have to decline it or give it away. But the one thing I don't like seeing are these billboards on trucks driving around and sitting idle, pumping out exhausts As I'm cruising around in the area, I don't need to see that ad on the truck through the, through the fog of.
[00:34:58] Marco Ciappelli: Let's start a movement. Let's try
[00:34:59] Sean Martin: a
[00:35:00] Marco Ciappelli: different one. You
[00:35:01] Sean Martin: know
[00:35:01] Marco Ciappelli: who
[00:35:02] Sean Martin: you are. You know who
[00:35:04] none: you are. Yep, we know who you are. Some of my friends. You know who you are. Alright, well, you know. That's my bit. I'm done. You're done? I'm outta here. You're done? You're done?
[00:35:16] Christina Stokes: I'm good. We're
[00:35:17] none: done. We're done.