With the Coronavirus pandemic changing the way we do things, the issue of cybersecurity has become even more relevant. These days, most of us are cooped up at home, working in front of your laptops and desktop computers. Some of us spend more than eight hours online, and more often than not, we forget to exercise extra caution. This gives hackers, online pirates, and thieves more opportunities to spread their threats to as many people as possible.
The abovementioned scenario is the main reason why our IT professionals and experts continue to find ways to improve cybersecurity and other related technologies. One activity that has significantly helped is the annual DECODE conference.
Organized by cybersecurity global leader Trend Micro Inc, DECODE is a yearly gathering of industry experts and IT professionals that started in 2017. Its main goal is to encourage awareness of the trends in the cyber world, particularly in the cybersecurity skills department.
While the previous conferences were face-to-face events held in Manila, this year’s DECODE will be a virtual gathering as a result of the COVID-19 health & safety restrictions. The three-day conference will happen on November 10, 11, and 12. Aside from featuring global industry experts, it will also provide participants with the opportunity to learn and connect with the experts through various breakout sessions. A panel discussion featuring threat experts is also scheduled. The main points to be tackled include the latest global trends on Machine Learning, Data Protection and Privacy, Artificial Intelligence, and Cybercrime and Incident Response.
Relevant information about industry trends, new technologies, and the threat landscape will also be discussed.
DECODE 2020 has six keynote addresses, each one focusing on a vital aspect of the cyber world and IT industry:
Martin Rösler, Senior Director of the Trend Micro Forward-Looking Threat Research (FTR) team, will give a talk on “The Game Changer – How the Pandemic is Changing Your World”. The new cyber risks, threats, and challenges the world is facing today will be featured in this session.
Myla Pilao, Trend Micro’s security research communications lead, will talk about “Innovation or Disruption”, which will examine how countries and organizations are being disrupted by numerous digital threats and risks, and why reexamining existing security architecture is essential in fighting off cyber threats.
Director for Cybercrime Research of the FTR team, Robert McArdle, will discuss “Cybercrime in 2020 and Beyond: Not Everything Changes in a Pandemic”. This session will examine how cybercrime, as an industry, has been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Melissa Hathaway, Hathaway Global LLC president and cyberspace policy and cybersecurity expert, will present a discussion dubbed as “Exposed: Attack Surfaces Widen as the World Increasingly Relies on Digital Infrastructures”. Hathaway, who served in two U.S. presidential administrations, will talk about the increased reliance on digital tools and broader exposure to cyber risks to ramp scam individuals, ransom businesses, disrupt critical infrastructures, and attack governments at all levels.
Sharing timeless principles that he learned in over two decades as a cybersecurity professional is Philip Casanova, a Partner at SyCip Gorres Velayo & Co.’s Technology Consulting, Dubbed “Principles to Live by for Cybersecurity Leaders”, this session intends to strengthen the mindset, persona, and posture of current and aspiring cybersecurity leaders in an evolving cyber threat landscape.
Director of Cybercrime INTERPOL Craig Jones will talk about INTERPOL’s Global Cybercrime Programme, which aims to reduce the global impact of cybercrime and protect communities for a safer world. The “Cybercrime Through the Lens of Law Enforcement and Private Partners” session will tell participants law enforcement agencies and private partners should collaborate in investigations and how crucial this is in putting an end to cybercriminal operations and reducing the risks it could pose to ordinary users and enterprises.
Aside from the breakout sessions, panel discussion, and keynote addresses, conference participants can also join the networking lounger, where they can interact with the speakers.
DECODE 2020 is a free virtual conference open to IT professionals from all industries. It is also open to IT/technology students. Check the DECODE 2020 website to get the detailed schedule of activities for the three-day conference.
This year’s theme is “ELEVATE! Transform Rapidly, Seamlessly, Securely,” which is a call for transformation in the cyber industry with the rise of new threats concerning organizations.
(Some inputs taken from the DECODE 2020 press release.)