#STMIC Fellow Perspective: Five Key Takeaways from RSA Conference

From May 6 to May 9, #ShareTheMicInCyber Fellow Francisca Opoku-Boateng had an opportunity to attend RSA Conference and speak on her research on privacy, open-source intelligence, and AI at a side event hosted by Chainguard. After her time in San Francisco, walking through exhibitions, attending industry-hosted side-events, and speaking with other cybersecurity experts and practitioners, Francisca took an opportunity to summarize her top five takeaways from the event.

Her research directly addressed a major theme throughout RSA Conference. During her time at the conference, Francisca saw many instances where AI continued to dominate industry discussions about the future of cybersecurity. "The integration of AI and cybersecurity was a dominant theme throughout the conversations I had during my visit to several booths as the conference expo. From threat detection and response to predictive analytics, you could tell AI-driven solutions are increasingly shaping the future of cybersecurity and most vendors continually emphasized the importance of staying at the forefront of AI innovation."

Cybersecurity is shifting towards proactive defense. As a practicing cybersecurity consultant, Francisca noticed in change in how the industry is looking to defend against cyberattacks. "Rather than merely reacting to cyber threats, several individuals mentioned how most organizations are embracing proactive approaches when it comes to security." As she walked through the halls, she noticed that "some companies are leveraging threat intelligence, and predictive analytics to anticipate and mitigate potential risks before they escalate." As AI products become more sophisticated and comprehensive, the industry will accelerate rapidly in this direction.

There's an appetite for understanding the ethics of privacy. On May 6, Francisca had an opportunity conduct a lightning talk to other cybersecurity professionals, and was able to engage outside the policy space to shape her thinking. Francisca, upon reflecting on the experience, said, "presenting my research at the Chainguard lighting talk event was undoubtedly my highlight of the conference. The event also gave me the chance to share my insights and findings with fellow professionals and allowed me to contribute to the ongoing dialogue in AI, open-source intelligence, and privacy." The ability to speak to a large audience of cybersecurity professionals also gave her the opportunity to gather feedback on her research and continue refining her work. "The constructive feedback I received from the audience during and after my lightning talk was positive. It was gratifying to see that my research resonated with attendees and sparked meaningful discussions."

Do not underestimate the value of connection. When speaking of her personal experience at one of the largest cybersecurity conferences, Francisca noted that one of the most valuable moments were the opportunities to "build genuine connections with peers, industry experts, and potential collaborators." RSA Conference has a myriad of events and talks that facilitate networking with other like-minded professionals, so "whether through formal networking events, casual conversations in the exhibit hall, or impromptu meetings during breakout sessions, I was able to forge meaningful relationships that I believe will endure beyond the conference."

Diversity in cybersecurity matters. Francisca had the opportunity to meet the co-founders of #ShareTheMicInCyber, learn more about why the movement started, and how this Fellowship was a long time in the making. "Connecting with Camille and Lauren was an honor. Camille and Lauren carved out time from their busy schedule to connect with me during the social networking event with Chainguard. In my interaction with them, I gleaned insights that served as a powerful reminder of why the fellowship was started in the first place and also the importance of diversity and inclusion in the field of cybersecurity."

A special thank you to Chainguard for their support.