As local consultants in the IT security industry, Mike Sues and Karim Nathoo say other conferences in the industry were specific to the associations that were holding them.
What was needed, they say, was a large-scale conference that would bring the public and private sectors together to discuss IT security needs, and how to address them.
“We no longer say that ‘my’ company or organization has been compromised … it’s a global problem,” said Mr. Sues, the CEO of Ottawa-based vulnerability research firm Cryptid Labs. “We all have to get together (and determine) some of the ways we can counter those problems.”
There is no trade show component to the conference, but there are two days of training ahead of the conference speakers. Education topics include hacking and securing Android systems, and how to react swiftly to security penetrations.
Participating companies have the chance to spread word about their products in booths as well as through sponsorships, the organizers said.
Numbers will be small in the beginning, but Mr. Nathoo said that will be a boon to the participants.
“We’ve all been to large trade shows like a GTEC, with several thousand delegates,” he said. “Here, with 200 people, there is a closer connection with the delegates. (Companies) are not overwhelmed with the sheer volume.”
He added that holding the conference in Ottawa is partly intended to attract high-calibre people to the area. The organizers intend to keep the conference in the national capital in years to come.
The takes place Oct. 25 and 26 at the Ottawa Convention Centre.
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