RSA Notes
[Updated post - I added quite a bit]
I am about to leave the RSA conference. I am a little disappointed that I was not here all week. The last two years I arrived Monday and left Friday and got to go to all the sessions I could make it to. But that was when I was an Information Security Manager for a non-profit psychiatric clinic. They were used to sending doctors and their execs to conferences, so it wasn’t a foreign concept to them. Now that I am a presales SE for a security consulting firm, I have to make sure I am available for meetings and such as much as possible.
I really am grateful that I am here at all this year. I really came in just for the security blogger gathering, and I wouldn’t be here at all if it wasn’t for that. Of course, I did meet with a potential client while I was here, so I feel much more justified.
Speaking of the blogger gathering, I have to agree with Martin that it was a great event. I loved meeting everyone that I have been IM’ing and emailing and podcasting with for a year now (BTW, my blog is almost 1 year old – Feb 24, 2006 was my first post). My favorite part had to be the big bear hugs I got from Alan Shimel and Mitchell Ashley at StillSecure (the most exciting event of the evening was the cab ride from the Thai restaurant to my hotel, but I will give Alan a chance to blog about that first). Those two guys crack me up, and they are really cool guys.
I also finally got to meet the great Mike Rothman. I like that guy a lot.
I also got a thrill when I met people that said they read my blogs. I agree with Alan when he comments on how flattering it is to have someone say they read and actually value what I write.
I also enjoyed meeting Cutaway from Security Ripcord. That guy is as down-to-earth as you get. Just a good guy who doesn’t put on any airs. He’s a Marine (some would say former Marine, but once a Marine always a Marine). I was in the Army, so we inevitably end up talking military stuff. If you add Martin to the mix (ex-Army), it really gets deep.
One other person I really enjoyed meeting was Washintonpost.com’s own Brian Krebs, who writes the Security Fix blog. Brian is a celebrity in the security world because he writes for such a distinguished publication. But he is also respected by security professionals because he writes some good stuff and knows what he is talking about. And he was a nice guy, and he was also humble. I had to thank him personally for the great job he did of exposing the scandal with the Connecticut substitute teacher that was convicted for exposing her students to pornography (here and here).
Some other big names that were there:
Bruce Schneier - It was pretty cool to actually get to introduce myself to him. I’ve met him, but only quickly at shows and at a book signing. This was more personal.
Richard Stiennon - VERY nice guy. And all we bloggers thank him and Fortinet for sponsoring the event (we thank Microsoft as well).
Rich Mogull - Gartner man himself. Another down-to-earth and very likeable guy. And he is a second dan is taekwondo.
Ron Gula – It was a pleasure to meet Ron as well. Another good guy who could easily be arrogant but was not.
There are others, and I don’t mean to leave anyone out. I just can’t remember everyone. Suffice it to say that this was a group of people who were just excited to meet a bunch of peers and talk about security (though I don’t think we talked about security as much as we just BS’ed and had a good time networking).
Vet
