Black Hat Career Track

Wednesday, July 26 | 10:15 – 17:10 | CAREER TRACK THEATER, LEVEL 2 BUSINESS HALL


Overview

The Black Hat Career Track is designed to help individuals identify options and make informed decisions about their careers in the rapidly-growing field of information security. This program will examine different facets of the industry - including career lifecycles, security specialties, sectors and verticals, and how you can channel your skills to establish or enhance your career.

It will uncover present challenges and offer tips and resources to help you advance your professional development; learn how your strengths and interests can guide you toward new, emerging opportunities. Join us for this comprehensive program to hear from experts who have navigated the security career path and discover how current and future trends in the space have the potential to influence your career.

AGENDA

10:15 – 11:10 Opening Remarks + What Keeps Security Pros Awake at Night

What are the top priorities and concerns of today’s IT security professional? What are they working on, and what are they passionate about? These are just some of the questions that will be answered in this data-packed session, which features the latest results from two newly-completed surveys: the 2017 Black Hat Attendee Survey and the 2017 Dark Reading Strategic Security Survey. The session offers a snapshot of the chief threats faced by today’s security pros, their experience with data breaches, their plans for security spending and staffing, and their opinions on many of the industry’s hottest cybersecurity issues. Attendees will learn how their peers’ concerns stack up with their own, and gain insight on how today’s security professionals plan to focus their budgets and time in the coming year.

Presented By

11:10 – 11:30 Break
11:30 – 12:20 Challenges and Opportunities for Women in Cybersecurity

With an overall lack of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), perhaps it’s not surprising that women only make up 11 percent of the global information security workforce, according to the Center for Cyber Safety and Education and Executive Women’s Forum on Information Security, Risk Management & Privacy’s Global Information Security Workforce Study. What is surprising, however, is that women in this industry are more highly educated than men, yet few hold senior-level positions and earn less money. Additionally, 51 percent of women say that they’ve experienced some form of discrimination. Women who have higher levels of access to sponsorship and leadership programs report feeling valued in their role and are more likely to be successful. During this session, panelists will explore the challenges that women in the cybersecurity workforce face, as well as opportunities to help make the cybersecurity workforce more inclusive for women to help fill the workforce gap in the industry.

Presented By

12:20 – 12:50 Lunch Break
12:50 – 13:40 How Hackers Brief the Board

In this session, Matt Devost, the outspoken Managing Director for Accenture Security, lays out his rules for communicating with executives in ways that can drive your cyber security agenda forward. "Hacker-speak can kill you," he says. "If you want executives to walk the walk, you've got to up your communications game. It can make a huge difference." Devost has been speaking truth to power for more than 20 years. He will share techniques and tactics that have worked with the broadest of audiences, ranging from CEOs of publicly traded companies to military generals and heads of state.

Presented By

13:40 – 13:50 Break
13:50 – 14:40 What Every Security Pro Should Know About Training and Certifications

If you’re an IT security professional in today’s job market, you know that the right training can have a critical impact on your ability to find the right job – and command the best possible salary. But all training isn’t the same. What are the specific tools and skills that you need to know to get ahead in the current hiring environment? What are the differences between certifications, and what should you look for when you select a course of study? In this session, you’ll get a deeper insight on the various opportunities for IT security training, as well as some hard evidence on which certifications offer the most value. You’ll come away with some ideas on how you should spend your training time, as well as some insight on what training can do to help you in your day-to-day job responsibilities.

Presented By

14:40 – 15:00 Break
15:00 – 15:50 Building an IT Security Team

It isn’t easy to build an effective team in today’s IT security department, where the technology is changing at a breakneck pace and the exploits are changing even faster. What should your security team look like in the current threat environment, and how can you acquire the skills you need to build a solid defense? How can you create the chemistry that enables very different individuals and skills to work together? In this session, top experts will offer recommendations on how to build an effective security operations center, how to hire the skills you need to face today’s threats, and how to cultivate a work environment that enables team members to work together – and helps you to retain good employees. Whether you’re working in a team of two or three or managing an entire IT security department, this session will give you some advice on how to not only hire the right people, but get them working together in a way that maximizes their effectiveness.

Presented By

15:50 – 16:20 Break
16:20 – 17:10 How to Advance Your Career in IT Security

The need for information security people and skills has never been greater than it is today – and the demand is growing. How can you leverage this demand to increase your salary, move up the ladder, and/or find a better position? In this session, top security recruiters and hiring managers will discuss current opportunities in the IT security space, how companies are hiring/paying security pros, and how you can take advantage of the booming market to advance your security career. Attendees will get tips and insight on what training to take, what skills to develop, and where to look for new job opportunities. You’ll also learn what you can do in your current position to make yourself more valuable – and more visible to upper management.

Presented By

17:10 – 19:00 Business Hall Reception