RSA Conference Puts Politics, Data Protection In The Spotlight

Politics and data security, two of the hot-button issues of this year, are set to feature in the keynote lineup of RSA Conference 2019 next March.

Speakers from a variety of high-powered tech and security companies are set to appear, but also figures such as Megan Smith, who served as the US’ chief technology officer from 2014 to 2017, and Donna Brazile, a veteran political strategist and former presidential advisor.

Meanwhile, the head of global privacy for LinkedIn, Kalinda Raina, and Uber chief privacy officer Ruby Zefo, are set to headline a panel discussion on the ways the tech industry is adapting to new privacy imperatives brought in by stricter data protection laws.

This year saw top executives from the likes of Google, Facebook and Twitter testify before the US Congress amidst growing concern about the ways personal data is being used for political ends.

Focus on data

The EU and the UK have also held active inquiries into topics such as the use of data in elections and the spread of misinformation via social media platforms.

The conference is also set to include a panel on cryptography and another featuring experts from the SANS Institute.

Security expert Bruce Schneier, currently chief technology officer of IBM Resilient, is set to speak, as are top executives from CrowdStrike, IBM Security X-Force, Palo Alto Networks, Cisco Talos and McAfee.

Mark Russinovich, chief technology officer of Microsoft Azure, is set to appear, as are Emily Heath, chief information security officer of United Airlines, and John Chambers, former chairman and chief executive of Cisco.

“The cornerstone of RSA Conference is providing access to insights from prominent, high-caliber experts across a variety of fields,” said Sandra Toms, vice president of the event.

“Our keynote programme is sure to challenge attendees to think differently and change their perspectives, leaving them motivated and armed to make their mark on our security landscape.”

The conference is set to run from 4 to 8 March of next year.