ORLANDO, Fla., Oct. 20, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via PRWEB - Admiral Michael S. Rogers, Commander, US Cyber Command; Director, National Security Agency; Chief, Central Security Service will address the nation's cybersecurity workforce gap when he kicks off the annual Information Systems Security Association (ISSA) International Conference (#ISSAConf) to be held October 22-23, 2014 at the Disney Contemporary Resort, Orlando, FL. Rogers, who assumed office in April 2014, has a long and distinguished Naval career history including positions in cryptology (now Information Warfare) and intelligence.
The information security profession, which evolved largely in reaction to threats, is now paying the price of an entire "missing generation." This gap now represents hundreds of thousands of skilled professionals needed in the public and private sectors, but widely accepted career development guidance and practices are still evolving. In his presentation, titled "Needed Skills for Cyber Security Professionals," Admiral Rogers will help frame the cybersecurity professional development debate and set the stage for the conference – one example of how ISSA is enabling cybersecurity professionals to drive their own destiny by learning how to prepare for tomorrow's threats.
At the conference, ISSA will also unveil the Cybersecurity Career Lifecycle (CSCL), an industry-wide program that will empower professionals - from students to Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) - to define their individual career paths, regardless of what stage they are in. The CSCL will also provide guidance and resources for professionals to achieve their career goals. As the only independent forum for advancing the development of global cybersecurity professionals, the ISSA is in a unique position to lead this industry initiative.
ISSA experts have identified the most pressing issues in information security and career development and will showcase these emerging themes at the 2014 ISSA International Conference:
- Threat intelligence: the evolution of threats and actions of adversaries
- Incident response and computer forensics: in the cloud
- The human element: the future of cyber skills, business skills and security awareness
- State-sponsored vs. other breaches and responses: not just for critical infrastructure companies any more
- The 30-year authentication battle: death of the password
- Vendor risk management, mobile security and more
The conference will explore these topics through a rich selection of 40 keynote, panel, breakout and discussion forum sessions. Supporting keynotes include: Kevin Johnson, Chief Executive Officer of Secure Ideas, "Security Researcher, Security Besmircher: Security for Organizations in a World of Bug Bounties and Random Security Researchers"; Robert Bigman, CISO for the Central Intelligence Agency (Retired), "The Truth About Securing Networks and Systems"; and Winn Schwartau, Security, Privacy, Infowar, and Cyber-Terrorism Expert, "How to Make a Security Awareness Program... FAIL!."
Other speakers include security luminaries representing Accenture, Stroz Friedberg, FITSI - Federal IT Security Institute, Vanguard, Brainlink International, Inc., Pondurance, Directive Health, Eastern Michigan University, Citi, Black Knight Financial Services, and Microsoft's Trustworthy Computing.
"Cybersecurity is becoming vital to business success and cybersecurity professionals are experiencing a culture shift in mapping to these business objectives while more and more being put in the trenches of protecting strategic assets – with little peer or formal guidance. The ISSA is in a unique position to bring the industry together to solve these critical career issues and help a new generation of professionals grow both personally and professionally," said Stefano Zanero, Director, ISSA International and Chair, ISSA International Conference.
Popular returning sessions include: CISO Panel Discussion; ISSA SIG sessions including the Financial SIG, the Healthcare SIG, Security Education and Awareness SIG and the Women in Security SIG; and Capture the Flag. Satellite events that offer expanded education opportunities include: Chapter Leaders Summit and CISO Executive Forum.
During the conference, ISSA will also celebrate its 30th Anniversary and honor the winners of the 2014 ISSA International Awards, influential leaders who have demonstrated a superior level of expertise, effectiveness, and dedication to the advancement of the cybersecurity profession: Hall of Fame (Ronald L. Rivest, Adi Shamir, Leonard "Len" Max Adleman, Frances "Candy" Alexander, and Richard Owen); Volunteers of the Year (Phil Rogofsky and Jacek Skorupka); Honor Roll (Debra Christofferson, Rhonda Farrell, Mario Chiock and Brian Engle); Security Professional of the Year (Aaron Carpenter); Chapters of the Year (Puerto Rico, Alamo, and Northern Virginia).
Download Full Agenda: http://www.issa.org/?issaconf_home
Media Interviews and Registration: publicrelations(at)issa(dot)org
Follow: @ISSAConf
About the ISSA
The Information Systems Security Association (ISSA)® is the community of choice for international cybersecurity professionals dedicated to advancing individual growth, managing technology risk, and protecting critical information and infrastructure. ISSA members and award winners include many of the industry's notable luminaries and represent a broad range of industries - from communications, education, healthcare, manufacturing, financial and consulting to IT - as well as federal, state and local government departments and agencies. Through regional chapter meetings, conferences, networking events and content, members tap into a wealth of shared knowledge and expertise. Visit ISSA on the web at http://www.issa.org and follow us on Twitter at @ISSAINTL.
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