CHESTERFIELD, Mo., May 25, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Data Connectors, representing the largest cybersecurity community in North America, has announced its event schedule for the second half of 2021, including a return to its conference series in several cities across the United States.
Amid COVID concerns and shelter-in-place orders all over North America in March 2020, the Data Connectors Cybersecurity Community informed its over 650,000 members that all gatherings would be held as Virtual Summits. Today, the company announced it will resume the Cybersecurity Conference Series, which has been rated among the top-20 such events across the continent.
The company says it consulted with government agencies, local public health organizations, and surveyed many of its members, affiliates and partners to come to the decision.
“As the first organization to bring our immersive virtual cybersecurity summits amid the pandemic, we felt it was fitting we are the first to move back,” said Dawn Morrissey, CEO and founder of Data Connectors. “Our Virtual Summits are best-in-class, and we have found new ways to connect with our membership, so we’re excited to continue offering them, while at the same time responding to our community’s desire to start connecting again in-person,” she added.
With more than 50 Virtual Summits past, the company says it maintained over 85% of the planned schedule, and actually reached three times as many members with live, immersive online events. The many features that have been added, including the expanded Solutions Showcase, Expert Panel Discussions and Special Guest Keynotes, will all become a part of the (in-person) Conference Series, which resumes July 8th in Omaha, Nebraska.
“The rapid shift to work-from-home caused massive disruption for cybersecurity leaders, who also have endured some of the most epic cyber-attacks in history during the 2020-21 pandemic era,” said Michael Hiskey, Chief Strategy Officer at Data Connectors. “The SolarWinds Orion Supply Chain Compromise, Hafnium/Microsoft Exchange Vulnerabilities and the continued barrage of ransomware attacks, such as the recent Colonial Pipeline attack have made headlines — and required savvy leaders to stay connected with peers, law enforcement and industry thought-leaders, for which our Summits provided a means,” he added.
The following cities are slated for Conferences in 2021:
- Omaha on July 8
- Hartford on August 11
- Los Angeles on September 22
- Dallas on October 6-7
- Atlanta on October 27-28
- Miami on November 10
- St. Louis on December 2
Virtual Summits will continue to provide learning opportunities, networking, and updates from government agencies like the Department of Homeland Security, US Secret Service, and FBI, among others. They serve regional needs for professionals who cannot travel, prefer to connect online, or are in areas that continue to have tighter restrictions on physical gatherings. The Virtual Summit Series will continue in the following dates and locations:
- Great Plains on July 16
- Denver on July 22
- New England on August 18
- Canada East on September 8-9
- Philadelphia on September 16
- Southern California on September 30
- Washington, D.C. on October 21
- Canada West on November 23
- Great Lakes on December 14
Further details regarding this schedule are soon to follow, including specific venues and session information. Interested attendees and sponsors can visit dataconnectors.com/events to learn more or to join the Data Connectors Community.
About Data Connectors
Since 1999, Data Connectors (dataconnectors.com) has facilitated collaboration between senior cybersecurity professionals, government/law enforcement agencies, industry luminaries, and solution providers. Today, the community comprises over 650,000 members and 250 active vendor partners across North America. Members enjoy informative education, networking and support via our award-winning Virtual Summits, live conferences, Web Briefings, and regular communications.
Note to reporters: If you wish to attend a Conference or Virtual Summit , please contact Michael Hiskey, Chief Strategy Officer, at +1.636.778.9495, or info@dataconnectors.com.