Interop NY

• East Coast version of this major networking show. ScienceLogic is the official provider for network monitoring and help desk for InteropNet, the world’s largest temporary network. See us in action in the NOC. Stop by the booth, #1045, to chat, pick up your own deck of EM7 cards, or fill out a survey for a free t-shirt.
• When: Conference runs from Mon 9/15 – Friday 9/19. Expo days are Wed 9/17 – Thurs 9/18.
• Where: The Javits Center, NYC.

VMworld 2008

• The largest virtualization show put on by VMware, the leader in the space. VMworld is only a couple of years old but growing like gangbusters. This year’s show should be an interesting one in light of all the turmoil surrounding VMware and Microsoft’s putsch, oops I meant push, into the space with Hyper-V.
• When: Mon 9/15 is Partner Day. Conference runs from Tues 9/16 – Thurs 9/18
• Where: The Venetian Hotel, Las Vegas.

Hosting Transformation Summit

• Executive-level hosting/service provider show run by The 451 Group (and Tier 1). The analysts at The 451 Group and Tier 1 discuss state of the industry and trends.
• When: Mon 9/15 – Wed 9/17
• Where: The Mirage, Las Vegas

ICE Summit

• Also run by The 451 Group, the ICE (Infrastructure Computing for the Enterprise) Summit will focus on “virtualization in context”. This overlaps the last day of VMworld (personally making my life a little harder).
• When: Thurs 9/18
• Where: The Mirage, Las Vegas

Inc 500 / Inc 5000 Conference & Awards Ceremony

• Since we made it on the list (#350!), we thought we should show the flag at the Inc 500 conference, culminating in an awards gala on Saturday night.
• When: Thurs 9/18 – Sat 9/20
• Where: Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center at the National Harbor (DC)

Stay tuned for live blogging and video from the various events with always lively commentary from the ScienceLogicians.

Here at the well-heeled Gartner IT Security Conference at the brand new, spectacular Gaylord National hotel.  The hotel is only 2 months old or so, but it is supposedly the largest on the East coast and really first rate.  Also, the Gartner folks put on a first rate show, though it is on the pricey side for everyone from exhibitors to attendees. Vendors who really want to have a big presence are in for big bucks reaching a relatively small number of customers.  It was good to run into a number of StillSecure customers here at the show.  Even though we did not exhibit our presence was felt in several of the tracks discussing security solution areas that we offer products in.

While at the show I had a chance to catch up with several other security vendors.  One fellow I spoke to was Phil Neray of Guardium.  Guardium is best known for providing database security to many of the largest financial institutions and other large companies.  They recently announced a major new release of their flagship product with something they call "S-GATE". I won't bore you with all of the details but the gist of it is that for the first time database security can move from passively reporting or alerting of data access violations to actively blocking such violations. 

For me the active versus passive mode of security is one that transcends different layers of security.  Whether we are talking about IDS passive response versus IPS active response, vulnerability scanning passively assessing and reporting to NAC testing and blocking access, to now database access, ultimately security follows a similar route. First comes the ability to actually detect.  Often times the ability to detect is a major step up from what was available before.  The next evolutionary phase is to be able to prevent or block the dangerous or malicious event from taking place.

This active blocking mode though is often not as readily accepted at first by the market.  Everyone is always afraid of blocking the wrong user, the wrong email message or other request.  I think it is part of human nature that we inherently distrust our technology to block, always thinking it will block legitimate traffic.  This has been true in every security technology I have seen.  Eventually active response does win out, but it takes time and there are always doubters.  It will be interesting if what Guardium has done here is viewed with the same suspicions at first and than catches on or not.  We will have to watch.

Here at the well-heeled Gartner IT Security Conference at the brand new, spectacular Gaylord National hotel.  The hotel is only 2 months old or so, but it is supposedly the largest on the East coast and really first rate.  Also, the Gartner folks put on a first rate show, though it is on the pricey side for everyone from exhibitors to attendees. Vendors who really want to have a big presence are in for big bucks reaching a relatively small number of customers.  It was good to run into a number of StillSecure customers here at the show.  Even though we did not exhibit our presence was felt in several of the tracks discussing security solution areas that we offer products in.

While at the show I had a chance to catch up with several other security vendors.  One fellow I spoke to was Phil Neray of Guardium.  Guardium is best known for providing database security to many of the largest financial institutions and other large companies.  They recently announced a major new release of their flagship product with something they call "S-GATE". I won't bore you with all of the details but the gist of it is that for the first time database security can move from passively reporting or alerting of data access violations to actively blocking such violations. 

For me the active versus passive mode of security is one that transcends different layers of security.  Whether we are talking about IDS passive response versus IPS active response, vulnerability scanning passively assessing and reporting to NAC testing and blocking access, to now database access, ultimately security follows a similar route. First comes the ability to actually detect.  Often times the ability to detect is a major step up from what was available before.  The next evolutionary phase is to be able to prevent or block the dangerous or malicious event from taking place.

This active blocking mode though is often not as readily accepted at first by the market.  Everyone is always afraid of blocking the wrong user, the wrong email message or other request.  I think it is part of human nature that we inherently distrust our technology to block, always thinking it will block legitimate traffic.  This has been true in every security technology I have seen.  Eventually active response does win out, but it takes time and there are always doubters.  It will be interesting if what Guardium has done here is viewed with the same suspicions at first and than catches on or not.  We will have to watch.

I’ve arrived at the Gartner IT Security Summit in lovely Washington, DC. The flight was uneventful (after the intensive security screening and additional measures taken at the gate when departing for Washington National). This year, we’re being hosted at the Gaylord National Resort - it’s like a casino-less piece of Vegas right here on the Potomac.

After sign in and some pre-conference tutorials, I took in the Optenet party - spanish food, spanish wine, spanish dancers. And I even left while I could still walk!

I’ll have lots more to report after things get underway tomorrow (today). Until then… sunset over the Potomac from the atrium at the Gaylord National.

Tags: gartner it security summit, gartner, optenet, gaylord national, security conferences

Monday is the start of the annual Gartner Security Summit in Washington, DC. Actually at the Gaylord National Hotel this year.  Besides the obvious presentations by the Gartner analyst staff, it is usually a good chance to catch up with the security industry.  I will be there from Monday morning through Wed afternoon.  StillSecure is not presenting or exhibiting at the show this year, so I will be in lots of meetings and listening in on some tracks myself.

If you are going to be at the show and want to get together for a coffee or other beverage, drop me a line at podcast@stillsecure.com with a suggested time and place at the show.  Hope to see some new and old faces at there and will be blogging from the show as well.

Monday is the start of the annual Gartner Security Summit in Washington, DC. Actually at the Gaylord National Hotel this year.  Besides the obvious presentations by the Gartner analyst staff, it is usually a good chance to catch up with the security industry.  I will be there from Monday morning through Wed afternoon.  StillSecure is not presenting or exhibiting at the show this year, so I will be in lots of meetings and listening in on some tracks myself.

If you are going to be at the show and want to get together for a coffee or other beverage, drop me a line at podcast@stillsecure.com with a suggested time and place at the show.  Hope to see some new and old faces at there and will be blogging from the show as well.

I’m hoping to learn something quadranty.

The Next Ten Years in Information Security
Despite rapidly advancing threats and new technology solutions, it’s relatively easy planning for the next year or two. But peering out 5-10 years is far more challenging. The Gartner IT Security Summit will provide insight and a vision of how things will evolve over the long term and provide road maps on how enterprises and solutions providers will get there.

Check my Twitter for updates on where I am and what’s good or bad.

Tags: conferences, gartner, gartner it security summit, gaylord national resort