As the curtain goes up on RSA 2023, this year in cybersecurity has started off red hot – from Russia’s continued attacks against Ukraine via WhisperGate, to the announcement of ChatGPT which has sparked a larger discussion on generative AI and its impact on cybersecurity. 

While last year’s conference still felt some of the pandemic’s impact, this year’s attendance is predicted to be at or above pre-pandemic levels. As thousands of security professionals descend on San Francisco’s Moscone Center at the end of April, the marketing noise associated with such a large show comes, too. Vendors will announce their products and PR professionals will jockey to get their clients in front of some of the top tier press at the show. 

Against such a cacophony, how can you stand out? One surefire way to add value is by bringing perspective and expertise to the larger conversation. While there will be a plethora of topics being discussed at the show, I expect these three topics to take the bulk of air time. 

AI in Cybersecurity

ChatGPT has sparked a conversation about AI and cybersecurity. How will the rise of generative AI impact our world? Will it be used to do good or bad? Will it be used to produce a destructive malware never before seen, or will it augment a security professional’s job in order to allow them to devote their resources elsewhere? No doubt all of these questions and more will be asked and discussed at the show.

As a PR professional, our job is to tell the story of our client. While oftentimes they want that story to involve some sort of product, it is more important to have a point of view that they can share that provokes a response and positions them as a reliable expert. The AI/cybersecurity  topic has become one of the hottest topics in tech according to Big Valley’s top conversations in tech, and is ripe with opportunity. 

National Cybersecurity Strategy

In March, the Biden Administration announced a new cybersecurity strategy that calls on software makers and the larger industry to take more responsibility to assure that their systems cannot be hacked, while also accelerating efforts by the FBI and Department of Defense to disrupt the activities of hackers and ransomware groups around the world.

With folks like Richard Clarke and Morgan Adamski front and center at the show, this topic will be a cornerstone of this year’s conference. As you gear up to prepare your clients for media briefings, it would be useful to have a point of view to share on this topic. Journalists will no doubt be writing on anything new that is discussed, and will also be looking for expert, reliable sources who have a point of view on timely topics like this.

Cloud Security

Consolidating tool sprawl, providing more visibility and managing the growing number of cyber-attacks are all top priorities for CISOs and security experts alike. As more organizations have moved from on-prem to the cloud, attackers have adjusted accordingly. With cloud security becoming a top priority for most organizations, the topic has continued to trend upward in the media. 

What does that mean for the industry? And how can companies secure their data in the cloud? These questions and more will likely be top of mind for reporters as they listen into the varying sessions that touch on this topic. 

Meet up with us! If you’re going to be at RSA, let’s meet up and chat about your marketing and communications goals. jswarz@bigvalley.co