SECtember 2021 Recap: Keynotes by Industry Experts

Amidst the backdrop of the pandemic, cybersecurity professionals and teams are challenged to manage cloud computing risks at an unprecedented scale. In this moment, collaboration towards a cloud-centric view of cybersecurity is more important than ever.

This past September, CSA hosted SECtember 2021, the premier cloud security conference that features the best cloud security minds in the industry. If you missed it in person, we’ve got you covered. Here are some highlights of key points from SECtember keynote sessions by speakers Jen Easterly, Mark Russinovich, and Christopher Krebs.

Jen Easterly, Director, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)

As the director of CISA, Jen Easterly has one of the most important cybersecurity jobs in the industry. Hitting the ground running and announcing several CISA initiatives in her session, Jen touched upon strategies for mitigating ransomware, how to improve your cyber posture, and joining together to create a collective defense.

As we have witnessed network systems and devices weave into our businesses and lives over the past year, new vulnerabilities provide additional attack vectors for cyber criminals to take advantage of.

The cloud is the future. Implementing the cloud will bring new opportunities for flexibility, scalability, and productivity. However, while cloud adoption poses risks, the benefits are far greater. CISA helps federal agencies in their modernization efforts, while doing so internally as well, to be fully functional with cloud computing environments and Zero Trust Architectures.

To enhance cloud posture, key actions include:

• Promoting the implementation of basic cyber hygiene internally and externally
• Using common security standards and enhancing the resilience of the internet and communications ecosystem
• Taking advantage of talent to grow capabilities and implement cloud computing solutions
• Continuing to collaborate to build a culture of collective defense

Watch Jen Easterly’s recorded SECtember session here.

Mark Russinovich, Chief Technology Officer and Technical Fellow, Microsoft Azure

An industry pioneer, Mark Russinovich’s expertise has resulted in many enterprise-grade cloud solutions heavily used in the industry today. In his SECtember Fireside Chat accompanied by Jerry Archer, Chief Information Security Officer at Sallie Mae, Mark covered key issues such as shared responsibility security models, technology trends, and multi-cloud architectures.

Even in 2021, we are facing problems we have known about for decades. Mark sees these solutions guiding our future:

• We have developed mechanisms to get us into a better place phishing-wise. Going passwordless is a fundamental way to reduce attacks and build Zero Trust.
• The cloud is API-driven and gives the ability for a holistic view, eliminating dark spots that exist in on-prem environments.
• Detect anomalous events through security data lakes that break down the silos that exist between different systems.

Watch Mark Russinovich’s recorded SECtember session here.

Christopher Krebs, Founding Partner, Krebs Stamos Group

Chris Krebs has played a central role in the cybersecurity industry, previously as the head of CISA and now with the Krebs Stamos Group. Through 2021’s high profile cyberattacks and nation-state implications, Chris joined us at SECtember to provide insights on the Biden Administration Cybersecurity Executive Order, global security threats, supply chain security, and making US elections secure.

In his session, Chris offered additional advice for cybersecurity professionals navigating adverse challenges in the industry:

• Position yourself as being here to help. Find out what your colleagues’ pain points are.
• Know what you stand for and do what's right, even if it's hard.

Save the date! SECtember 2022 will be taking place at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue, WA on Sept. 26-30, 2022. We hope to see you there.