Drawing together over 20,000 professionals globally, across multiple sectors, Infosecurity Europe – or ‘Infosec’ as it’s more commonly known – is one of the ‘must attend’ events of the ‘cybersecurity’ calendar.
With a host of fantastic clients to represent at the show and face-to-face meetings to facilitate with journalists in the cybersecurity field for publications such as SC Media, Security Brief Europe and Verdict Encrypt, and analyst firms Harden Stance and Freedom Dynamics, ‘Infosec’ represents a particularly busy, exciting and rewarding time for C8.
Over the course of three days we gleaned meaningful insights into new trends entering the market and captured some inspiring soundbytes from thought leaders in their respective specialist field.
Whilst bringing together leading cybersecurity companies – from endpoint security providers to security rating and intelligence companies – Infosec creates an opportunity for clients to attend individual meetings with press, collaborate and share ideas with the wider market and gain excellent exposure.
As a first time Infosec-goer, preparing for the event and managing the logistics was a completely new experience. With that being said, here are my main takeaways from Infosec 2018:
1) Preparation is key
The run-up to Infosec is undoubtedly a busy affair. With a number of clients all requiring one-on-one briefings and an abundance of journalists to pin down, it can often be difficult to produce a concrete schedule for your clients. When pitching your client to the media, make sure you truly recognise the value the client’s work can give to the journalist and thoroughly understand their latest research or product offering.
The exhibition primarily aims to support businesses review upcoming tools and technologies in the market. C8’s clients had a number of exciting launches taking place at the event, which amplified the journalists’ interests and ensured we were able to schedule a number of interviews over the course of the exhibition. Given the expertise of the attendees, Infosec was the perfect platform for our client Silobreaker to showcase their new user interface and ground-breaking threat intelligence Software-as-a Service (SaaS) offering.
Our client Carbon Black, an end-point security firm, hosted under embargo briefings around its latest report “Cryptocurrency Gold Rush on the Dark Web” and provided critical insight into its recent IPO. Cyren, a cloud security company, unveiled their new study undertaken by Osterman Research, which is the second annual business survey “IT Security in the UK”. The study provided insight into the current state of web security and email phishing and revealed the priorities of IT and security managers at SMEs in the UK and Ireland.
Having a news hook such as a new product release or a new piece of research will certainly help attract the attention of journalists and make your client stand out from the other vendors.
2) Expect the unexpected
Journalists will often be hesitant to lock-in a time for their briefing with your client, but if they do, be prepared for the time to change. Also, last-minute briefings, albeit a juggling act, can be a fantastic opportunity to get your client in front of a hard-to-reach journalist. Often, video interviews can take place on an impromptu basis, which results in excellent and innovative coverage for your client. This year, C8 successfully arranged video interviews with Cyber Defense Magazine on the last day of the exhibition (also the quietest day for PR activity). These quick-fire interviews can be something a bit different for your client and will allow them to communicate with an audience on a human-level.
3) Immerse yourself in knowledge
Famously, Infosec is also home to expert, thought-leadership tech and strategy talks based on the hot topics facing the cybersecurity industry today. A key focus for 2018 was cloud security, which is on the rise due to the introduction of GDPR and increasing cyber threats. As mentioned in the Tech Talk ‘Defending the Cloud’, adopting cloud services makes organisations prime targets for phishing attacks. The need is greater than ever before to implement technologies to ensure an organisation’s data is protected in the cloud.
Another running theme was the warning that our Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) is under threat. The thought-leadership talk, ‘Cybersecurity for Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) Symposium’ advised how organisations needed to take measures to minimise their exposure to risks and build cyber resistance. There is now a concrete risk that cyber incidents will translate into the physical world, putting critical systems at risk.
These expert-led talks provide critical insights into the direction of the industry. Not only are they interesting to listen to, but they can help you produce written content for your clients post-Infosec.
4) Enjoy the experience
It is important to remember, in the midst of all the hard work and co-ordination, to really enjoy the event for what it is. Not only is it a fantastic opportunity to get your client in front of key media, but a chance to take a deeper look into the world of cybersecurity and appreciate the industry. It is clear how vast this aspect of technology is becoming and how any professional, whether that be a CIO of a leading supermarket or a PR specialist, has an important role to play. An added bonus is that on the last day, many exhibitors offer drinks at their stands and an opportunity to casually network with all attendees.
Infosec 2019 – A date for your diary
Infosecurity Europe 2019 will be taking place from 4-6th June at Olympia, London. If you will be attending with your clients, remember to be stringently organised, flexible, curious and enthusiastic about learning new things. Most importantly, allow yourself to embrace and enjoy the experience. C8 are here to help!