Throughout history, many people have worked behind the scenes to help humanity reach its potential. Sometimes we hear about these folks; often, they are hidden or even forgotten in time. Information Security is no different. Our 2024 conference theme aims to recognize some of the men and women who helped pioneer the field of cybersecurity—through technological advances or simply by looking at the world differently, likely with a more discerning eye. We celebrate their contributions to InfoSec, elevating everyone in the cybersecurity profession—today's heroes. If you are fighting the good fight against the myriad of digital threats, you too are a cyber hero!

The hidden figures we are recognizing include:

• Ada Lovelace – First computer programmer
• Joe Engressia – The Father of Phone Phreaking
• Claude Elwood Shannon – The Father of Information Theory
• Dorothy Denning – The Uncelebrated Trailblazing Heroine of Cybersecurity
• Annie Easley – Cosmic Calculus Crusader of NASA and Cybersecurity Superhero
• Grace Hopper – Visionary Innovator in Computer Languages
• Rebecca Bace – The ‘Den Mother’ of Computer Security
• Hedy Lamarr – Hollywood Star and Secret Inventor
• Elizebeth Friedman – The Codebreaker Who Saved the World
• Joseph Weizenbaum – Hero of Cyber and AI Ethics

Biomimicry, or biomimetics, is the imitation of the models, systems, and elements of nature for the purpose of solving complex human problems.

There is only an estimated 12% overlap between biology and technology in terms of the mechanisms used today. Applying the threat responses in animals to the realm of cybersecurity holds great potential for learning and advancement!

Blink and you just might miss it.

The velocity of change and innovation hurtling towards us—not to mention threats—is phenomenal. And it’s only accelerating. We know that because we’re all experiencing it, but how do we prepare and best respond? Or rather, get out in front of it?

“Prediction is very difficult, especially if it’s about the future,” says the Danish proverb. But the process of predicting—challenging and uncertain as it is—is always worthwhile. And there’s no time like now for our InfoSec community to be doing exactly that. We can’t afford not to. 

Which is why we’ve made this the theme of our 2018 conference season: “FAST FORWARD ⏩ Predicting & Preparing for Our Cyber Future.” Join us at one of our 15 regional events as leading futurists, innovators, and defenders cast a vision for what’s ahead in cybersecurity in 2018, and the decades to come!

We’ll delve into these critical trends and discover the implications together:

⏩ Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning & Robots
⏩ Connected Devices & the IoT Explosion
⏩ Identifiers & Authentication
⏩ Future Hacking
⏩ Blockchain & Crypto Currency
⏩ Shifting Career Landscape

“Futuring requires crafting a narrative that depicts the intersection of technology with humans. It’s not enough just to imagine a car; one must also envision the traffic jam—the implications of a technology being adopted at scale.”
— Thornton A. May, SecureWorld Keynote, Futurist/Author/Professor

Sure, you know Poe as the maniacal author of poems like 'The Raven' and short stories like 'The Tell-Tale Heart.' But you might not know about his fascination with encrypted messaging, science, and the universe, or construction of his works like math problems.

Edgar Allan Poe practiced cryptography and steganography. He wrote an entire short story that essentially outlined the Big Bang Theory. Poe overcame staggering challenges to hone his craft. Yet he died mysteriously—and broke.

Join us at a SecureWorld event near you to learn more about Edgar Allan Poe and his remarkable life. Find out how his contributions are still making a difference in the cybersecurity industry, 167-years after his death. We look forward to sharing his story with you.

Hedy Lamarr, 1940s Hollywood starlet, helped set the groundwork for some of the most revolutionary technology of our time. Hedy listened quietly while her first husband, a well-known Austrian arms dealer, entertained high-ranking Nazi officials as they discussed submarines, wire-guided torpedoes, and the frequencies used to guide them remotely. This would lay the groundwork for her later invention. The science presented in patent #2292387 serves as the basis for the technology we use today in cell phones, Bluetooth, wireless Internet, defense satellites, and other spread-spectrum devices.

Only in the last 40 years have scientists discovered the key to understanding the lost Mayan culture of the Yucatan—destroyed 400 years earlier as a consequence of the Spanish conquest of Mexico. Take an expedition with SecureWorld as we give you insight into the ancient Mayan society, with its complex alphabet, advanced numerical and calendar system, and the story behind how this lost culture was found again by a determined group of “decrypters.”