Full Report
A couple of months back SensePost were asked by a prominent South African media company to assist in the selection of content and speakers for an upcoming information security conference called ‘the ITWeb Security Summit‘. The show runs 26-28 May 2009. The speaker lineup is mostly local (including yours truly) but past speakers have been pretty high-profile – including Dave Litchfield, Johnny Long, Kevin Mitnick, Johnny Cache, Howard Schulz and others.
Analysis Summary
# Industry News: South African ITWeb Security Summit 2009 Prepares for Call for Papers
## Summary
SensePost has been engaged by a major South African media company to assist in curating the content and speakers for the upcoming ITWeb Security Summit, scheduled for May 26-28, 2009. The preparation, including the opening of the Call for Papers (CFP), signals a key regional event focused on delivering vendor-neutral expertise for IT and security professionals in South Africa.
## Key Details
- Date: CFP opened shortly before November 28, 2008; Conference dates are May 26-28, 2009.
- Companies Involved: SensePost, ITWeb, Prominent South African media company.
- Category: Event Planning / Industry Conference Announcement
## The Story
SensePost, through one of its members (Charl van der Walt), is actively involved in shaping the agenda for the 4th Annual ITWeb Security Summit, a significant South African information security conference. The event aims to bring together international and local experts to discuss tools, techniques, and strategies for safeguarding organizational information. While the current speaker lineup leans heavily local, the summit has a history of attracting high-profile international speakers (like Kevin Mitnick). The conference targets both seasoned security professionals and C-level managers, emphasizing vendor-neutral educational content to address challenges like user ignorance and non-compliance. The CFP is now open, inviting submissions for the May 2009 event, which is positioned as the premier South African security conference.
## Business Impact
### For the Companies Involved
- **SensePost:** Direct engagement in content curation elevates their profile and perceived influence within the South African security community and events industry. It serves as a strong marketing platform for their consulting and advisory services.
- **ITWeb:** By securing recognized entities like SensePost for content direction, they enhance the credibility and perceived quality of the summit, aiming to build on the nearly 500 delegates and 39 sponsors from the previous year.
### For Competitors
- Regional competing security conferences may face increased pressure to match the anticipated caliber of speakers and vendor-neutral content established by the ITWeb Summit through this high-level engagement.
### For Customers
- **Attendees (Professionals/C-level):** Access to curated, relevant, and potentially high-quality local and international insights addressing current security needs in the South African context is the primary benefit.
- **Potential Speakers:** The CFP opening provides a formal mechanism to contribute to the leading regional security discourse.
### For the Market
- The announcement solidifies the ITWeb Security Summit’s status as the benchmark event for the South African information security market, driving industry focus towards the topics selected for the agenda.
## Technical Implications
The focus on vendor-neutral expertise suggests the content will lean towards practical application, shared experiences, and fundamental security strategies rather than specific proprietary product pitches. This usually results in high-value technical sessions, consistent with the history of high-profile security researchers speaking previously.
## Strategic Analysis
- **Market Positioning:** The involvement of SensePost strategically positions the ITWeb Summit as technically credible and deeply connected to recognized security expertise, moving beyond mere vendor promotion.
- **Competitive Advantage:** Maintaining a commitment to vendor-neutral, high-quality content, even with a local speaker focus, provides a significant advantage over vendor-driven events.
- **Challenges:** The key challenge will be ensuring the content remains fresh and addresses contemporary security threats prevalent in the South African business environment, despite the shift towards a more localized speaker base.
## Industry Reactions
- **Expert Commentary:** The inclusion of respected figures like SensePost in curation suggests a strong commitment to technical depth.
- **Market Response:** The opening of the CFP indicates that the regional market is actively preparing for the security landscape of mid-2009, signaling sustained investment in security education and awareness.
## Future Outlook
- **Predictions and Expectations:** Given the prior success and the focus on educational needs, demand for attendance and sponsorship is likely to remain strong, potentially increasing if high-profile international names are confirmed in addition to the local expertise.
- **What to watch for:** Submissions through the CFP and the subsequent announcement of the keynote speakers will reveal the specific thematic focus for the 2009 event.
## For Security Professionals
This event represents a crucial annual opportunity for South African security professionals to gain essential, practical knowledge, network with peers, and elevate their compliance and defense strategies through vendor-agnostic education. Practitioners should prioritize submitting proposals responding to current industry pain points.