RSA Conference 2014: Tuesday

I didn't get a post up yesterday, and for that, I apologize.  Take my comments with a grain of salt, this is the first security conference I've been to.  And to be sure, I'm having a blast and learning a lot.  Already, I've written plenty of notes from some of the talks I've heard that I will take back to work with me.  To be sure, there's going to be work for someone, and much depends on some of the output of what I bring back.

On Monday, I registered.  The schedule seemed light so I went to the Leadership talks.  They were ok, but nothing to really write home about.  I used the afternoon to catch up on work.  But, I returned to the show for the welcome reception, really - free beer and food.  This was the first time I walked around the expo floor.  It is definitely a site to be seen; I liken it to a country carnival, where the various exhibits are competing for your attention.  I actually have an agenda of exhibitors I need/want to see for various reasons.

Today though, was my first full day at the conference.  I got their early for the "continental breakfast" but to me it seemed more like a lunch.  Then, I got in the line for the keynotes.  My impression of the keynotes was that I was at a concert; what with the lights and sounds.  William Shatner's intro was very well done.  I would have liked to have heard an emphatic denial regarding RSA's activity and the NSA, and the other talks were well done.  I had a meeting with one of our corporate vendors at noon, then it was a full afternoon of talks:

• Establishing Trust After A Breach - I really thought this was how you work with your customers and the community-at-large after suffering a breach.  It wasn't.  To me, it was DFIR 101 and what to do.
• NSA Surveillance: What We Know and What to Do About it - this was my first time hearing Bruce Schneier talk and it was all I expected.  It was very good, but I follow his blog, so there wasn't TOO much new here.
• The Seven Most Dangerous New Attack Techniques and What's Coming Next -  By far and away, this has been the most popular talk I've been to.  The room was packed.  Period.  And with good reason.  Especially if you are a fan of the SANS guys.  I am.  More importantly, Ed Skoudis taught my Sec 504 class.  I learned more from his office hours than the actual class.  He's engaging, crazy smart, and gets his points across in a great to digest manner.  This was definitely a great talk.
• Use Anomoalies to Detect Advanced attacks Before Bad Guys Use It Against You - there were a bunch of talks that I wanted to attend at this time slot, but I picked this one.  This was a great talk, a little in depth, but I took from it some nuggets of practical information that I will bring back to the company to implement.

After dinner, my co-worker and I went to the party given by OneLogin.  A good time was  had.  And now, I'm beat, especially after all the walking, (and climbing Nob Hill AGAIN).  Sleep will be easy tonight.  I know I have a packed  morning tomorrow, and I believe the keynotes are after lunch.  Plus, I have to make time for the exhibits.