By Lauren Fischer
Last month I got the opportunity to attend Black Hat USA in Las Vegas. The conference features the top brands and brightest minds in the cybersecurity industry focused on everything from network and application security to identity and access management to threat intelligence—and everything in between. On the show floor, the stages, and in every corner of the Mandalay Bay Convention center, participants gathered to explore ideas, talk about concerns and share company, technology and product news.
The conference serves as a communications keystone for the cybersecurity industry. It also demonstrates the critical ways that communications advances industry goals, including sharing research, fostering collaboration to solve threats, educating non-tech audiences, and quickly responding to security incidents.
The first place I saw the impact of communications at the conference was in cybersecurity research and development. Researchers are constantly discovering new weaknesses and vulnerabilities within cyber systems. Couple that with the rapid development of technologies such as Generative AI, and there’s always new research emerging on these threats—and ways to protect against them. The conference gave researchers the opportunity to present these discoveries and offer potential solutions to prevent hackers from taking advantage. This was the case with my client, NTT, who demonstrated a novel prompt injection attack using bytecode.
One of my other big takeaways from the conference was the necessity of communication in collaborative efforts. Cyber threats are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and the attacks are getting harder to pin down. In response, cybersecurity professionals must also work together, pooling their knowledge and resources to stay ahead. The conference highlighted numerous cases where successful defense strategies were the result of these collaborations, whether it's sharing threat intelligence, discussing vulnerabilities, or coordinating responses to active threats.
The conference also emphasized the need for clear communication when educating non-technical stakeholders about cybersecurity risks. As more and more of our world becomes digital, the risk of cyber-attacks increases exponentially. This means the ability to translate complex technical issues into language that executives, policymakers, and even the public can understand is increasingly important. This is not only about raising awareness but also about ensuring resources are allocated to cybersecurity initiatives.
This simplified and clear communication is also important when it comes to incident response. When a security breach occurs, the ability to disseminate information quickly and accurately can mean the difference between containing a threat and suffering considerable damage. This includes not just internal communications, but also communication with affected parties, regulatory bodies, and the media. The clarity, speed, and transparency of these communications are critical in maintaining trust and compliance.
From advancing research to fostering collaboration and educating stakeholders to managing incidents, the ability to convey information clearly and effectively is crucial at every stage. My experience at Black Hat served as a powerful reminder that communications is a vital tool in cybersecurity.
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