By Marco Ciappelli & Sean Martin
During our Hacker Summer Camp 2019 coverage in Las Vegas, we connect with keynote speakers, presenters, panelists, organizers, and the InfoSec community to keep the conversation going. This is one of those chats.
ITSPmagazine coverage, podcasts, webcasts, articles, and all our happenings during Hacker Summer Camp 2019 in Las Vegas is made possible by the generosity of our sponsors. We are ever so grateful for your support.
Black and blue, and who knows which is which, and who is who?
"Us and them" - The Dark Side of the Moon, by Pink Floyd
It is a matter of perspective and a matter of time — and given the right knowledge, these usually change together. Don't they?
What is at stake and what we are fighting for can change yesterday's foe into tomorrow's best ally. But what about today?
I believe that today in technology and InfoSec, we are at the crossroads where Sean and I have been waiting for a few years now. Exactly 4 years ago, when we founded ITSPmagazine, we did it because we wanted to have the conversation that the media, business owners, tech experts, and politicians were not having yet — and, most still don't.
We met at the intersection of technology, cybersecurity, and society, and we started to talk amongst ourselves, trying to understand why these conversations were not happening. We invited people from diverse backgrounds to join our fireside chats, and we realized that it was not for lack of interest or will that these were not happening. The problem was the diverse language and the lack of common understanding — something that has been negatively affecting our society for a while now.
Maybe everybody thought that it was other people’s job to fix the problem; but the problem is simply way too big to be fixed single-handedly.
Luckily, times are changing. That deserted intersection that we claimed back then is now a busy and effervescent crossroads full of people that want to sit down with others and find common ground and solutions — to envision a better future for everyone.
OK, now I am letting myself go into my own utopia. But, really, things are better now; not quite there, but much better.
Look at this year’s InfoSec conferences. We talk about the human factor without screaming "weakest link," and we think about people and technology, privacy and data; artificial intelligence and human intelligence — all as part of the same picture. Ok, sorry, still a bit utopian? Damn!
OK, let's get to the bottom line: what is this podcast about? It is about Policy Makers coming to Defcon, BlackHat, and BSides.
You might be surprised that some of them, despite all the politics and all the rhetoric, are actually really excited to learn from experts and get ideas that can help them to take action and start to resolve some of the fundamental problems affecting our society.
You might even be more surprised to know that there are also many hackers these days who are getting interested in policy and are willing to be part of the conversation, the solution, the legislation, and the overall plans for the future of our societies.
Now, at these crossroads, there are a ton of people — from every side — interested in having positive, substantive conversations. There are also people in the middle that are helping to build bridges, translate terms and languages, and facilitate these conversations.
Listen to our fantastic guests: a longtime friend, Beau Woods — and a new one, Meg King. Together, they tell us what this Policy Makers Initiative for Hacker Summer Camp is all about and why it has such a positive implication for all of us.
Listen up and join us at the intersection of technology, cybersecurity, and society.
Have a story to share and want to join us for the journey? We invite you to discover the benefit of the full coverage sponsorship and let us know if you are interested in joining us for our adventures. We look forward to another exciting conference.
