Reflecting on the NCSS
Last week thousands of people descended on Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre to attend the National Cyber Security Show (NCSS), as part of the wider Safety and Security Series.
For many this was the first physical event in over 18 months and it was clear to see what we’ve missed from this forced sabbatical from in-person shows.
Before we talk about our time at the show, e2e-assure would like to personally thank everyone involved from Nineteen Group and the National Exhibition Centre for putting on a great show in the most trying of times for the events industry. The event was extremely well organised and attendees were left to feel safe about measures taken to reduce the risk of Covid-19, whilst ensuring it felt just like the events we remember.
e2e-assure at the National Cyber Security Show
Like most people at the show, this was our first in-person event for over 18 months and our first with a custom-built stand. We’re biased, but we think we had the best stand there – with thanks to Fyber Agency for their work on the design and build.
We spoke with a diverse group of people, with a real mix of experience and knowledge within cyber security, covering students, experienced IT and cyber security professionals, SME owners, current and potential partners and even those that would normally be considered ‘competitors’. The great thing about this show was the fact that whatever the background, everyone we spoke to had real interest in what e2e and others were doing, whether they’d spent 20 years’ working in cyber security or had never given it a moment’s thought.
Beyond those that we spoke to on our stand, there was also two streams of content delivered on each day of the show, covering topics as broad as diversity, PCI, supply chain risk, insurance, ethical hacking and Implementing Continuous Cyber Improvement, delivered by our CEO and Founder, Rob Demain.
Rob’s session took delegates through the challenges facing organisations, in particular SMEs, with a focus on challenges caused by the cyber security industry, such as too much noise and a focus on selling technology as the cure-all answer. Rob then covered the 3 stages needed to start a cyber improvement programme: assessment and benchmarking, building and hardening and maturity. The session closed with some practical advice to take home to instantly improve your cyber security without spending money.
Wednesday turned out to be a very busy day with it not finishing like most people’s days at 16:30. In the evening, we attended our partner Secarma’s UnLocked event. The event covered all aspects of security, from the offensive world of penetration testing to our defensive world of security operations and the post-breach topic of forensics and incident response.
Until next time
It’s great to have physical events back in our calendars, they offer something that you can’t find elsewhere. We look forward to seeing you back at the NEC from the 5th – 7th of April 2022 for next years’ National Cyber Security Show, until then if you’d like to talk about anything discussed at the show, please email info@e2e-assure.com or visit e2e-assure.com/contact.