Notes from the field: RSA Conference 2024, a look back

[NetworkExperts]

Notes from the field: RSAConference2024, a look back

This post coauthored by Jaye Tillson and John Spiegel, HPE Aruba Networking Field CTOs

Another RSA has come and gone. The top themes were the rise of AI, Zero Trust, the security platform debate, micro segmentation is back (yes!) as well as SASE and SSE. The show, as always, was a kaleidoscope of experiences. At times large, others were small and intimate. As the SASE field CTOs, we will in the next few paragraphs provide a sense of our experiences and an inside view of our week in San Francisco.

The week kicked off on Sunday. One of the best aspects of RSA is meeting old friends and having conversations we enjoy. It’s a cyber homecoming party. We had several meetups across the city. The talk was about how the industry is evolving, the convergence of network and security, and the impact that AI will have not only on IT and security but also on our daily lives.  The feeling is we are on the verge of a massive opportunity to change the trajectory of how security and networking have been operating.  Bringing AI to the table provides us with the opportunity to unlock deep intuitive understandings at scale unlike ever before.  This is critical as our world is now distributed with data and applications existing in every nook and cranny of our digital world. This was something foreseen by our guest for dinner, Jericho Forum founder and security CISO pioneer Paul Simmonds.

 RSA kicked into full gear on Monday.  While a slow start for many, not so for the field CTOs of security. The day started with meetings with customers, prospects, and analyst briefings.  Each served a different purpose, a different discussion. Later in the day, the conference expo floor opened. The opening of the gates required all hands-on deck and the HPE booth shined. The design concept was a gallery of security solutions with interactive art.  The team lead show attendees on a journey of HPE security solutions such as data protection and ransomware recovery with Zerto, unlocking the power of the wide area network with HPE Aruba Networking EdgeConnect SD-WAN, micro segmentation and campus security with and Unified SASE.. 

Once the activity at the booth slowed, it was off to dinner with the CSA CXOs and a meetup with our SASE CTO peers. The nights at RSA are long and there’s always a good conversation and chance meeting with someone who you may have read their work or met virtually.

After more meetings and time in the booth, the 3^rd day of RSA ended on a high note: the HPE Zero Trust happy hour. The message of security-first networking was in full play, celebrating the legendary people who made the framework of Zero Trust a reality.  The event included key people who saw the challenges of our modern digital world and identified a security strategy to address them, Zero Trust.  It was attended by a host of Zero Trust legends, including John Kindervag, Chase Cunningham, Jason Garbis, Jerry Chapman, Jim Reavis and our night one dinner guest, the great Paul Simmonds as well as many others.  It was a night of amazing conversations and insights. 

Wednesday was another busy day. The CTO team conducted nine meetings in the morning but took a break at 11 am.  Dr Zero Trust, Chase Cunningham, joined the CTO team to promote the Zero Trust framework while also raising money for veterans.  Dressed as a wrestler, Dr Zero Trust patrolled the long aisles of the Expo area bringing cyber-calm to the restless attendees. He raised awareness for both Zero Trust the strategy and the need to support our veterans, who often struggle to  adjust when returning home..  Dr Zero Trust gave a speech on the Expo floor calling out the difficulties his personal friends encountered.  It was hard to keep a dry eye. We helped to raise awareness and supported a great cause. 

The final day is always the most difficult.  The week is long, the body is tired and you know the clock is ticking close to midnight.  Meetings are delayed, canceled, or changed to virtual in a week or two. Everyone is dragging and caffeine becomes your best friend. Yet the conversations are still great as people drop their defenses, both buyer and seller. In fact, this may be the best time for learning. What are the problems you are dealing with? How do you solve them? The marketing of security comes off. Instead of discussing how AI can solve all the problems of cyberattacks , the conversation turns to the hard truths. How can we overcome the challenge of legacy solutions? How can we transform based on solving business problems vs the next big tool? What advice do you have? 

During the last day, you realized what RSA is about.  It’s an exchange of ideas and getting human about solving our biggest challenges in cyber security!!  Here’s to keeping the conversation going!!! 

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