I just attended the CSO Perspectives Conference in Colorado Springs. It was an excellent conference with plenty of good material. Still, the best part for me were the new business contacts.The CSO Editors have written about many excellent presentations that took place in Colorado Springs. Besides enjoying the weather over the weekend, the beautiful surroundings, and the facility (the Broadmoor was incredible), the networking with other security executives was a unique experience. While I know this blog won’t surprise anyone, the conference attendees did surprise me. The helpful ladies at the registration table said there were around 200 attendees, which isn’t huge. Still, just about everyone I met at one of breaks or meals was a top security exec. From Starbucks to large financial firms, from high tech companies like Sun and Cisco to our nation’s largest health organizations, the breadth of knowledge and expertise was truly different. Even on the government side, the list of attendees was just as notable – with the IRS and TSA to name just a few. I’ve attended quite a few security conferences around the country, but this one had the most senior security people that I can remember. Everyone I met was very approachable and open to sharing real-life stories. I found that refreshing. Oh yeah, and I finally met Derek Slater and Bob Bragdon, along with many of the CXO writers and staff. I can report that they do exist beyond the “blogosphere.” They’re as witty and interesting in person as in their CSO columns. What did we talk about? Sorry, you don’t have a “need to know” (smile). Actually, that topic is for another blog. In interest of full-disclosure, I did receive a Compass Award on Monday. That was very nice as well. I was humbled to be on that panel – what an outstanding group of professionals!But the one thing that will benefit me most from Colorado Springs and the 2007 CSO Perspectives Conference is my new stack of business cards. I’m sure I’ll use them. Related content opinion 3 security career lessons from 'Back to the Future' You don't need to be able to predict the future to have a successful security career, but you had darned well better be able to learn from the past. By Dan Lohrmann Jan 12, 2021 6 mins Careers Security interview Secrets of industry-hopping CSOs Who says you can't change industries? Veteran security leaders Mark Weatherford and Cheri McGuire teach you how it’s done. By Dan Lohrmann Mar 02, 2020 12 mins Careers Security opinion Why security pros are addicted to FUD and what you can do about it Despite professing anti-FUD rhetoric, cyber experts fan the flames, breathlessly sharing the details of the latest data breaches. It's a risky addiction that can lead to security apathy in enterprises. Here's how to harness it. By Dan Lohrmann Sep 06, 2018 7 mins Security opinion Bridging the smart cities security divide There are plenty of organizations that seem to be working on answers to secure smart cities, but in many ways it's like the early days of cloud computing with everyone building their own solutions. By Dan Lohrmann Feb 01, 2018 6 mins Internet of Things Security Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe