[ISN] The BSidesSF show will go on

http://blogs.csoonline.com/security-leadership/2008/bsidessf-show-will-go

By Bill Brenner
Salted Hash
CSO Online
January 31, 2012

BSidesSF has been saved, thanks to a financial commitment from Lee 
Kushner (@ljkush) at Information Security Leaders.

The announcement came shortly after Sandra Toms LePedis of RSA 
Conference responded to the controversy about BSidesSF. Her post began 
with the standard "RSA supports a wide ecosystem of events and 
organizations" during its conference week and then turned to "rumors" in 
this blog and elsewhere about RSA trying to squash BSidesSF:

"As you may have seen from posts on Twitter to blogs like CSO’s Salted 
Hash, there has been a rumor regarding RSA Conference and its 
relationship with Security B-Sides.  Despite these rumors, we want to be 
clear that there is no attack taking place against Security B-Sides."

She said:

"RSA Conference has been in discussions with B-Sides for over a year to 
find ways that the two events can exist during the week without making 
attendees feel the need to choose one event over another.  If planned 
correctly, this could be very complementary programming for the infosec 
community.  During this time, the Conference only requested that B-Sides 
host its SF show on Sunday and Monday.  The reasoning is that our Expo 
Hall opens on Tuesday which features over 300 exhibitors that do not 
sponsor B-Sides that make a significant investment to exhibit at RSA 
Conference could lose potential visitors on that day if they are 
electing to visit two events in one day. We have offered to help B-Sides 
find another venue that would be available on Sunday and Monday but they 
have ignored our request to help. We have no problem with any B-Sides 
event, and hope to find a way to work together to benefit both events 
sponsors."

In an email exchange last night, Kushner explained why he decided to 
step in:

Professional development and community are two key components of an 
information security professional’s career.  I believe BSides provides 
information security professionals with an opportunity to blend both of 
these elements in a unique open environment.  When I learned that the 
event was in jeopardy of being cancelled (via Twitter) I reached out to 
Mike directly and asked if there was anything that I could do to help.

Knowing many information security professionals look forward to this 
event, use their vacation days, absorb the costs of travel and lodging 
to participate, the thought of them having to cancel these plans was 
personally very upsetting to me.

I asked him the question: How much money would be necessary for the 
event to take place.  Mike got back to me with an amount that 
Infosecleaders.com could manage, and I made the commitment on the spot.

Being in a position to provide financial support through 
Infosecleaders.com – an information security community career resource – 
seemed logical, considering the support that the information security 
community has provided to this project.

Being that Information Security Leaders is under no agreements with RSA 
and has never entered into any sponsorship agreement with the RSA 
Conference, I did not see this as an issue.

I've seen a lot of back-and-forth on Twitter about who is responsible 
for this game of brinkmanship. Some describe it as the big corporate 
monster (RSA) coming down on the common man (Bsides).

LePedis' argument that BSides should be held on Sunday and Monday so as 
not to interfere with its exhibit floor hours is hard for me to accept, 
since it wasn't an issue last year or the year before. I remember people 
moving freely between BSides and the exhibit. Why that constitutes a 
problem is beyond me.

Whatever the case may be, I'm just glad to see that BSides will proceed 
as planned.


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