Nearly 900 cybersecurity professionals attended Secure Summit DC at the beautiful MGM National Harbor hotel. The two-day training event included more than 35 sessions in four tracks. Keynote speakers covered topics from resourcefulness to security culture, sociology to workforce development and beyond.

A noteworthy theme evolved throughout the event, as speakers from both the private and public sectors – including many from the (ISC)² Board of Directors – acknowledged the need for a greater understanding of the cybersecurity basics both inside and outside the industry. “We’re in the golden age of threats,” said John McCumber, director of cybersecurity advocacy at (ISC)². Meanwhile Dr. Eric Cole lamented the fact that we’re still talking about passwords and patching.

Dr. Jessica Barker presented the largely negative messaging based around cybersecurity calling for a change in the stereotype that people – overall – are “bad” at it, which exacerbates the issue. On the topic of language, John McCumber presented the Lexicon Project emphasizing the importance of understanding in the path of process.

During lunch on Tuesday, honors were presented to the 2018 Information Security Leadership Awards Government winners , including the F. Lynn McNulty Tribute Award to Essye B. Miller and the (ISC)² President’s Award to Kevin Jackson.

Professional development was emphasized as well with speakers highlighting cyber-savvy leadership, the importance of developing a personal brand and aligning your career goals with a strategy for success.

To catch up on highlights from all of the sessions, view the Twitter hashtag #ISC2Summits .