5G is coming, bringing with it speedier connections and higher bandwidth. But what about security? As with most things related to technology, there’s good and bad, according to Kevin McNamee, director of threat intelligence at Nokia. It’s a two-sided coin. 5G is inherently more secure than previous wireless standards, but also vastly increases the attack surface as Internet of Things (IoT) devices proliferate, McNamee said. Monitoring, automation and secure communications will be essential to securing 5G investments, he added. His remarks came during a breakout session as part of (ISC)2 Security Congress 2020, taking place virtually this week. Kevin McNamee, director of threat intelligence, Nokia On the positive side, McNamee said, 5G uses HTML2/TLS-based secure services, which are more robust

Bruce Schneier The relationship between technology and public policy is the defining challenge of the current century, according to Bruce Schneier, the keynote speaker at (ISC)2 Security Congress 2020, taking place virtually this week. “Today technology is deeply intertwined with society. It’s literally creating our world. It’s no longer sustainable for technology and policy to be in different worlds,” said Schneier, a security expert, best-selling author and Fellow at Harvard University’s Berkman-Klein Center for Internet & Society. When the internet was first commercialized, governments didn’t want to stifle the development of an important and profitable industry. As a result, the internet grew and evolved without any real planning as it became closely linked with financial systems, election systems and so many

Take the CISSP practice quiz to find out if you’re ready for the exam The CISSP certification is the ideal credential for those with the technical and managerial competence, skills, and experience to design, engineer, implement, and manage an overall cybersecurity program. Considered the industry’s premier security credential, the CISSP differentiates leaders giving them the competitive advantage across the industry. The CISSP covers eight broad domains, so it’s no surprise that preparing for the exam can be a daunting task. To help you assess your readiness, we’ve developed the CISSP practice quiz. The free online quiz is designed to test your knowledge on topics found in each of the eight CISSP domains found in the Common Body of Knowledge (CBK).

Like most things this year, (ISC)² Security Congress looks a little different. This year’s virtual event might not have you gathering with thousands of colleagues in Orlando, but you can still enjoy many of the fun activities we’ve offered over the years. Be sure to log into https://securitycongress.brighttalk.live/networking-engagement/ using your BrightTALK credentials. Escape Room A crowd pleaser at past Security Congress conferences, Living Security is back this year with their Virtual CyberEscape Room. Play online with colleagues in this team-based, engaging and FUN exercise. Sign your team up.  Panoply Another Security Congress classic is the Panoply competition. This network assessment / defense contest is ideal for all skill levels and lets you flex your cybersecurity skills, while honing new ones.

For the first time since (ISC)2 started tracking cybersecurity workforce numbers in 2004, we have seen a decrease in the skills gap, from 4.07 million in 2019 to 3.12 million. According to the 2020 (ISC)2 Cybersecurity Workforce Study, the workforce increased 25% from 2019 to a total of 3.5 million professionals worldwide. The numbers reflect an increase in new entrants to the field – 700,000 of them – but that doesn’t tell the whole story. Another contributing factor is an apparent reduction in demand as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has had significant economic impacts around the world.  The pandemic has been the dominant story of 2020, and that is reflected in the findings of the Workforce Study.