The inaugural AWS re:Inforce cybersecurity conference kicks off tomorrow in Boston. AWS has an established track record of hosting a great event with the annual AWS re:Invent conference, but AWS re:Inforce 2019 puts the focus directly on AWS security and securing and protecting workloads in cloud environment. Alert Logic’s Dan Webb had an opportunity to speak with Zach Vinduska, Vice President, IT Infrastructure, Security & Compliance at ClubCorp—a customer of both AWS and Alert Logic—for the third episode of our Road to re:Inforce vlog series to get the unique perspective from a customer point of view.

Cybersecurity Conference Fatigue

There are plenty of cybersecurity conferences on the circuit already, so it may seem overwhelming or illogical to add yet another. Webb asked for thoughts on the cybersecurity conference landscape, and Vinduska shared that there is a fair amount of fatigue in the industry between customers and vendors. He told Webb that he feels bad for vendors because there are 30-40 solutions out there for every problem he has, and he feels bad for decision makers because the phone never stops ringing and the email inbox is overflowing with pitches.

Vinduska pointed out that cybersecurity conferences are typically filled with jargon bingo. “Everybody has to have the next-gen, zero trust, deep learning, intelligent algorithm that does something better than the next company.”

He noted that there are some great companies doing great things—but they are often drowned out in a chaotic and ugly field right now. At the same time, many companies are trying to make a play for cybersecurity and really have no business in the industry. When you walk the expo floor of a cybersecurity conference, the vendors all seem to have the same messaging, but when you stop to learn more, most can’t really articulate what they’re doing or how it will solve your problems.

Disrupting the Conference Landscape

Webb noted that AWS—and its parent company, Amazon—have a reputation for successful disruption of industries, and that perhaps it can succeed in disrupting the cybersecurity conference landscape as well.

Vinduska emphasized that he wants to hear from other customers—from peers who are facing what he is facing. He wants the opportunity to learn from their mistakes as well as their achievements to find new and better ways to do things.

One thing that AWS is known for with re:Invent is the ability to focus on customers and to provide practical output that attendees can consume and take away and put to use. Webb and Vinduska both seem hopeful that AWS can do the same thing for cybersecurity—delivering practical, actionable information to provide value for attendees.

For more thoughts on the upcoming AWS re:Inforce, check out the vlog below:

Visit Alert Logic at AWS re:Inforce 2019

Alert Logic is a sponsor of AWS re:Inforce and we will be there in Boston this week at Booth #531. Visit Alert Logic to learn more about AWS security and how Alert Logic can help you address the challenges of AWS security effectively. Additionally, you can download our AWS security checklist, full of best practices and recommendations for your AWS Web Apps.

We also invite you to come hear more from Zach Vinduska about how ClubCorp has achieved positive security outcomes by combining human expertise and the latest in AWS security. You can see Zach sit down with Alert Logic’s Jack Danahy for the “Accelerated Threat Detection: Alert Logic & AWS” customer sessions in the Partner Theater on Tuesday, June 25 at 1:30pm or Wednesday, June 26 at 1:15pm.

Also, check out the other vlogs in our Road to re:Inforce series:

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