The 10 Best Security Conferences to Attend in 2021
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The start of the new year is always a good time to look ahead, and certainly no one wants to look back at the hot mess that was 2020. As you survey the coming year, we know security is top of mind (*cough, cough* SolarWinds *cough, cough*). If for some reason you’re able to sleep through the night without visions of malicious software updates dancing through your head, it’s likely because you’ve already registered for one or more of the security conferences listed in this blog.
Due to the ongoing pandemic, many conference organizers have opted to host their event virtually to protect the health and safety of attendees. Though this makes networking more challenging, virtual conferences still provide a rich environment for expanding your knowledge, hearing from some of the most revered experts in the industry, and discovering the latest cutting edge security technology.
Below we’ve listed the top in-person and virtual security conferences to attend in 2021. While you may miss the spectacle of the big shows and those important in-person interactions, we’re sure you won’t mind skipping the TSA lines and attending the keynote in your sweats!
Note: The following conference list is sorted by date for your convenience.
Cyber Security & Cloud Expo
March 17-18, 2021
Fully virtual
September 6-7, 2021
Business Design Centre, London, UK
September 22-23, 2021
Santa Clara Convention Center, Santa Clara, CA, USA
The Cyber Security & Cloud Expo comes in two flavors this year: a free virtual event in the spring followed by two in-person events in September. The free online conference will be a mix of live and on-demand presentations covering top-level content and thought leadership discussions looking at the cyber security and cloud ecosystem.
The September global in-person conference in London is co-located with the IoT Tech Expo, AI & Big Data Expo, and Blockchain Expo, so attendees can explore these convergent technologies all in one place. The North America conference explores the impact of cloud technology on security across a range of industries, including manufacturing, transport, supply chain, government, legal and financial services, energy, utilities, insurance, healthcare, and retail. Both conferences address the real issues facing CISOs and security professionals as modern enterprises evolve.
Secure Coding
March 24, 2021
Fully virtual
This one-day virtual summit focuses on everything you need to know about code security from an insider’s perspective. In this second annual event, attendees will hear from industry-leading practitioners, analysts, and thought leaders from the AppSec and DevSecOps space, as they
share their best insights and practices on how to improve your code security. An added bonus this year — a cool old-school video game theme that’s sure to power up your security skills.
Cybertech Global
April 5-7, 2021
Dubai, UAE
Cybertech Global offers a wide spectrum of sessions and events covering AI, advanced IoT, big data, cloud, and blockchain across a number of different verticals ranging from finance and insurance, manufacturing, mobile and communications, healthcare, and more. This annual conference boasts the largest security networking event outside the US. Venue details have yet to be confirmed, so check the conference registration page for updates and COVID-19-related news.
From a geopolitical perspective, Cybertech Global is a groundbreaking event in that it is the first time this event has been held in the UAE since Israeli-UAE relations have been normalized under an August 2020 peace agreement.
KubeCon + CloudNativeCon
May 4-7, 2021
Fully virtual, Europe
October 12-15, 2021
Fully virtual, North America
Though not strictly a security conference, KubeCon and CloudNativeCon are worth mentioning on this list due to their importance and size. This conference is the Cloud Native Computing Foundation’s flagship event and gathers both adopters and technologists from leading open source and cloud native communities all in one arena, albeit a virtual one this year. For everything you ever wanted to know about Kubernetes and Cloud Native computing, this conference is for you.
RSA Conference 2021
May 17-21, 2021
Fully virtual
For 30 years, the RSA Conference has been committed to bringing the cybersecurity community together to benefit from top-notch educational content, interesting perspectives, and exciting new solutions. Postponed from its usual February date, the RSA Conference 2021 is now scheduled for May and has pivoted to a fully virtual format due to the ongoing pandemic. RSA provides a comprehensive and information-packed week on almost every aspect of security. The theme of this year’s conference is resilience, which is something we’ve all had to dig deep for over the past year!
InfoSecurity Europe
June 8-10, 2021
Olympia London, London, UK
Infosecurity Europe bills itself as a conference for everyone covering everything you need to know about information and cyber security. At this conference, you can scope out the latest in security tech, connect with exhibitors and end users to make sure you find security solutions that are perfect for you, and keep pace with developments in the security industry through insights from skilled experts. At InfoSecurity Europe, you can make new connections and learn new skills to improve your career. Currently, InfoSecurity Europe’s website lists this as an in-person event, but registration has yet to open so check back for updates.
Blackhat USA
July 31-August 5, 2021
Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Blackhat USA is remaining optimistic about hosting an in-person conference later this year and has yet to announce a virtual offering. Since 1997, Black Hat has provided a highly technical security event series worldwide. Today, Black Hat briefings and training sessions are held annually in the United States, Europe, and Asia. Attendees of this conference get to attend briefings from internationally known security experts and also have the opportunity to attend trainings on a wide range of topics.
InfoSecWorld 2021
September 27-29, 2021
Hybrid in-person and virtual
Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA
Securing today’s interconnected organizations requires innovative, agile, and resilient approaches to data protection that ensure business continuity in the face of uncertainty.
At InfoSec World 2021, cybersecurity professionals can discover new strategies, tools, and techniques to realign their approach to risk in a connected business ecosystem.
Moved to September from its originally scheduled April dates, InfoSec World is hoping to host an in-person conference this year. Those who prefer not to attend an in-person event are able to fully participate through a robust companion digital experience.
Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit
September 13-14, 2021
London, UK
September 20-22, 2021
Orlando, FL, USA
Though details haven’t been finalized yet, Gartner is planning two security-related summits in September this year. The EMEA summit is scheduled to take place in London, while the Americas summit is slated to take place in Orlando, FL. Both will feature Gartner experts sharing valuable insights on establishing an effective, risk-based cybersecurity program. Attendees will gain the information they need to create agile security and IT risk management plans to manage the risk inherent to digital business.
While you’re waiting for registration to open, check out a number of smaller, regional virtual Gartner security summits scheduled throughout the year.
OWASP Global AppSec Dublin and San Francisco
Postponed until 2022
Due to the global pandemic and the desire to put on the best AppSec events possible, Global AppSec Dublin has been postponed until 2022, and Global AppSec San Francisco was made virtual. In the meantime, OWASP is rerunning several of its more popular training sessions throughout the year, including its 2020 SOS event on January 26, 2021. For a complete list of OWASP’s 2021 virtual events, check their events page regularly.
