Q&A Series with RSAC APJ Ambassador Matt Alderman

In part two of this four-part series, meet RSAC APJ Ambassador Matt Alderman!

Matt is the chief strategy and marketing officer at Layered Insight and a frequent speaker at RSA Conference Asia Pacific & Japan. We reached out to Matt to ask him a few questions as a past RSAC APJ attendee and speaker, so read on for his thoughts on why he attends, what he finds unique to RSAC APJ, and the people and things he’s excited to hear and see while in Singapore.

As a longtime Conference veteran, tell us: What’s the number one reason you attend RSAC?

As a security practitioner in both consulting and product, I really want to see the new innovations in the security industry. This could be new companies or new offerings that address the latest threats and risks for enterprises.

What do you get out of RSAC APJ that is unique to this Conference?

The regional security challenges faced by enterprises in APJ. APJ is still evolving, but has also adopted newer technologies faster. In order to understand the problems that need to be solved in this region, you need to come to RSAC APJ to see it for yourself. Not all the problems the US or EMEA face are relevant in APJ.

Do you have recommendations on must-see Singapore sights?

Close to the event, I have two: Enjoy the pool on the top of Marina Bay Sands, especially in the early morning, when it’s not crowded, and walk over to the Gardens by the Bay at night, when it’s all lit up. Other sights if you have time include: visiting the National Orchid Garden, strolling around Chinatown, and going to the zoo at night.

Is there a session that you’re looking forward to attending?

This year, my focus will be attending as many sessions as I can in the Cloud Security & Virtualization track. There are a lot of great topics in that track.  

Is there a speaker you’re excited to hear?

Ira Winkler is always a favorite unless Amit Yoran shows up for a keynote session.

What is the topic of your session?

Security without Friction talks about how to address the people, technology and process challenges between DevOps and SecOps. DevOps wants to build and release code fast, but SecOps isn’t ready for DevOps speed unless you embed security into the build process.

How are you preparing for your session?

My slides are built and ready. Preparation starts when I get to Singapore and start rehearsing. After about five or six rehearsals, I’ll be ready.

What skills and info will those who attend your session walk away with?

How to change your security approach to address the challenges of DevOps, containers and the next generation of applications by embedding security into the application build process and technology.

Check back on the RSAC blog soon for part three and to hear more from our RSAC ambassadors! If you missed Part One with Magda Chelly, click here to catch up.