NixuCon 2019: Steampunked Cybersecurity

September 13, 2019 at 10:26

Matthijs van der Wel attended NixuCon for the very first time. Now he shares his thoughts on the unique cybersecurity convention.

One of the perks of working at Nixu is that you are invited to attend the annual Nixu cybersecurity conference NixuCon. This year the event took place at a former factory in Tallinn, Estonia, and the theme really fitted the location: steampunk. Dressed in steampunk outfits, our leadership team welcomed all Nixuans and explained our ambitious growth plans. As there is no strategy without proper execution, each leadership team member told what the strategy would mean for their area of expertise. Our shared goals were clearly communicated, with more than enough opportunity for every Nixuan to ask questions.

nixucon-leadership
Nixu's leadership circle gave an example of how to dress up steampunk style.

Together with the other Market Area Leaders, we also took the stage to answer questions about our plans, our culture, and how we contribute to society. As a recent joiner to the Nixu family, I am always amazed by our open and transparent culture.

matthijs
I as well got to step onto the stage to present Benelux area plans.

Next, it was time to take deep dives into several cybersecurity and digital identity topics, lessons learned from projects, and exciting research done by Nixuans. Several tracks with technical and managerial themes ran in parallel. So many talks, so little time! I followed a session about the analysis of a specific type of malware and a session on adaptive access management.

nixucon-audience
The main stage of NixuCon 2019 was called "The Black Box".

We rejoined in the main conference room at the end of the afternoon to jointly recognize Nixuans who have been nominated by their colleagues for their outstanding work. A nice appreciation for their hard work and dedication.

Then it was time to socialize and mingle. Dressed in steampunk clothing, we enjoyed drinks outside in the sun until dinner was ready. Followed by a party with a DJ in what I think was the highest DJ booth I ever saw. I hope the DJ was not afraid of heights.

The next day was an early rise/short night, so we were welcomed by the sound of drums and a 4 men drum band on stage. If you weren’t aware, they made sure you were now. The drums were followed by a fascinating talk by Taavi Kotka, the former CIO of the Estonian government. He explained what was needed to create a real digital society and what the benefits are. Inspired by his talk, we went for a coffee break, followed by more sessions. I really liked the session about the discovery of a vulnerability in a Microsoft product, for which our colleague received public recognition from Microsoft.

taavi-kotka
This year's external keynote talk was given by Taavi Kotka, the former CIO of Estonia.

At the end of the day, after a recap, it was time to leave. I truly enjoyed the open exchange of knowledge, ideas, vision, and the chance to meet up with our international colleagues. A great tradition at Nixu!

 

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