(ISC)2 Security Congress to Convene in City of Lights (Not Paris)

Some cities are lucky to have even just one nickname, and other cities have nicknames and to spare. The casino and resort mecca of Las Vegas in the sweaty Nevada desert borrows nicknames from other cities like Paris ("City of Light") and New York ("City That Never Sleeps"), in addition to coining its own.

Entertainer Milton Berle famously quipped that the sun-dappled paradise would have been better named Lost Wages, while others refer to Vegas as the Entertainment Capital of the World, the Gambling Capital of the World, the Marriage Capital of the World, or the Neon Capital of the World. Some locals call it the Bone Yard, referencing the continual construction of new buildings.

Las Vegas is perhaps most often referred to, of course, by the not-entirely-flattering appellation Sin City, brazenly referencing the fact that no human vice need go unsatiated beneath the bright lights and the palm trees. The local tourism board leaned into this angle circa 2003 by formalizing the slogan, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas."

One of the things that will be happening in Las Vegas this year is the annual Security Congress conference hosted by cybersecurity professional association (ISC)². The Security Congress team is so far eschewing the seedier aspects of Vegas culture and taking its messaging more in the direction of the buoyant Elvis Presley anthem "Viva Las Vegas."

On the other hand, the 2022 Security Congress event, Oct. 10-12, is being held at the popular Caesars Palace hotel and casino, with its straighforward evocation of the opulence and decadence enjoyed by the emperors of Rome. So the signal being sent is not entirely, "Come sit and talk shop with a lot of buttoned-down professionals."

The keynote speakers and topics for the more than 100 educational sessions are yet to be announced — Security Congress isn't happening until October, don't forget — so there's not much to report (yet) about conference content and programming. Attendees can anticipate the usual opportunities to earn continuing professional education (CPE) credits, alongside the usual schmoozing and professional networking.

Notwithstanding the lack of specifics, however, registration is already open, with "early bird" savings on the table through Sept 16. That means you can book your hotel room early and save $200 off the cost of a Security Congress All Access Pass.

And while the flag of "returning to normal" is being proudly flown across the United States — the Kentucky Derby will be held without COVID-19 restriction for the first time since 2019 on Saturday — you won't necessarily have to voyage to Vegas to participate in Security Congress. Event organizers seem as ready as everyone else to return to in-person revels, but Security Congress will have a virtual component (further details to come) as well.

If you're comfortable attending in person, then early registration has its perks beyond the All Access Pass discount: (ISC)² has worked out an arrangement with Caesars Palace to provide a limited number of low-cost attendance packages (discounted room rates and resort fees) on a first-come, first-served basis. Viva Las Vegas, indeed!