Reflections from Virus Bulletin 2024: A Threat Intelligence Perspective

By Joel Cedersjö, Cyber Security Specialist, NTT Security

Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of attending the Virus Bulletin 2024 conference in Dublin, Ireland. Held from October 2-4 at the Clayton Hotel Burlington Road, this annual event is a cornerstone for professionals in the field of cybersecurity and threat intelligence. The conference brings together an international lineup of speakers, all experts in their respective fields, to share the latest research, trends, and innovations in combating cyber threats.

This year NTT Security had 3 experts with 4 speaker slots on site at the conference, a massive achievement and something I was incredibly excited about as I have spent a sizeable part of my working years in the NTT Threat Intelligence business vertical.

While I personally had no speaker slot, my focus as a participant was to support my expert colleagues who shared their knowledge and research on stage, but also to listen to the wider communities’ presentations and get a feel for where the market is going.

For those of you who were not able to participate, below are some of my thoughts and reflections from the week in Dublin.

A Welcome Increase in Diversity

One of the most striking observations was the noticeable increase in diversity among attendees and speakers. It was encouraging to see a wide variety of nationalities, age and gender on stage and in discussions around the event. In such a male dominated space and industry, is uplifting to not only see diverse perspectives to the table but it also signals a positive trend towards greater inclusivity in our field.

Bridging the Gap Between Private Sector and NGOs

A significant highlight was the for me, was the eye opening dialogue around the collaboration between the private sector and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The first conference keynote was centred around how profit-driven companies could support journalists, activists, artists and others working in high-risk areas, both geographically and operationally. The intersection between how our somewhat narrow expertise can be crucial to protect those who are often on the front lines of exposing threats and injustices was inspiring to understand on a deeper level.

Tech-Heavy Presentations

If you have worked in tech for some time, you have likely already realized that conferences can be divided into two categories, the salesy and the techy. Unlike some conferences where the conclusion of most talks and presentations is a sales pitch, Virus Bulletin 2024 was solidly in the tech corner, and refreshingly heavy on the details.

It was evident that throughout the event the presenters were genuinely passionate about sharing their findings, and the presentations were for the lack of better words, mostly free of marketing material. Although I must admit that some presenters and presentations could have used some feedback or QA to ensure that the message and amazing details were presented in the most understandable format, and I was at times completely out of my depth when attending a presentation on a topic I was not familiar in advance. I very much preferred this style to the otherwise slick and carefully arranged slideware.

This approach of details first and an opportunity for passionate individuals to be tech heavy does not only enhance our collective knowledge but also strengthens our ability to combat emerging threats together.

Summary

In conclusion, Virus Bulletin 2024 was a remarkable experience that underscored the importance of diversity, collaboration, and technical excellence in the field of threat intelligence. I look forward to applying the insights gained to our work and continuing the conversations started at the conference.