HOU.SEC.CON is a cybersecurity conference in Texas that aims to provide opportunities for students and professionals in the industry. The conference was started in 2010 by Michael Farnum and Sam Van Ryder, who wanted to create a community for cybersecurity professionals in Houston. They initially ran the conference under the auspices of the National Information Security Group, but eventually split off and ran it independently. The conference has grown over the years, attracting attendees and speakers from all over the United States and even internationally. They have had to move to larger venues to accommodate the increasing number of participants. HOU.SEC.CON has steadily grown from 120 attendees in its first year to almost 1400 attendees last year. The organizers initially planned to cap the conference at 300 or 500 attendees, but the demand kept increasing. The conference aims to grow the cybersecurity community in Houston and provide a more affordable and accessible option compared to larger conferences like RSA and Black Hat. HOU.SEC.CON has added two additional conferences, OT.SEC.CON and EXEC.SEC.CON, to cater to specific cybersecurity subfields. The organizers also host monthly user group meetings and provide networking opportunities for the community.
Takeaways
HOU.SEC.CON is a cybersecurity conference in Texas that provides opportunities for students and professionals in the industry.
The conference was started in 2010 by Michael Farnum and Sam Van Ryder to create a community for cybersecurity professionals in Houston.
They initially ran the conference under the auspices of the National Information Security Group before splitting off and running it independently.
HOU.SEC.CON has grown over the years, attracting attendees and speakers from all over the United States and internationally. HOU.SEC.CON has experienced significant growth, from 120 attendees in its first year to almost 1400 attendees last year.
The conference aims to provide an affordable and accessible option for the cybersecurity community in Houston.
HOU.SEC.CON has added two additional conferences, OT.SEC.CON and EXEC.SEC.CON, to cater to specific cybersecurity subfields.
The organizers also host monthly user group meetings and provide networking opportunities for the community.
Sound Bites
"HOU.SEC.CON is a cybersecurity conference in Texas"
"The conference was started in 2010 by Michael Farnum and Sam Van Ryder"
"They initially ran the conference under the auspices of the National Information Security Group"
"We were close to 1400 last year."
"Let's top out at 300. Let's top out at 500. Let's do whatever."
"We would have to take up multiple floors if we were going to stay at the hotel."
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to HOU.SEC.CON and its mission
06:15 The origins of HOU.SEC.CON and its role in the Houston cybersecurity community
18:33 Differentiating HOU.SEC.CON from other conferences: Valuable content and community focus
24:15 The growth and recognition of HOU.SEC.CON
26:35 Expanding HOU.SEC.CON
30:51 A More Accessible Alternative
35:46 Building a Strong Cybersecurity Community
Resources
http://houstonseccon.org/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/houseccon/
https://x.com/HouSecCon
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mfarnum/
https://x.com/m1a1vet
https://www.linkedin.com/in/svanryder/
https://x.com/SamVR
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