Security Goes Platinum: 25 Scenes From RSA Conference 2011

20 Secure Years

RSA Conference celebrated its 20th Anniversary in 2011, which calls for a gift of platinum in modern times (though the traditional 20th anniversary gift is china). And the massive presence at the Moscone Center in San Francisco helped the nation's largest security conference celebrate in style. From security vendors showcasing their latest wares to industry bigwigs stumping for change, RSA had everything security pros need to lock up their networks, their endpoints and their data centers to protect from hackers, attackers and crackers.

Here, we take a look at what you missed if you didn't make it to RSA Conference 2011 or if you were too darned busy to notice.

Alice & Bob

The theme of RSA Conference 2011 was The Adventures of Alice & Bob, a pair of fictional characters that get caught up in the fast-paced world of information security, identity theft and love. Here is the cast of characters.

Livin' On A Prayer

To kick off RSA Conference 2011, a team of singers and dancers told their story in song, to the tune of Bon Jovi's youth anthem "Livin' On A Prayer."

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July 13: The Day The Security World Changed

During his RSA keynote, Symantec CEO Enrique Salem highlighted July 13, 2010 as a day that will live in infamy. It was the day Lance Armstrong crashed in the Tour de France, the nation was gripped by the Gulf oil spill and a new security threat called Stuxnet emerged, which took out uranium enrichment centrifuges in Iran in a targeted attack that can be seen as among the first casualties of cyberwar.

It Isn't RSA Without Art

RSA executive chairman Art Coviello took to the RSA keynote stage to discuss the changing face of security and how trust is needed for cloud computing and security to co-exist.

Racing To Certifications

At the (ISC)2 (International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium) booth, the security education and certification crew broke out these racing games, offering prizes to daily winners. Here, an RSA attendee gets comfortable behind the wheel.

Give It A Whack

Like the popular arcade game Whack-A-Mole, Guardian Analytics rolled out the Whack-A-Fraudster game. Using security (the mallet), players stopped fraudsters dead in their tracks, before they can wreak havoc.

Release The Hounds

Dogs probably won't do much to protect the network, but security player Blue Coat was offering up this stuffed dog as an extra line of defense.

Are You Made In Germany?

Maybe it's just us, but it's really difficult to figure out where SecurITy makes its security products. We heard it could be in Germany, but there's no way to know for sure.

Slick Willy

Former President Bill Clinton barred the media from his RSA keynote address, which was scheduled for Friday. According to this sign that showed up in the press room, Clinton's contract barred the press from attending.

Break The Chain

It may not be the most advanced security, but this chain and lock appeared to be enough to keep this stack of cash out of the hands of evildoers.

The Best Protection?

DbProtect brought on a Sumo Wrestling champion to show how secure its data base protection products are. (See next slide)

Can't Break Through

With a volunteer from the audience pretending to be a threat, and the Sumo Wrestler DbProtect's solution, the crowd saw just how impenetrable it is.

A Matter Of National Security

The National Security Agency's booth was a secure zone, even flanked by aviator-wearing guards.

Do You Have Clearance?

To gain entry into the National Security Agency's booth at RSA, attendees were given these visitors passes.

What Have You Learned?

While it might be difficult to see, Safelight put up this glass and asked attendees to write down what they've learned about information security. Among our favorites: "Security is NOT a sticky note under your keyboard."

Arrrggghhh Matey!

IOActive brought pirates! Pirates! We're not sure exactly why, but pirates make everything a little bit cooler.

Born To Ride

HP urged attendees to "Grab Security By The Bars" at its booth at RSA Conference 2011. And to entice them, the company brought along this Harley.

Two Decades Of RSA

RSA Conference 2011 marks the 20th Anniversary of the security conference. Here is a timeline showcasing some highlights from the two decades of RSA.

Don't Gamble On Security

Well, security shouldn't be a gamble, but it can't hurt to play a little Black Jack at the Beyond Trust booth at RSA.

Caught!

It looks like Microsoft caught Mallory, a villain in The Adventures of Alice & Bob, the story that ran as a recurring theme of RSA Conference 2011.

I Need A Nurse

Oh, good, maybe this nurse on the show floor can help. We have a feeling a lot of people are sick of having their data compromised.

Ding! Ding!

Security vendor M86 Security hosted a quiz show at its booth on the RSA show floor, quizzing attendees on their knowledge of IT security. Here, two contestants square off.

Vroom!

WatchGuard let attendees race toward security at its booth.

HBGary Packs Up, Goes Home

HBGary, a Sacramento, Calif.-based security firm that has been trying to unmask the members of the hacker group Anonymous, pulled out of the RSA Conference 2011 on Wednesday, claiming that its show floor booth staff had received "numerous threats of violence."

"In an effort to protect our employees, customers and the RSA Conference community, HBGary has decided to remove our booth and cancel all talks," HBGary said in a statement posted to its Web site.

Here is the booth that HBGary vacated, booth #556.