Getting Weird At RSA 2013: 10 Scenes That Made People Look Twice

Freaks And Security Geeks

Somewhere along the way, vendors decided that the best way to attract attention at trade shows is to get weird. And so they did -- by adorning their expo hall space with screaming signage; bringing in modern day carnival barkers to run noisy games and prize giveaways; and hiring people to walk around wearing funny costumes.

It's a proven model, and an effective one. At the RSA 2013 security conference, CRN walked the expo hall floor in search of extraordinary sights, and here we present 10 examples that grabbed our attention.

Hitting The Links

German security vendor Protected-networks.com used a golf theme as the backdrop for 8MAN, the latest release of its rights management software. RSA attendees could try their hand at putting, or they could choose to have their photo taken with this friendly looking fellow in the stylish green sweater.

Intercept Challenge

SIEM vendor Sensage invited RSA attendees to play Intercept Challenge, its flight simulator game. The idea was to go soaring all around the Bay Area in search of security bad guys. This thing lurched around with a vigor that had at least one show visitor reaching for an air sickness bag.

The Intercept Experience

Sensage's Intercept Challenge wasn't all fun and games; players had to hunt down a "cyber bandit" during their daring flight over the San Francisco Bay Area. When they were done, and their motion sickness had subsided, attendees were invited to tweet about their experience.

Musical Accompaniment

The Made In Germany pavilion, which featured 15 of the best and brightest from that country, contributed to the festive atmosphere on the RSA show floor with these skilled musicians, who serenaded the crowd at regular intervals.

Look, A Stormtrooper!

Any technology conference worth going to has got to have a stormtrooper, and Palo Alto Networks made sure that RSA attendees didn't go wanting for their Star Wars fix.

NetFlow Ninjas

Lancope lured passersby with irresistible plastic glowing ninja swords, which were easily the most coveted vendor giveaway item on the RSA 2013 show floor.

More Lighted Swords

GFI Software, whose tagline at RSA 2013 was "Know The Unknown," also went with a glowing sword giveaway. This GFI representative even showed attendees how to use it against any security threats they might come across in a dark alley late at night.

Journey Through Arcade History

Who needs vendor swag when there are classic arcade games to be played? Security vendor AlienVault brought the 1980s to its show floor space with Space Invaders and Galaga, two quintessential chapters in gaming history.

The FireEye Robot

A fixture at security industry events, the FireEye robot covered a surprising amount of ground at RSA, and was often seen posing for photos and just bringing the unique kind of job to the crowd that only a human in a robot costume can bring.

Remote Controlled Motorcycle

McAfee wasn't playing around at RSA. Well, actually, McAfee was playing around -- by giving away this cool remote controlled motorcycle to the winner of a raffle at its show floor booth.