20 Wild And Wacky Scenes From RSA Conference 2018

The Best Of The Show Floor

Did you get a screen-printed t-shirt from eSentire? Or take part in IBM Security's virtual reality orchestration experience? Or face off against a friend or foe in a round of Carbon Kombat?

The RSA Conference in San Francisco typically sports a slew of major product announcements and high-profile keynotes, and 2018 was no different. But it wasn't just speeches and meetings -- the more than 42,000 attendees could also take part in fun activities or get hands-on training at one of 600 booths spread across the Moscone Center's two expo floors.

CRN takes a look at 20 of the most zany or offbeat booths at last week's RSA Conference in hopes of bringing back some fond memories of the show.

Nothing But Our T-Shirt On

Attendees stopping by managed detection and response vendor eSentire's booth in the South Hall could receive their own customized t-shirt. The Cambridge, Ontario-based company provided shirts in a variety of colors with a choice of one of four sayings: They Hide. We Seek.; Find. Fight. Finish.; Detect. Disrupt. Disarm.; or See Everything. Trust Nothing.

On Your Marx. Get Set. Go.

Visitors passing by Ramat Gan, Israel-based application security vendor Checkmarx's booth in the South Hall could enjoy a virtual reality driving experience. Just step into one of two race car seats, put the virtual reality goggles on, put your hands around the steering wheel, and you're off to the races.

SOC It To Me One More Time

Cambridge, Mass.-based IBM Security was offering attendees a virtual reality orchestration experience at its booth in the North Hall. Participants were provided the chance to manage a virtual SOC (Security Operations Center) as it was undergoing an attack, and were forced to make decisions in real-time that could determine the vitality of the enterprise.

Are You Elite?

But that's not the only activity IBM Security had at its North Hall booth. The Cambridge, Mass.-based division was also running the IBM Cyber Range, an escape room meets hacker challenge. The brightest and best received bragging rights on the IBM Security scoreboard.

Everybody Was Kung Fu Fighting

Carbon Black might be busy preparing for an initial public offering, but that didn't stop the Waltham, Mass.-based next-generation endpoint security vendor from rolling some out some games at its North Hall booth. Participants could go head-to-head in the Carbon Combat Arcade Challenge, choosing characters like Carbon Defender and fighting adversaries like Mallory Ware or the Darknet in hopes of winning a t-shirt or lightsaber.

Keeping The Universe Safe From Malware

Carbon Black wasn't the only vendor with a video game. Basking Ridge, N.J.-based Verizon tasked participants at its North Hall booth with defending the enterprise against cyber villains such as phishing, nation-state attacks, insider threats, and unsecured IoT devices in a round of Cyber Defenders. The top scorers had their names displayed in a Hall of Fame.

The Man In The Mirror

Attivo Networks turned its South Hall booth into an altered reality experience so attendees could experience what it would feel like to be an attacker within a deception environment. The Fremont, Calif.-based deception technology vendor company created a hall of mirrors maze which users could wander through and interact with various mirrors of deception and distortions of reality.

Now Showing: Cybereason

Cybereason went all-out in creating a faux movie theater at its South Hall booth complete with art deco signage, a popcorn popper, fountain drinks, boxes of candy, and recliner chairs with cup holders. The Boston-based endpoint protection vendor was screening a trailer for The Defenders, a behind-the-scenes look at four famous cyberattacks and the people tasked with keeping our institutions safe.

They Blinded Me With Science

Cupertino, Calif.-based Bromium leaned into the periodic table of elements and scientists like Albert Einstein and Marie Curie to help prospective customers better understand how virtualization-based security works. Attendees were also invited to bring the worst, most destructive malware they can find and use it to target a Bromium-protected endpoint in front of a live South Hall audience.

One Small Step For Man

Visitors to AlienVault's South Hall booth were invited to grab a selfie with their astronaut, get a treat from the Rocket Fuel Candy Bar, and learn how to better detect, respond to and analyze today's threats. The San Mateo, Calif.-based security vendor offered collectors t-shirt to people participating in its 'The USM Approach' seminar.

You Can Stand Under Our Umbrella

Bedford, Mass.-based RSA's North Hall booth offered a variety of experiences to show how organizations can better manage digital risk. The booth included a simulated rainstorm with umbrellas to help customers #WeatherTheStorm, a 4D-interactive sandbox, and a virtual reality experience that examined how RSA can help guide companies through digital risk.

What Does The Fox Say?

ZeroFox embraced their identity at the company's North Hall booth, employing a dancing fox mascot for most of the show and giving away a t-shirt that incorporates the company's logo. The Baltimore-based company focused on social media and digital security.

Ahoy Mateys!

HOB wrapped itself in pirate iconography at its North Hall booth, presenting the secure cloud journey like a treasure map and even going so far as to change its web page on the display monitor if the pirate's hat is shot or hit. The Bavaria, Germany-based software manufacturer focused on developing remote access offerings.

Get Down With ATP

Visitors who viewed a demo at Anomali's South Hall booth were automatically entered into a drawing to win a Yamaha 700R SE ATV on the final afternoon of the expo. One of the Redwood City, Calif.-based threat intelligence vendor's flagship offerings is the Anomali Threat Platform, or ATP.

Trend Micro: A Space Odyssey

Tokyo-based Trend Micro leaned into the intergalactic theme at its South Hall booth, offering photos in a space suit, seminars and presentations in a spaceship-shaped viewing area, and creating faux movie posters for Going Beyond: An XGen Away Mission focused on moving past next-generation security offerings.

Put It In A Lock Box

DarkMatter in the North Hall had its flagship Katim phone on center display, which is based on a hardened Android operating system and check the entire software stack at every boot to detect modifications. The Abu Dhabi, UAE-based cybersecurity consultancy also had augmented reality game Shield of Trust set up at its booth.

The Sleeping Giant

Cloud delivery platform Akamai discussed how the Domain Name System, or DNS, could be a powerful security layer for the enterprise at its North Hall booth. The Cambridge, Mass.-based vendor served attendees beverages from Kona Brewing Co. during the opening reception and had science fiction writer and futurist Matthew Mather on hand for a book signing.

Go The Whole Wide World

Visitors to Avast Software's booth in the North Hall could experience real-time threat detection with the company's 3D VideoSphere of planet earth. The Prague, Czech Republic-based endpoint security powerhouse also showed attendees how Avast's Network Operation Center (or NOC) tracks threats.

The Price Is Right

People stopping by Cisco's North Hall booth could view demos of Amp for Endpoints or other security products. For folks looking to try their luck at a game of chance, San Jose, Calif.-based network security vendor Cisco also had a giant plinko board set up.

Do You Believe In Magic?

Web and email security vendor Cyren brought in magician Nick Fedoroff to perform a cybersecurity-themed show at its South Hall booth. The McLean, Va.-based company also had loads of information available at its booth about its products and services, which include sandboxing and threat intelligence.