GSX+ Focuses on Security’s Role in Addressing Future Threats

Some incidents and developments are so powerful that they alter our perception of time. The world was once one way, and afterwards it can never be that way again. The year 2020 and the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic are such incidents—forcing the entire world to react and change its habits to protect people, property, and data from harm.

And these protection measures have often come at the cost of in-person human connection. Now, some of the most critical business tasks are taking place via conversations through computer screens—often from someone’s home instead of the office.

On Tuesday at GSX+, education sessions will center around the theme “Facing the Future: What’s Beyond the Horizon?” Speakers will discuss what the post-COVID-19 world will look like and how security professionals will continue to protect organizational assets against new and emerging threats.

In the panel discussion “COVID-19, Security & Resilience: Lessons Learned, Looking Forward,” speakers will share how security and resilience professionals became instrumental to their companies’ response to the pandemic. Matt Hinton, partner at Control Risks; Jackie Day, partner at Control Risks; and Steven Antoine, CSO at Yum! Brands, will also discuss their lessons learned and how the role of security within the enterprise is evolving to address today’s challenges and tomorrow’s threats.

One major point of concern for many executives today is when business travel can resume and what steps will be necessary to ensure employees are safe in transit. In “HR and Travel Security Issues After COVID-19 Lockdowns,” a panel of security directors will share their employers’ workforce-related challenges—from work from home security risks to workplace security and safety management to travel policies.

Another force that continues to transform the world is the rise of the use of cryptocurrencies as businesses adopt digital payment methods in response to COVID-19. Deutsche Bank predicts the coronavirus pandemic will accelerate the use of cryptocurrencies, and China plans to launch a digital national currency. Social media giant Facebook is also exploring creating a cryptocurrency.

In “Cryptocurrency, Crime, and the Security Industry in a Post-COVID-19 World,” Brent Barker—blockchain security consultant for Barker Global Security—will share how the increasing use of cryptocurrency could lead to novel types of crime that could become increasingly common, requiring a new security response.

The COVID-19 pandemic is also changing the way organizations utilize security services. Some verticals are investing more in security service providers, while others are cutting back due to the rise of remote work and schooling.

In “Evolving COVID-19 Security Services Responsibilities,” Brent O’Bryan, SVP, training and organizational effectiveness, Allied Universal, and Rick Gilbert, senior director, campus safety and security, Milton Hershey School, will share their insights into what roles security service personnel are being asked to address—and if those requests are realistic. O’Bryan and Gilbert will also discuss the new training and compliance measures in place for security providers.

For more education sessions that focus on the Tuesday GSX+ theme, visit GSX.org.