Inaugural internet security conference sells out

THE first cybersecurity conference of its kind in Ballarat has sold out, with as many as one hundred and fity people expected to attend.

BSides Ballarat will take place over the weekend of 3 and 4 May at the Emerging Technologies Hub at Federation University’s SMB Campus in Lydiard Street South.

Organising committee leader Dr Paul Black, a post doctoral fellow at the university’s Internet Commerce Security Lab, said the response to ticket sales is indicative of the interest – and the importance – of cybersecurity.

“I see it as very important,” Dr Black said. “It (tickets selling out) shows there’s a lot of interest.”

Twenty speakers have been confirmed for the event, which will be preceded by two training seminars – an introduction to programming in Python and cybersecurity basics – on Friday 2 May.

Dr Black said some tickets for those sessions are still available through Eventbrite.

“Cybersecurity is an enormous problem, particularly with all this ransomware that’s happening,” he said.

He said businesses large and small were particularly at risk and needed to educate and train their staff about the issue.

BSides is a not-for-profit organisation for cybersecurity enthusiasts that began in the United States and has spread to more than 60 countries.

Dr Black said BSides conferences are now held in all Australian capital cities but the May event will be the first held in Ballarat.

He said his first question when he was considering the idea late last year was whether anyone would be interested.

“We sold 50 tickets on the first day when I put it on Eventbrite just before Christmas, so that answered that question,” he said, adding that all tickets were sold by Friday last week.

Dr Black said the organising committee is already considering a bigger venue, possibly a large lecture theatre at the university’s Mount Helen campus, for next year’s conference so that as many as 350 people can participate.

He said he also wanted to get a lot of younger people involved in the cybersecurity field.

More information about the conference is available at federation.edu.au/icsl/icsl-conferences/bsides-ballarat .