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November 11, 2019 | Matt Pacheco

Insights, Advice and Predictions: A look back at BraveIT 2019

Insights

BraveIT 2019, TierPoint’s second annual conference on the future of IT, boasted a diverse range of speakers, events and topics. Participants heard industry experts explore the challenges of 5G, the value of hyperconverged vs. hyperscale infrastructures, the thought processes of a cybercriminal, and the best methods for satisfying an IT compliance audit.

Hosted at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum on the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Intrepid in New York City, the conference combined social and networking activities with expert insights and discussion. This year’s conference focused on helping IT executives learn the impact of emerging technologies on IT and business strategies.

BraveIT 2019 highlights

Whether you attended the show or missed out, take a few moments to review the highlights and lessons learned from BraveIT 2019. Following are some of the insights, speakers and events from the show.

Defending against cyber threats

Why are cyber attacks so hard to defend against? What security does the cloud offer? How should businesses view cybersecurity investments? The first keynote speaker of BraveIT 2019 focused on cybersecurity and how organizations can defend themselves against constantly changing cyber threats. Major General Brett Williams, a cybersecurity expert, shared his experiences leading the U.S. Cyber Command and discussed the current cyber threat landscape. The General is a leading authority and educator on cybersecurity problems and solutions.

Watch the opening keynote.

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Inside the mind of a cybercriminal

What does a cybercriminal think when he evaluates your IT security? What vulnerabilities do hackers look to exploit? John Toney, a former Secret Service agent to Vice President Joe Biden, and TierPoint’s CSO Paul Mazzucco delved into the thought processes of cybercriminals and offered some useful tactics for defending your data and applications against cyber attacks.

Watch the session: Secret Service Security Stories.

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The IT crystal ball: Deciphering 5G

Industry executives and analysts debated the challenges and applications of the latest technologies. How fast will 5G gain adoption in the U.S. and other countries? Is hyperconverged or hyperscale infrastructure a better option? Will hybrid IT and software-defined networking continue to rise in popularity? BraveIT speakers and panelists shared their thoughts on those and many other new and future technologies.

Watch the full session: What 5G Really Means For IT.

braveit-2019-5g-panel

Advice from an IT compliance auditor

Compliance audits aren’t going to go away. In fact, more data security regulations are coming down the pike, making compliance audits more important than ever. While most IT departments fear the coming of the auditor, BraveIT presenter Renee Murphy, a former compliance auditor and a compliance and cybersecurity analyst for Forrester, insisted that most auditors just want to keep your data safe.  Murphy and her co-panelist John Toney, the cyber risk adviser for EY, discussed the coming increase in data protection regulations and penalties, and offered advice on surviving an audit.

Watch the full session: Inspection! The 2020 Security & Compliance Audit.

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IT Leaders share transformation stories and secrets

Many small and large businesses are undergoing digital transformation to stay competitive. But digital transformation means different things to different businesses and industries. For example: some prioritize IT transformation efforts to be more efficient and positioned for revenue generation. Microsoft led a discussion with leaders from Clearsense, Connection, Christian Broadcast Network, and New York City Department of Environmental Protection to see how their organizations adopted digital transformation strategies and what they learned.

Watch the full session: IT Leaders Trade Stories & Secrets.

braveit-2019-it-transformation-stories-panel

Experts discuss Hyperconverged Infrastructure (HCI) and Hyperscale

Hyperscale (public cloud) dominates the headlines today, but some businesses are looking for other solutions for their data and applications. Hyperconverged Infrastructure is another option for these businesses. The panelists in this session discuss the differences and benefits of both infrastructure types.

Watch the full session: Battle Royale: Hyperscale Vs. Hyperconverged.

An illuminating performance of dance and technology

Miral Kotb, dancer, choreographer and software developer, lit up the stage at BraveIT. Kotb’s dance troop, iLuminate, performed modern dance routines wearing her neon-lighted costumes. Appearing as neon outlines on the darkened stage, the dancers gave a performance that combined music and dance with a brilliant light show. The lighted costumes and choreography embody Kotb’s passion for enhancing artistic expression through technology. Her iLuminate costumes have been used by celebrities such as Christina Aguilera, The Black-Eyed Peas, and Death Cab for Cutie, and have appeared on Dancing with The Stars, The American Music Awards, and The X Factor.

Watch the closing keynote and iLuminate performance.

BraveIT 2019 Keynote & Performance – Miral Kotb & iLuminate from TierPoint on Vimeo.

Building community IT

Uriel Ash, the SVP of engineering and infrastructure for the Cross-River Bank in Fort Lee, NJ, and the BraveIT 2019 award winner, is a role model for how IT leaders can support community causes. Ash has enabled several charities in his Rockland County, New York area to benefit from IT technology by providing them with IT equipment and technical support. Some of the groups he’s helped include a thrift store, soup kitchen and volunteer ambulance service. His work on behalf of community organizations earned him the TierPoint BraveIT 2019 award, which is given to individuals who show leadership in using IT for the benefit of worthy causes. Ash was honored with a trophy and $10,000 check to the charity of his choice: Israel Medical Fund. Watch the 2019 BraveIT Award Ceremony.

A tour of military and naval technology

High-tech has been integral to the U.S. defense forces for decades. So, it’s fitting that BraveIT participants were able to view some of that historic technology at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum on board the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Intrepid. The museum showcased the U.S.S. Growler, a cruise missile submarine, a Concorde SST, a Lockheed A-12 supersonic reconnaissance plane and the Space Shuttle Enterprise (the original prototype NASA orbiter that paved the way for the space shuttle program– not the Star Trek namesake). The museum also featured the 3D film “Aircraft Carrier” with realistic computer-generated visualizations of the making a U.S. naval carrier, and a 4D simulator for anyone eager to experience the life of an Intrepid aviator. State-of-the-art computer graphics combined with historical footage and 3D glasses to create a stunningly realistic experience.

Cocktails and friends

At sunset, conference-goers enjoyed cocktails on the rooftop flight deck, with 40s themed big band music, the show finale was an opportunity for people to turn off their laptops and relax with a cold Sidecar or Grasshopper and some swing dancing.

More BraveIT content

Want to learn more about BraveIT? Visit our website, watch session recordings from this year’s event and pre-register for BraveIT 2020.

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