B-Sides Event In Tampa Focuses On Cybersecurity

Megan Hendricks | Tuesday, February 4, 2014

In the midst of the Gasparilla celebrations, Tampa will be infiltrated by a different kind of pirate on February 15.

B-Sides Tampa is an event for cyber-hackers of every type -- professionals, students, tinkerers and people who just want to learn more about the world of information security. The free event at South University in Tampa includes workshops, demonstrations, competitions and lots of networking.

The event is based on the national DEF CON conference that takes place in Las Vegas each year. As the conference grew, smaller events were created that appealed to local communities who wanted more audience participation and group interaction. With the name depicting the “b side,” or flip side of a record, B-Sides events take place in cities across the world including San Francisco, Boston and London, and now for the first time in Tampa.

B-Sides Tampa organizers want to bring people together for networking, training and collaboration, and to see how many people in the area are interested in topic. The results have them pleasantly surprised, with 350 registered thus far.

Presentation topics include Introduction to Forensics, Understanding Your Data, and more technical subjects like SIEM and Anti-SIEM Techniques. A "Capture the Flag" section will feature a set of security challenges that allow people to hack machines and solve problems, with prizes for the winners. There will also be a careers portion with companies in the local area that are hiring.

"We want to help put Tampa on the map with regards to technology in general," says Mick Weiss, operations engineer at Carvoyant and one of the organizers of B-Sides Tampa. "There’s so much technology in Tampa and in Florida in general, but nobody knows about it."

Writer: Megan Hendricks
Source: Mick Weiss, Carvoyant and B-Sides Tampa

Read more articles by Megan Hendricks.

A Florida native and longtime Tampa Bay resident, Megan Hendricks graduated from the University of South Florida with a master's degree in business administration. She worked at the USF College of Business and has extensive community experience including the Tampa Bay Partnership's Talent Dividend Advisory Board, Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, Emerge Tampa Bay, Ekhos, and Bar Camp Tampa. She is a former board member and newsletter editor for Creative Tampa Bay. Megan enjoys telling the stories that make Tampa Bay a unique, diverse cultural experience.