The current economic climate is taking its toll on many information security professionals. On average I am getting about two to three emails a week from people who have just lost their job, or fear they are about to lose their job, asking me for advice on how to advance in the field of information security.

I know I am not alone in this situation and it is great to see ISSA Ireland respond to those in the field who are deciding what to do next.  On Thursday the 23rd of July ISSA Ireland is hosting a special event on “Startup Opportunities in Information Security”.  The event is free and there is an excellent line up of speakers to point you in the right direction if you are taking the plunge.  To register for the event go to the ISSA Ireland website.

Details of the event are as follows;

Background
Security breaches at the HSE, Bord Gais and numerous government departments have highlighted the importance of information security, yet many Irish security professionals are finding themselves out of work or are in danger of losing their jobs this year. In response ISSA is holding a special event to highlight opportunities for Irish security firms and to encourage Irish security professionals to consider starting a new business rather than changing career or looking for work in other countries.

Agenda
Although many security staff are now facing the prospect of redundancy most have never considered the option of starting their own business. We hope our event on July 23rd will show change this by showing that experienced in-house personnel are perfectly placed to identify opportunities and that there are a wide range of supports available for security professionals starting new businesses.

Our first speaker, Joe Drumgoole has over 23 years experience in the Irish IT industry in a career that has included in-house roles with Oracle and Bank of Ireland, several years in Irish startups such as CR2 and Cape Clear and most recently his launch of online storage firm Putplace. On July 23rd Joe will share his thoughts on the outlook for Ireland’s technology sector, the need to foster a domestic startup culture and the feasibility of launching technology startups in Ireland.

Since Ireland is fortunate to have several successful security startups we will hear directly from the CEO’s of several domestic startups about their early experiences. Speakers in this panel will include Mathieu Gorge of Vigitrust, developers of PCI compliance management software and Cian Kinsella of Digiprove, an Irish company focused on the protection of digital content. These case studies will cover the early development of each business and lessons learned.

Following our CEO panel we will look at the support available for new startups. Pat Byrne of Enterprise Ireland will outline EI’s experience in supporting technology startups and the core competencie needed to develop successful businesses. He will also discuss specific EI schemes relevent to security startups including Commercialisation of Research & Development (CORD) grants, Innovation Vouchers and the work of the High Potential Startup Unit.

Our final expert will be Dr Ciara Leonard of NovaUCD, the innovation and technology transfer centre at UCD. Dr Leonard will explain the direct startup support available from local enterprise boards and campus incubator programmes such as those at NovaUCD, DIT’s Hothouse and the M50 programme at IT Tallaght. Her presentation will also cover the potential for partnership with third-level institutions and the investment options for startups including government agencies such as EI, angel investors and venture capital firms.

Venue & Schedule
This event will be held on July 23rd at NovaUCD and will run from 8:30 to 12:30. Attendance is free of charge, however registration is required (see below). Please note that although NovaUCD is on the main Belfield campus vehicle access is only possible via Fosters Avenue. For location and parking details see here.

Hope to see you there.