18. Marc Smeets: Innovate, Navigate, Elevate: A Journey into OffSec Entrepreneurship

The red side of infosec appears unable to match the commercial innovation of the blue side. Allow me to explain why this is a problem for the entire offsec industry, and also how we can fix this. You might even walk away energised to start your own innovative offsec company.
With two decades in infosec, I've witnessed industry shifts and reinventions. Now, in what I believe is a pivotal moment in time for the red side of infosec, I will explain to you why I believe we are not seeing enough offsec innovation and entrepreneurship, why this is a problem and how we can fix this. Leveraging my experience in past roles as employee, self-employed, and co-founder of the offensive company Outflank, I hope to give you valuable insights that go beyond technicalities, but offer a practical view on commercial innovation in offensive security.
From red vs. blue dynamics to navigating the nuances of consultancy versus product development, often missed education areas, professional development, export controls, sales without doing sales, and preserving the hacking culture in a commercial landscape - this talk is a roadmap for all. Whether you're a starter in the field of infosec, a seasoned professional or aspiring entrepreneur, I'll have you walk away with lessons applicable for any infosec professional, particularly those eyeing entrepreneurship.

[@dharanisanjaiy]

Great Talk!

[@gitgudsec]

technical talks are (obvs) amazing, but there are SO MANY of them. this is a far more unique contribution, aside from some talks by Dave from TrustedSec have not seen too many of these "journey of building a successful cyber company" talks. got lots of value from it, and certainly things to mull over as I plot over the coming years. also was cool that you used South Africa as an example, even if we were being attacked in it lol. thanks Marc.