I joined the National Motor Freight Traffic Association (NMFTA) in the spring as the organization’s director of enterprise security, having come from an extensive background in cybersecurity that most recently included work on the Atlanta transit system – Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA).
My primary reason for joining the NMFTA was the organization’s outstanding commitment to cybersecurity in the trucking industry—and nothing exemplifies that better than NMFTA’s annual Digital Solutions Conference on Cybersecurity.
I’m pumped about attending this conference, set for October 22-25 in Houston, TX. For as many years as I’ve worked in cybersecurity, I’ve never been surrounded by so many professionals in the field; all focused on this same critical priority.
And yet, at the same time, the more I get to know the trucking industry, the more I appreciate the hard-working, innovative character of the people in it.
So, the reason I want you to come to this conference is simple: I want to meet you!
But I also want you to know that you can expect some real benefits apart from meeting me. Here are three of them:
1. The Connections: The connections you make at this conference will be extremely valuable. If you’ve attended the conference before, you know this. If you haven’t, here’s why you need to give yourself this opportunity.
You will never experience a more impressive gathering of trucking industry decision-makers, nor of more professionals who focus on information technology in the trucking field.
One of the reasons I’ve been successful in my career is that I’ve always had a network of people I could contact for help or to ask a question. The more you build that network, the more effectively you can access resources, insight, and support when needed.
The cybersecurity landscape is evolving quickly, and just about every day, a new issue materializes. Maybe you’ll be the first to confront it, but it’s far more likely that someone else will deal with it first. When you’ve got a strong network of connections, you’re in a much better position to gain insight from peers who are dealing with the same issues you are.
2. Industry Leaders: Government and industry leaders will be sharing their valuable insights. We’ve got presenters from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the United States Secret Service (USSR), the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and more. Additionally, we’ve secured speakers from Microsoft, high-ranking executives from top trucking companies, and leading minds from academia. They’re paying attention daily to what’s happening in the field and have a pretty good idea of what could be coming next.
You can’t place a price on the value of insight like this. These professionals deal with these issues at the highest level possible, with extremely high stakes. No one knows better than they do what’s critical, what’s current, and what’s coming. And they will share it all with you—if you’re there.
3. Ingenious Solutions: Knowing the problems you might face is helpful, but nothing completes the value package like solutions to the problems. So much of what we’ll talk about in Houston revolves around what to do, how to be prepared, respond, and protect yourself before anything happens.
Most of the available solutions are relatively inexpensive and relatively simple. Some will require help from expert consultants, but most are achievable for just about everyone in the industry. But you can only implement a solution if you know about it.
Join us in Houston, where you’ll be part of an elite group in the trucking industry that knows the latest and most effective solutions to truck cybersecurity challenges. And when you hear about their strategies at a gathering like this, you can ask the experts detailed questions—a rare opportunity to help elevate your knowledge and expertise.
Join us in Houston, and you will be able to:
- Build your network of high-value connections.
- Listen to government and industry leaders about what they see in the field.
- Get exclusive access to the latest solutions from the people fighting on the front lines of cybersecurity.
You can only come away well-prepared for cybersecurity challenges in the trucking industry if you can attend the Digital Solutions Conference.
Oh, and you get to meet me! It’s my first time attending. The first of many, to be sure. So if we’ve never met, let’s connect and learn together.
I’ll be there. Will you?
