Dear colleague,

Just a quick update:

The 2010 Program is Now Available Online! 
Visit here.  Please note that the program is subject to change. 

EARLY BIRD Registration Expires March 31st
Don't forget that Early Bird registration rates expire on March 31st this year.  You can register today here.

If you require a letter of invitation to attend the conference, we urge you to please register for the conference first and then send in your request.  Please email first-2010@first.org with your name, title, company, company address and phone number. 

Book Your Hotel Room
After registering for the conference, hit the link to book your hotel room.  Please note that the discounted rate of $189.00 US will be honored three days prior and post conference.   If you have any trouble booking, feel free to send us mail at first-2010@first.org.

Are you interested in sponsoring or exhibiting?
Your support provides a unique opportunity to show your organization's commitment to best practice security.  Sponsoring opens the doors to a highly influential group of incident response experts from around the globe and recognizes your organization as a key supporter of FIRST. 

Please send your inquiries to first-2010@first.org.

If you have any additional questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to email us.

Follow event updates on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/firstdotorg

Join the FIRST LinkedIn Group http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=2585&goback=%2Egdr_1266250949152_1 

Dear colleague,

Just a friendly reminder that Early Bird registration rates for both members and non-members expires earlier this year on March 31st.  Don't procrastinate this year ;)!  We are looking to break record attendance in Miami so make sure to get your registration in early and ensure your seat!

Visit here  and click on the Register button.

If you require a letter of invitation to attend the conference, we urge you to please register for the conference first and then send in your request.  Please email first-2010@first.org with your name, title, company, company address and phone number.    

2010 Program Update
The 2010 Program Chair and Committee have been working nonstop reviewing a record number of submissions this year.  Notifications started going out last week.  A draft of the 2010 program will be available online shortly.

2010 Podcasts
We are gearing up for the 2010 podcast season so keep your eyes and ears open!

2010 New Sponsor Spotlight
We have some fantastic new names on our 2010 Sponsorship Team:

1. VeriSign (http://www.verisign.com/) - Gold
2. Neustar (http://www.neustar.biz) - Gold
3. Secunia (http://www.secunia.com) - USB & Exhibitor
4. The DHS CSSP (http://www.us-cert.gov/control_systems/) - Exhibitor
5. NetWitness (http://www.netwitness.com/) - Exhibitor

We also have a new Media Partner - Security Acts Magazine (http://www.securityacts.com/).  Make sure to check out our conference ad in the current issue!

And of course, we would like to acknowledge all our returning sponsors that have once again joined us for Miami 2010 See here.   

Are you interested in sponsoring or exhibiting?
Please send your inquiries to first-2010@first.org.  Exhibit spaces are quickly dwindling, make sure to get your request in ASAP! 

Follow event updates on Twitter
http://www.twitter.com/firstdotorg

Join the FIRST LinkedIn Group http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=2585&goback=%2Egdr_1266250949152_1 

If you have any additional questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to email us.

Dear Colleague,

Happy New Year!  Wishing you a fantastic 2010!  Just a couple of important reminders as we get the 2010 event season in gear:

2010 Call for Speakers Deadline is Friday!
The 2010 Call for Speakers deadline is this Friday, January 15th.  Please visit here to review the CFS requirements.
                               
Conference Registration is Open!
Online registration is now available for the 22nd Annual FIRST Conference, "Past the Faded Perimeter: Threat & Incident Response," Miami, Florida.

Register today and take advantage of the early bird registration rates!  Visit here and click on the "Register" button.

Early Registration for FIRST Members - US $1500
Early Registration for Non-Members - US $1900 

More about fees can be found here.  Look for a program outline this February!

Book Your Hotel Reservations
A block of rooms at the InterContinental Miami is being held for conference attendees at a discount rate of US $189.00 depending on room type and dates of arrival and departure.  These rates will be honored three days prior and three days after the official meeting dates (June 13-18, 2010).  Reservation requests received after June 1st will be accepted on a space and rate availability basis.

Visit here  and click on the hotel reservations button.  The group code is "FIS" and will auto-fill for you.

If you wish to make reservations by phone, please contact +1 305 577 1000 and mention that you are attending the "FIRST Computer Security Conference."

As always, if you have any questions regarding the conference, please don't hesitate to contact us.   Don't forget to follow us @ http://www.twitter.com/firstdotorg  for the latest in conference updates!

Looking forward to seeing you all in sunny, warm Miami!

Letter from the 2010 Program Chair

It's an honour and a pleasure to serve the FIRST community as program chair. I am excited and a bit nervous - past chairs have set the bar quite high.

I started the planning process for the conference with a review of past conferences and of the FIRST organization's goals. This year's conference builds on the successful format of the past. The Program Committee welcomes submissions for three tracks - Technical, Incident Response, and Management.

Additionally, I'll be looking for presentations that promote FIRST's goals to advance incident response capabilities, promote community based defense and expand the global response community.

I am specifically looking for presentations that

• Provide cutting edge Technical Training
• Facilitate Knowledge Transfer
• Educate on the Threat Environment
• Address softer side of Effective Communication Skills
• Demonstrate effective "Trusted Sharing" in action
• Or provide examples of collaborative multi-lateral defensive work

I am also looking for presentations that are relevant to Incident Handling newbies - I've tentatively named that short track "How To Run with Scissors". And I'm looking for presentations on Adaptive Change - success stories or lessons learned from a team, a larger organization or an ecosystem perspective. E.g., for the IR or Technical track - "how to overcome management resistance" or in the Management track "how to get the techies to understand strategy".

Important Dates

October 30 - Call for Speakers
January 15 - Submission Deadline
February 10 - Notice of Acceptance
June 1 - Final Submissions Due

Please submit your papers at: https://cfp.first.org/?/Presenter/presentersubmission.aspx.

Looking forward to your submissions!

Best regards,
Andrew Cushman
2010 Program Chair
FIRST.Org, Inc.

Dear Colleague:

Hope you are enjoying a safe and wonderful Holiday Season! 

Just a quick reminder that we are fast approaching the submission deadline for FIRST2010, "Past the Faded Perimeter: Threat & Incident Response." The deadline for submissions is Friday, January 15th.  To submit your presentation for review, please go to https://cfp.first.org/?/Presenter.

Don't forget to read our 2010 Program Chair, Andrew Cushman's official Call for Speakers here.  If you have specific questions on the program, please email him at first-2010chair@first.org. 

And now a fun fact...the following are the top 4 countries represented in our submission database thus far for 2010:

1. USA
2. Australia
3. Brazil
4. UAE 

Keep These Important Dates Handy!
January 15 - Submission Deadline
February 10 - Notice of Acceptance
June 1 - Final Submissions Due

Follow us!
Don't forget to follow us on Twitter @firstdotorg for the latest conference updates as well as some surprise specials!

If you have any questions about the conference, please feel free to contact the conference office at first-2010@first.org.