Annually, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Department of Commerce (DOC), and the National Computer Security Center (NCSC), National Security Agency (NSA), co-sponsor the National Computer Security Conference. The conference, most recently in its 17th edition (NCSC17), is a major event on the computer security conference calendar, bringing attendees together with leaders in the field, who report on their research and share experiences. Reflecting the need to more fully appreciate and practically deal with the major technical and social waves of change that we are experiencing, the theme of this year’s conference was Communicating our Discipline: Strategies for the Emerging Information Infrastructures.

A large, diverse national and international audience attended the conference, with approximately 2,000 representing government, industry, and academe. NCSC17 provided a forum for technology interchange among system developers, and an opportunity for computer users to exchange ideas and learn about the latest methodologies to apply current computer and information security technology. Many reported that among the most valuable aspects of the conference was the opportunity for contemporaries to network, share information and experiences, and gain new perspectives through the conference’s many and varied activities.