From infosec to skunks, RSA Conference SVP spills the tea

Interview The 33rd RSA Conference is underway this week, and no one feels that more acutely than the cybersecurity event's SVP Linda Gray Martin.

"It's certainly hectic, but it's also really exciting," Gray Martin told The Register in an interview earlier this month that you can watch below. "We get to see the fruits of our labor for the last 12 months come to reality."

All of the various teams involved in putting together the annual infosec show report back to Gray Martin, and in her role she is responsible for seeing all of the really big things — such as keynote addresses and protecting both the physical and IT security of the event's 40,000-plus guests.

"But there's also one other job that I particularly enjoy," she said. "It's much, much smaller, but I still think it's really significant. I'm responsible for picking all the music that you hear when you're walking into the keynote room."

So as you are singing along to Bruno Mars and Miley Cyrus, remember to thank Gray Martin for the playlist. 

As with any live event, there are always a few surprises and RSA Conference is no different. These range from heart-warming (remember last year's communal art project outside of the keynote theater?) to near disastrous, including one that involved a skunk in SF's Moscone conference center, the host of RSAC. You'll have to listen to the full interview for the scoop on that one.

"The thing I'm most looking forward to is just getting everybody together, bringing the community back together because people really are everything," Gray Martin said. "And the energy, particularly in the last couple of years, has just been amazing."

It's a safe bet that Gray Martin and her team have a few surprises — hopefully planned, and not of the stinky variety — in store for this year's attendees, too. ®