RSA Conference kicks off on somber note

Against an omnipresent backdrop of recession and uncertainty, IT security pros this week will gather at an RSA Conference focused on malware proliferation, protection of virtualized and cloud computing environments, and the specter of rising government involvement in their work.

[ Slideshow: The hottest products from the RSA conference. ]

Though attendance in recent years has hit 17,000, conference organizers say this year's 18th annual gathering will likely draw fewer to see and hear from some 325 vendors spread across the exhibit floor of San Francisco's Moscone Center.

One telling sign of the times: RSA Conference is extending free passes worth more than US$2,000 to 25 individuals described as "victims of corporate downsizing ... who lost their jobs due to the economic environment."

There will be no shortage of industry star power on hand.

Enrique Salem, who just this month became president and CEO of Symantec, will take the stage in a keynote address expected to delve into the exploding growth in malware and what approaches can be taken to confront it. His company just last week released its annual threat report summary, which points out unique malware specimens more than doubled in 2008.

RSA President Art Coviello, will try and rally the industry to tackle the security issues surrounding online collaboration, and mobile and cloud computing.

RSA will be announcing what it calls "Project Share," which will include offering the RSA BSAFE encryption toolkits -- specifically those used for C++ and Java applications -- for free. Such toolkits would otherwise cost tens of thousands of dollars and more. RSA is also expected to make significant announcements concerning VMware (which EMC also owns) and security.

Cisco's John Chambers is scheduled to talk about online collaboration and security, while McAfee CEO Dave DeWalt discusses the impact of cybercrime.

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