Online Trust Alliance & Cybersecurity Forum

The Online Trust Alliance (OTA) announced keynotes and speakers for the 5^th Annual Online Trust and Cybersecurity Forum being hosted at Georgetown University September 22-24 in Washington DC.  Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke and White House Cybersecurity leader and presidential advisor Howard Schmidt are scheduled provides morning kickoffs.  Later that morning, Greg Link of Franklin Covey will provide a keynote on the Speed of Trust, the New York Times best seller. 

They will be joined by Mark Bregman, Chief Technical Officer of Symantec, Josh Glantz, VP and General Manager of Publishers Clearing House and Randall Rothenberg, CEO of the Interactive Advertising Bureau.   Additional plenary and panel speakers include Trevor Hughes, Executive Director IAPP; Larry Clinton, President of the Internet Security Alliance; Ari Schwartz, VP and COO, Center for Democracy & Technology;  Jessica Rich, Deputy Director, Federal Trade Commission and James Van Dyke of Javelin Research.

“Consumer trust is one of the primary enablers for continuing the global economic growth driven by the Internet,” said Mark Bregman, Executive Vice President And Chief Technology Officer, Symantec Corporation.  “A strong public/private partnership between government and business is a key element for ensuring online trust for consumers.  Events such as the Online Trust and Cybersecurity Forum help develop the framework necessary for the exchange of information needed to make that kind of partnership successful.”

The goal of the Forum is to help e-commerce companies, governmental agencies, financial institutions, and marketers enhance consumer protection while protecting their brands from emerging threats.  Through a mix of keynote, plenary and breakout sessions, attendees will learn the latest techniques and best practices, evolving issues in security, privacy and data governance, and strategies for decision-makers to use to align business and marketing goals with technical solutions.  

"For more than 50 years Publishers Clearing House has been a leader in direct marketing.  It is precisely because we are experts in online consumer privacy and data governance that we have been able to retain and grow our audience as our business evolves to multiple-channel direct marketing," said Josh Glantz. "I am looking forward to sharing this knowledge and helping marketers better understand how to protect their brand and their consumers from potential threats."

A highlight of the Forum will be the annual Online Safety Awards program.  Co-sponsored by Symantec and Message Systems, these awards recognize companies, individuals and organizations for their contributions to the trust ecosystem.  Nominations are being accepted until August 31^st.

“As consumers increasingly assert their sovereignty over their data and preferences, building and retaining consumer trust has never been more important,” said Craig Spiezle, executive director of OTA.   “Left unchecked we risk a consumer trust meltdown.  The Forum will elevate critical business practices that show promise towards protecting users, the Nation’s critical infrastructure and the long-term vitality of the Internet.”  

In conjunction with the Forum, OTA will be hosting the OTA Training Academy on Wednesday Sept 22, offering two half-day training programs on email authentication and email regulatory compliance.  Taught by industry leaders, the Academy is a mix of curriculum based instruction, theory, practical applications and hands-on exercises.   Participants will have the option to take a certification exam at the conclusion of the program with recognition at the Award’s program.   

The Forum will be held on September 22 -24 at Georgetown University in Washington DC.  Registration is open to the public.  Register before August 1^st and save $200.  https://otalliance.org/dc.html