Values
Our Goal
Our goal is to create an open conference that welcomes all people who are interested in cybersecurity, want to exchange knowledge and learn with each other. We want to get rid of gatekeeping in the industry and help each other grow.
By lowering and removing barriers to the cybersecurity field and creating the space for people to enjoy diving deeper into cybersecurity from wherever they are, we aim to encourage a more diverse audience to make more secure decisions when building products as well as for their personal security. It can also present them career options they might not have considered before.
Our Core Values
Cybersecurity for all: We see cybersecurity as a broad topic that’s everyone’s responsibility. You don’t need to be a security expert or have a CVE in your name. If you’re interested in learning together by actively participating in the event, you are welcome.
Inclusion: We strive to foster an environment where all participants, with their diverse identities and backgrounds, are welcome and can safely offer their multifaceted perspectives on cybersecurity.
Community-driven: This conference is from the community for the community. It’s a non-commercial, low-cost event, intended to make it more accessible to a wider audience.
How Our Values Shape The Conference
People-led and people-centred interactions: The event is run as an Open Space. A space that’s co-created by participants and open for all kinds of sessions. There will be hands-on workshops and labs, topic discussion, interactive experience exchanges, “bring your own problem”-style slots, and many more.
Serendipitous insights and up-to-date learnings: With a diverse group of people from different backgrounds and areas of expertise, you never know what new insights or knowledge you might stumble upon. The focus on participant-led sessions ensures that the topics discussed are timely and relevant, providing you with the most current trends and developments in the field of cybersecurity.
Having a good time, on your own terms: As this event is onsite, you can shape your time however you want it to be and make it beneficial and enjoyable for you! Whether you propose and participate in sessions back to back, whether you are eager to geek out about security every free second, or whether you just want to retreat to your room, to nature or somewhere else and recharge your batteries. It might be that you’re up for socializing or playing board games in the evenings, or you’re an early bird starting your days with yoga, meditation or a run - there’s an opportunity for everything!
How Our Values Shape The Organiser Team
Building on the above, here’s the set of values and principles that we agree on as an organising team. They are intended to provide the team with guardrails, promote transparency, enable informed decision-making, and simplify collaboration. Additionally, these items are also intended to enable potential new members to make informed decisions about joining the osco team.
The Core
The Open Security Conference is…
- about cybersecurity,
- focused on diversity and inclusion,
- for the community and non-profit and
- in Open Space format.
The conference and the organising team oppose fascism, surveillance, and any form of discrimination. We strive for sustainability (environmental, social, and economical). Human rights are non-negotiable and we prioritize the most vulnerable.
What the conference is NOT:
- a sales platform
- for financial profit
Collaboration
How we work together is guided by these values and principles.
To organise a diverse and inclusive conference, the organising team must also be diverse and inclusive. We are a group of volunteers who have come together to organise an event for anyone interested in cybersecurity. We are a team and we are all different individuals. We are bringing different skills, personalities, and ideas. Everyone can try out different roles.
We all have other activities, jobs, families, friends, and lives outside of osco. This means that the time, effort, and energy anyone can contribute may vary. Be transparent if life happens, just let the team know that you’re unavailable.
We must take all of this into account while still being able to act.
Decision Making
To accomplish this, decisions are generally made by the available organising team members. While we don’t require everyone to participate, we will always include as many members as possible. At least two team members are required for a decision, with some exceptions, and more team members should be included for important decisions.
Our general method for making decisions is consent. Consent means everyone must be okay with a decision, and each person has veto power to stop any decision. Vetoes must be explained. This enables faster decisions and a wider range of options. Unlike consensus, not everyone needs to explicitly agree. A decision just needs to be safe enough to try.
Taking Action
How we present ourselves to the outside world, and the decisions and actions we take, is influenced by our values and principles.
This can manifest in various ways, such as honoring our value of inclusion by striving for accessibility in every aspect, whether it’s on the website, social media, communication with participants, the venue, and so on. We value feedback where we fall short and can improve.
We are at times deliberately going the extra mile - for people. We believe doing so will benefit everyone.