Zero Trust architecture, collaboration with business stakeholders, and performance testing

Imagine a world where your organization is secure not because it trusts, but because it… trusts no one. Sounds controversial? Or maybe brilliantly simple?

In the era of digital transformation, where the boundaries between companies and the outside world blur with every remote login, the traditional approach to security resembles medieval fortifications in the age of drones — impressive, but impractical.

During this presentation, we’ll uncover the principles behind Zero Trust Architecture — an approach that turns conventional security thinking upside down. “Never trust, always verify” may sound like the mantra of an overly suspicious detective, but in reality, it forms the foundation of some of the world’s most advanced security systems.

What makes the largest organizations abandon the comforting illusion of trust-based security? What mechanisms make it possible to effectively verify every user, every device, and every access request — without slowing down the business? And how can you guide your organization through this transformation while avoiding the most common pitfalls?

If you want to stay one step ahead of cybercriminals and prepare for today’s security challenges, this talk will be your first step into a world where control is the highest form of trust.

"I didn’t study Computer Science just to work with people” is one of the many jokes popular among software developers. The truth is, though, that we can’t isolate ourselves behind computer screens all the time. Communication — whether during online meetings or face-to-face in the office — is an important part of our work.

In this short talk, I’d like to share five tips that can make it a little easier. My goal is to shift your focus from the problems in this area toward practical solutions and tools. Hopefully, after this presentation, you’ll feel more confident during business meetings.

It’s a widely acknowledged truth that very few of us care about the performance of our code — and even fewer have ever dealt with performance testing. Among those fighting the uphill battle for better performance, only a small handful realize just how many lies, misconceptions, and false promises are hidden within those tests.

During this presentation, we’ll explore anti-patterns in performance testing and go through several battle-tested practical tips on how not to be misled by test results.

Should we be afraid of “coordinated omission”?
Why is statistics the highest form of lying — a quick guide to reading test results?
Why are latency and throughput not the same thing?
Why is test data just as important as test scenarios?
What questions can microbenchmarks actually answer?
Do performance tests have layers?
Why aren’t performance tests really about the numbers?

These are just some of the topics I’ll cover. If performance testing doesn’t interest you and you avoid the topic like the plague, this presentation will help you understand why. But if you consider yourself a devoted follower of the machine and performance-related topics are already familiar territory, I’ll help you design tests and interpret their results with greater awareness.