Some people learn best by reading. Some people learn best by listening. For some people, watching a video may be the best way to absorb new information. For others, the most natural and effective approach may be figuring out a concept or process for the purpose of demonstrating or teaching it to others. There are many different ways to learn. One element of learning that's probably fairly universal, however, is that it often involves some form of exchange with other people who have knowledge of the topic at hand.

That's one of many reasons that conferences and conventions are so popular in the IT world. There are numerous rationales for participating in such events, but exposure to new information about challenges or breakthroughs in IT is probably close to the top of the list for many. Increased exchange of new information about IT security was an important part of IT security assurance group ISACA's motivation to launch its Cybersecurity Nexus, or CSX. Now ISACA is making a logical progression in its development of CSX with the first-ever ISACA CSX conference in Washington, D.C.

CSX 2015 will be held Oct. 19-21 in the U.S. capital, with a special emphasis on helping current or aspiring security pros assemble the "building blocks for a cybersecurity career. There's an ongoing need in IT for trained security professionals. According to recent figures compiled by ISACA, 83 percent of business organizations say that the possibility of a cyberattack is one of their top concerns, but only 38 percent of those organizations believe they are well prepared to defend against an attempt to penetrate their systems. Additionally, 92 percent of business hoping to hire trained security professionals anticipate that they will have difficulty finding well qualified candidates.

With those concerns in mind, the ISACA CSX conference will offer 70 workshop-style sessions at three different levels of complexity to help security pros at all different stages of career advancement refine and expand their skills. With cyberattacks become more sophisticated by the day, and new attack techniques emerging constantly, the need for security teams and individuals to stay ahead of the curve is clear. The headlines about the zero-day attack that takes the world by surprise next month will scarcely have been written before the next diabolical penetration scheme is already in the advanced stages of research and development.

There will be a number of other goings-on at the ISACA CSX conference, including a special career guidance track for women in IT security, and the final rounds of the Global CyberLimpics. The CyberLimpics event, sponsored by IT security organization EC-Council, challenges participants to excel in a variety of ethical hacking competitions.

Additional information about CSX 2015, including registration and agenda, is available online.