Digital Bond’s third annual SCADA Security Scientific Symposium [S4] is now looking for leading/bleeding edge, innovative research papers for the January 21-22, 2009 event in beautiful Miami Beach. Read the official Call for Papers.

Every event claims to be best, but I believe we have really targeted S4 at the thought leader and researcher, purposely avoided cultivating a broad audience, avoid basic and non-technical material, and worked on every detail to focus on creating the right environment to foster detailed technical discussions amongst experts. Let me make the case why you should submit a paper proposal on your brilliant research to S4.

• Unmatched technical rigor – You have one hour to present in detail to an audience that will get it, challenge you, provide fantastic feedback and new ideas. The audience wants you to get into the bit, byte, packet, code, exploit, statistics, math, … detail. The Q&A / discussion portion the last 15 minutes is always interesting. We started S4 in 2007 because Matt Franz and I were disappointed there was no venue to present research in technical detail. Take a look at the past abstracts, or even better buy the Proceedings and read the fantastic papers from S4 2007 and 2008.
• Unique, world-class technical audience – We limit physical attendance to 55 people so the event can be held in a case-study room, encourage discussion and be optimal size for the many out of session discussions. By the end of the two days you will have a relationship with most, if not all of the thought leaders that attend S4. Given the growth rate of the past two events, S4 2009 will be a tough ticket and authors / presenters are guaranteed a spot. There is also a worldwide virtual audience watching on an Internet simulcast who participate in the Q&A.
• Most Generous Speakers Program – Not only to you get free admission to S4, but you also get up to 3 free nights at the Conference Hotel [upgraded to the Le Meridien on the beach this year] and a $400 stipend to help with expenses. All this in sunny, warm Miami Beach in January. We wanted the humble grad student or private researcher to be able to participate in S4. Of course, we do require a quality technical paper for the Proceedings.

S4 is also a bit different in that we hunt for the papers rather than wait for submissions and pick the best. This has led to many relative unknowns from around the world having the most acclaimed papers at S4 past. If you know of someone doing great work or even a research area we should pursue for a paper, send us an email.

Abstract submissions for S4 are evaluated as they come in, so your best chance of getting a paper selected for the program is to submit early.