Our latest check-in finds Peter Carlisle in Las Vegas. As VP of Global Sales for Entrust’s data protection solutions, Peter racks up the miles while navigating a host of divergent cultures and gaining insight about global customer challenges.

Entrust: Peter, where in the world are you?

PC: Las Vegas

Entrust: What do you enjoy the most about visiting Las Vegas?

Las Vegas

PC: I’ve been to Las Vegas many times over the years, it does have its own very particular feel, but it is always fun to drop in!

I like the attention. There’s always someone ready to top up your glass or open your car door it is a very service orientated culture. There are some very comfortable hotels to stay in and I love the competition between them for who can grab your attention the most. We have the vast, explosive fountains at the Bellagio, the roller coaster around the Manhattan skyline at New York, New York or the canals, gondolas and piazzas of The Venetian. It’s all so entertaining.

There are many great places to eat and the nightlife is never-ending, so there’s no shortage of great places to meet up with friends and socialize. I’ve always enjoyed the Times Square bar with the dueling pianos playing up a storm and getting everyone singing. There’s a lot of live music and I’ve been lucky enough to see Santana and the legendary John Mayall whilst in Vegas.

There are some great out of town trips as well with The Grand Canyon and the Hoover Dam both close by. I’ve taken a helicopter ride to see both and actually landed on the Canyon floor which was amazing.

Entrust: What brings you to Las Vegas this time?

PC: Entrust’s participation in Black Hat, which is one of the major global events on the security calendar. It’s a big and busy event with a lot of attendees from around the world and makes for a full week of meetings, catch-ups, press conversations and socializing.

Entrust: What have been the hot topics of conversation at the event?

 

hot topic

PC: There’s a lot of discussion and speculation about where we are heading with data privacy and data protection legislation. The California Data Protection Act is coming soon and will impact a lot of US businesses. However, this year also sees new data legislation in a raft of other places including Vietnam, Argentina and Poland so it is very much a rapidly changing landscape.

Is there an appetite internationally for a consolidated approach and could we have a global set of rules to work to? It would certainly make life easier for international businesses but the challenges of governance, enforcement and ownership make it a complex challenge.

At a slightly more local level could we even see a U.S. initiative to introduce a national data protection act? Again, complex to make it happen – but the thought of every U.S. state implementing a slightly different approach is a real headache for many companies.

The inexorable growth of the “Internet of Things” continues to challenge the security posture of many organisations. Estimates are now suggesting we will see 55 billion devices connected in the next 5 years and the roll out of 5G connectivity is only accelerating that. Many devices are still coming to market with weak or poorly thought out security features and that trend shows no signs of slowing.

Entrust: What type of advice have you given to people you have discussed these topics with?

PC: Entrust has been helping customers around the world with the challenges of complying with data protection regulation. Encryption is a very strong tool in the fight against data theft and we have plenty of experience.

Regarding the IoT, our secure IoT device credentialing solution is a powerful tool that helps to secure IoT digital transformation. Entrust is working with IoT device manufacturers and end users to inject keys and PKI digital certificates to form a root of trust and enable strong authentication for connected devices.

Entrust: When visiting Las Vegas, is there a specific food or beverage you always seek out?

specific food and beverage

PC: All the cuisines of the world are available in Las Vegas – so it’s a case of struggling to decide where to go and what to have!

There is something about being here thought that brings out the Martini lover in me. I always feel the need to head to the nearest cocktail bar and get one mixed up. Feels right.

The Prime Steakhouse at Bellagio is wonderful and you can sit on the patio right next to the iconic fountains. A bone-in rib eye with truffle mashed potatoes takes some beating.

A breakfast at the Peppermill with its Fireside Lounge always feels like Vegas “must” to me. One of their huge but delicious omelets can be a great help after a late night!

Entrust: If you wrote about song about Las Vegas for your blues band, what would you call it?

 

Vegas is a place where it is very easy to lose track of time – all those vast casinos with no clocks and no natural light. I think I’d like to write about the liberating effect of that! How about “I don’t know what day it is but I’m happy not to care”?

If you’d like to learn even more about Peter, please visit his LinkedIn page.