Not quite a year ago, at the end of August 2017, security researchers testing a point-of-sale (POS) system built by global computing solutions firm SAP, discovered that the relatively new software didn’t authenticate internal commands. Essentially, anyone with access to the network of a retail store using the SAP POS could create new prices, enter special discounts, or steal credit card information.

POS technology is already used to process hundreds of millions of credit card transactions per day. As recently as the 1990s, however, POS was in its infancy. There are doubtless new or emerging technologies in 2018 that, in 20 years from now, will intersect with vast caches of sensitive data, or enable critical exchanges of personally identifying information.

As reliance on information technology increases, so does risk of breaches, hacks, intrusions, and other undesirable (and unforeseen — just ask SAP) outcomes. Managing ever-escalating cybersecurity risk is at the heart of an upcoming conference to be hosted by cybersecurity and governance association ISACA: the 2018 Governance, Risk, and Control (GRC) Conference.

The upcoming event, which ISACA is jointly presenting with The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), will be held Aug. 13-15 at the Omni Hotel in Nashville, Tenn. Attendance at the three-day event is encouraged for ISACA and IIA members, as well as “all other savvy governance, risk management, control, and business professionals from around the world.”

Among the topics to be particularly emphasized are cyber risks and digital transformation, which ISACA board chair Rob Clyde said in a press release announcing the conference should be areas of concern for every organization.

“As organizations adopt new technologies and undergo digital transformation, their governance, risk and compliance capabilities are more critical than ever,” Clyde said. “The investment in their leadership and staff is just as important as the investment in technology.”

There’s a particular benefit of attending for ISACA-certified professionals. Like other ISACA conferences, this one provides conferencegoers with an opportunity to amass continuing professional education (CPE) credits toward recertification. Attendees can earn up to 18 hours of CPE credit, as well as an additional 7.5 CPE hours by attending one of the pre-conference workshops.

The 2018 GRC Conference is will feature special addresses, sessions, workshops, and extensive career and professional networking opportunities, including at a special welcome reception on Aug. 13. Information about registration, as well as a full schedule of events, is available online.