Tag: NetConnect

07 Dec 2023
NetConnect 2023 – A Glimpse into the Future of Technology and Compliance
Banks, Compliance, Credit Unions, Security, Technology Christine Ray 0 comment

NetConnect 2023 – A Glimpse into the Future of Technology and Compliance

NetConnect 2023 – A Glimpse into the Future of Technology and Compliance

Safe Systems hosted its 2023 NetConnect Customer User Conference last month in Alpharetta, GA. After taking a hiatus due to the pandemic, Safe Systems customers, employees, and partners were eager to reconvene to discuss the latest trends, challenges, and innovations. This year’s conference provided insights into the evolution of banking and the critical role technology plays in shaping the industry’s future.

Here are some key highlights and insights shared at this year’s conference.

“I have been to several vendor conferences in the last 20 years, and I would say this is one of the best, if not the best, one I have been to. The sessions were informative and on-target. The presenters were all well qualified and engaging.” – Community banking CFO

Celebrating 30 Years of Excellence

NetConnect 2023 marked the 30th anniversary of Safe Systems’ journey in the banking technology landscape. The conference began by reflecting on the early days when our services primarily focused on PC and network policies, network installations, and troubleshooting. Safe Systems highlighted that our evolution and growth were driven by customer feedback and collaboration. Customers have always been the cornerstone of our success.

Randy Ross at NetConnect 2023

Keynote speaker Dr. Randy Ross

The Power of Hope in Business

Keynote speaker, Dr. Randy Ross, shared insights on the importance of hope in the workplace. Hope is not merely wishful thinking or passive optimism; it’s a dynamic motivational system tied to inspirational goal setting. The case for hope in business was backed by impressive statistics, including lower absenteeism, increased productivity, and enhanced morale and creativity. Dr. Ross also provided guidelines on how anyone can apply hope to make life happier, healthier, and more productive.

Regulatory Compliance in a Changing Landscape

Tom Hinkel, VP of Compliance Services, delved into the dynamic world of regulatory compliance. He discussed the latest statistics, including a surge in cyber insurance claims due to zero-day attacks and ransomware. Regulatory changes like third-party risk management (TPRM) guidance and FDIC InTREx updates were highlighted. The session also touched on the cyber incident notification rules approved by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Federal Reserve, and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) in 2022 and the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) updated R-SAT 2.0 (Ransomware Self-Assessment Tool).

Crowd at NetConnect

Brian Brannon, VP of Security Product Strategy, and James Minstretta, Endpoint Security Engineer, doing a live demo of Azure vulnerability settings.

Security and Vulnerability Management

Brian Brannon, VP of Security Product Strategy, addressed the critical topic of vulnerability management. He explained the proactive strategy of identifying, assessing, and mitigating network weaknesses, aligning it with the expectations of regulators. The session included a live demo to demonstrate the importance of effective vulnerability management.

Azure Security 101

Our Microsoft 365 Certified Technology DevOps Engineer took a deep dive into Azure fundamentals, including Entra ID, M365, and Resource Subscriptions. He explored how to mitigate risks using Conditional Access Policies, enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA), limiting geographic locations, and more. The session included interactive labs of the Entra ID Admin Center, SharePoint Online, and OneDrive to allow attendees to explore logs, manage settings, and review reports firsthand.

Panel Discussion on Regulatory Changes

The conference concluded with a panel of auditors and regulatory compliance specialists, who discussed topics such as the increasing importance of cyber insurance, the impact of AI on exams and audits, and third-party risk management. Attendees had the opportunity to ask questions and engage with experts on these vital topics.

Panel of experts at NetConnect 2023

Safe Systems’ former VP of Compliance Services Tom Hinkel hosting a panel of compliance experts that included Senior Compliance Specialist Paige Hembree (Safe Systems), Financial and Information Security Auditor Matthew Jones (Symphona), Wipfli’s Senior Manager Jim Rumpf, and Director for Supervision Kevin Vaughn (Georgia Department of Banking and Finance)

NetConnect 2023 offered a comprehensive overview of the current state and future prospects of banking technology and regulatory compliance. The industry continues to evolve, and staying informed and adaptable is key to success in this ever-changing landscape. Safe Systems remains committed to supporting financial institutions on their journey, as demonstrated by our 30 years of excellence and our forward-looking approach to technology and compliance.

17 Aug 2023
The Advantages of Attending User Conferences for Banking Professionals
Banks, Compliance, Credit Unions, Security, Technology Christine Ray 0 comment

The Advantages of Attending User Conferences for Banking Professionals

The Advantages of Attending User Conferences for Banking Professionals

User conferences are dynamic events that community banks and credit unions can leverage to connect with industry experts and like-minded peers in an enriching environment. They provide a great opportunity for banking professionals to interact face-to-face with vendors; share ideas and experiences; and address their concerns about technology products, compliance, and other important industry issues. And unlike traditional industry tradeshows that are mainly designed to attract new business, user conferences have a broader purpose that translates into a host of benefits for attendees, including:

  • Training and education — User conferences provide access to valuable information that can help attendees keep up with the growing complexity of the financial services industry and technology. Participants can receive on-the-spot training through software demonstrations that allow them to see products in action. They can also enhance their knowledge through informative workshops, topic-based roundtable discussions, and other educational sessions. This allows them to learn from industry and subject-matter experts that can answer their questions, share insights, and impart best practices. This type of focused, in-person learning can make it easier for attendees to stay up to date with the latest technological advancements and other developments impacting their industry.
  • Networking opportunities — As another benefit, user conferences offer invaluable networking opportunities. Attendees can connect with their vendor’s team, ask specific questions, and learn better ways to use their products and services. They may even discover new tools for addressing some of the current challenges they are encountering. User conferences can also spark helpful interactions between colleagues who are using the same products; they can share strategies and best practices based on their respective experiences.
  • Relationship building — The personal connections that happen at user conferences can help reinforce the relationships that attendees have with their vendors. These events offer banking professionals a unique opportunity to learn more about the companies, products, and people they rely on to support their organization. For instance, participants can discuss the capabilities of software products directly with the people who built them and meet face-to-face with support staff they normally speak to on the phone.
  • Inspiration — While people often learn about their software products virtually, in-person user conferences provide a much more engaging—and inspirational alternative. Connecting with industry peers and vendors’ staff outside the daily office routine can stimulate creativity. The live interactions that unfold at conference events generate energy, excitement, and enthusiasm that can send participants home full of fresh ideas.

Meeting Regulatory Expectations

However, the incentive to take part in user conferences goes beyond the practical benefits; it is expected by regulators. Examiners are increasingly placing more focus on how financial institutions manage their vendors, including capitalizing on the influence of user groups. For example, the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) IT Examination Handbook’s Outsourcing Technology Services booklet states: “User groups are another mechanism financial institutions can use to monitor and influence their service provider. User groups can participate and influence service provider testing (i.e., security, disaster recovery, and systems) as well as promote client issues. Independent user groups can monitor and influence a service provider better than its individual clients.”

In addition, the FFIEC requires employees of financial institutions to engage in ongoing education and technical expertise to maintain compliance.

NetConnect™ User Conference

Safe Systems’ National Customer User Conference, NetConnect, creates the ideal setting for banking professionals and vendors to come together with their peers. This year’s NetConnect will take place in Alpharetta, Ga., just a few miles from our Georgia headquarters, on November 7-8, with a pre-conference training day on November 6.

NetConnect will bring together Safe Systems’ employees, customers, and strategic partners to exchange ideas and learn about the latest technology, compliance, and security trends in community banking. Each year, we hear positive feedback about the event from conference attendees.

Instructors were good about not letting folks get behind. A lot of ground covered in a day.
Instructors were top notch.
It says a lot to me that the entire conference content came directly from within Safe
Systems, and they all did a great job too!
A great time. I learned a lot and enjoyed myself while doing it.
The networking and social experience is top notch.
This conference is on my MUST ATTEND list!

So, whether you are a long-time or relatively new customer of Safe Systems, visit our NetConnect website to learn more about this year’s conference and how it can help you get educated, motivated, and up-to-date with the latest industry and technology trends.

10 Feb 2020
The Value of User Conferences For Banks and Credit Unions
Banks, Compliance, Credit Unions, Security, Technology Christine Ray 0 comment

The Value of User Conferences for Banks and Credit Unions

The Value of User Conferences For Banks and Credit Unions

As the financial services industry has become more technology-driven and more complex operationally, user conferences have become key events along with industry association conferences. By providing a venue for banking professionals to collaborate directly with their technology providers and other peer institutions, user conferences represent a proven way for banks and credit unions to extend the ROI of their technology investments. Examiners and auditors recognize the importance of participation in these events and many now expect attendance to gain industry knowledge and strengthen existing vendor relationships.

Regulatory Expectations – Vendor Management

Examiners are increasingly focused on how a financial institution manages their vendors. According to the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) IT Examination Handbook, “User groups are another mechanism financial institutions can use to monitor and influence their service provider. User groups can participate and influence service provider testing (i.e., security, disaster recovery, and systems) as well as promote client issues. Independent user groups can monitor and influence a service provider better than its individual clients. Collectively, the group will constitute a significant portion of the service provider’s business. User groups offer advantages to both the service provider and the serviced institution by allowing customers to discuss and prioritize their concerns…service providers should obtain customer feedback though user groups or customer surveys.”

In addition to effective vendor management requirements, the FFIEC also requires employees of financial institutions to participate in ongoing education and technical expertise to remain in compliance.

Educational Benefits of a Users’ Conference

Regulatory and compliance issues aside, user conferences offer a host of benefits to participating banks and credit unions, such as:

Classroom Training

Well-designed webinars or online training sessions are great resources, but focused, in-person learning, and networking allows attendees to remain current on the latest technology solutions and enhancements, industry developments, and specific products and functionality that your vendor is working on. The opportunity to learn first-hand from industry and subject matter experts, as well as share your own experiences and expertise, really should not be underestimated.
User conference learning opportunities often consist of:

  • Basic and advanced workshops or sessions
  • Issue-focused roundtable discussions
  • Networking opportunities with peers
  • Software demonstrations
  • Professional development courses
  • Hands-on training and consultations with vendors

Best Practices

Many find the greatest value in user conference participation through peer discussions and open Q&A sessions on best practices. These sessions give customers access to some of the best information and insight on how other institutions are utilizing the vendor’s solutions to solve problems and drive efficiencies and profitability.

Networking

We know from experience that peer groups serve as the perfect environment to share and exchange ideas, concerns, successes and failures tied to the industry. Many community banks and credit unions share the same worries about technology, compliance, security, and business issues. These events provide a venue for you to hear others’ experiences and tap into their knowledge, providing you the opportunity to make industry friends and gain a trusted group of individuals you can rely on in the future.

The Safe Systems National Customer User Conference, NetConnect™, is less than a month away. This event will bring Safe Systems’ employees and strategic partners together with a variety of banking professionals representing technology, compliance, operations and management roles.

We understand the value of user conferences and we use that opportunity to meet with a selection of customers (Customer Advisory Board) to discuss existing and new products and services that will meet their future business goals.

If you’ve never been to a user conference, don’t take our word for it. Here’s what a few of our customers have said:

“Every time I attend, I come away with knowledge and information that can help me do a better job in my organization.”
“It was good to hear feedback from other bankers about Safe Systems as well as make connections and contacts.”
“This is the best opportunity to get a pulse on exactly what’s happening in the IT Banker’s world.”
31 Oct 2018
NetConnect 2018
Banks, Compliance, Credit Unions, Security, Technology Christine Ray 0 comment

Preparing for the Future: The Value of Safe Systems’ NetConnect Customer User Conference

NetConnect 2018

Safe Systems hosted its 2018 NetConnect Customer User Conference October 2-4 in St. Simons Island, Georgia. The three-day conference was designed to bring customers, employees, and vendor partners together to exchange ideas and learn about key technology, compliance, and security best practices and solutions. Banks and credit unions from around the country attended to listen to inspiring keynote speakers and attend sessions designed to educate, motivate, and drive success. The event also included a tradeshow made up of a dozen vendor partners offering additional products and services to Safe Systems’ customers. One of the most critical meetings held during the event is the customer advisory meeting, where the Safe Systems management and product development teams gather feedback from a subset of customers on existing and future products and services.

A key goal of this year’s conference was to provide our banking and credit union customers with the necessary tools and guidance to develop comprehensive cybersecurity programs; meet stringent regulatory demands; and build successful institutions. The event began with an entire day of pre-conference training focused on information security threats, including cyber threats. As these threats continue to evolve, the need for effective IT management and efficient risk management increases. This professional development opportunity helped cultivate the skills needed to effectively create and maintain a comprehensive information security program; communicate effectively with the board; and improve vendor management processes.

NetConnect 2018

This year’s keynote speaker was Bill Treasurer, CEO of Giant Leap Consulting, and author of numerous books about courageous leadership. His speech, “Leading with Courage”, focused on practical strategies for building courageous workers that seek out leadership opportunities, how to step up to challenges, offer innovative ideas, passionately embrace change, and become more productive.

In addition, one of the guest speakers, Erich Kron, a security awareness advocate, led a session on “Hacking the Users: Developing the Human Sensor and Firewall,” which focused on how banks and credit unions can turn people into effective attack sensors and human firewalls. He discussed the real goal of security awareness training, the politics of phishing your users, and how to deal with repeat offenders.

NetConnect provided an atmosphere where customers could exchange ideas and learn more about the latest technologies and trends in the financial services industry. Safe Systems’ product managers led educational sessions, focused on the company’s solutions and services customers use every day, to provide expert training and share tips and tricks to help streamline processes. Safe Systems’ compliance and security teams also led informative sessions and interactive workshops on relevant compliance topics and trends, including how to manage or push back on examiners; steps to take after completing the cybersecurity assessment tool (CAT); and how to respond to and recover from a cyberattack.

NetConnect 2018

During the conference, Safe System’s employees and customers celebrated the company’s 25th anniversary. For more than two decades, Safe Systems has worked with more than 600 financial institutions and managed more than 20,000 network devices. Safe Systems has found great success in helping community financial institutions significantly decrease costs, increase IT performance, enhance cybersecurity processes and improve their compliance postures. With our expertise and experience in the industry, we have a solid understanding of what is coming down the pipeline, how to anticipate trends and have gained a unique perspective into what our customers need. Our talented employees work hard to build strong relationships with our clients and pride themselves on the quality customer service they provide.

Safe Systems strives for the NetConnect event to be an engaging and educational experience where bankers and credit union professionals can gain valuable knowledge on technology, compliance, and security. The company values the customer partnership and the opportunity to seek their direct feedback on current and future services which will ensure success for both parties. Safe Systems continues to provide products and services to help community banks and credit unions strengthen their institutions and build success. Our solutions, combined with our customer service and advisory, arm our customers with the resources they need to succeed in today’s financial environment and beyond.

05 Oct 2016
Banks, Compliance, Security, Technology Christine Ray 0 comment

Building Success in the Banking World – Safe Systems’ 2016 NetConnect Conference Recap

Building Success in the Banking World - Safe Systems' 2016 NetConnect Conference Recap

Safe Systems hosted its 2016 NetConnect Customer Success Summit on September 13th in Athens, Georgia. The theme of the three-day conference was focused on customer success. Safe Systems brought together 73 financial institutions from around the country to hear inspiring key note speakers, attend informative educational sessions, and obtain key banking industry insights designed to help them build the best financial institutions for their communities.

A key goal of this year’s conference was to provide our banking clients with the necessary tools and guidance to build successful institutions and meet stringent regulatory demands. Safe Systems presented a short tongue-in-cheek skit that began with an FDIC examiner knocking on the front door of a bank, ready to do a full analysis. The bank felt confident that it would meet the examiner’s expectations, but ended up with less than satisfactory results. The examiner emphasized the need for the senior management and board’s involvement in all areas of exam preparation to ensure success, including cybersecurity, vendor management, business continuity planning and more. This example became an important topic of conversation and a key point that Safe Systems highlighted throughout the day.

Sticking with the theme of success, Safe Systems’ President, Darren Bridges, provided opening remarks encouraging banks to not only know what they do and how they do it, but to also have a strong understanding of why. This is an important part of creating a successful institution because the “why” is what makes a bank stand out from competitors and connect with the critical needs of its customers. During the keynote session, Dr. Randy Ross gave an energetic and memorable speech on designing a remarkable culture within financial institutions. He emphasized that culture is the single most important differentiator for community banks and sets the tone for how customers interact with the institution.

Safe Systems’ vice president of Compliance, Tom Hinkel, rounded out the day’s activities with an engaging presentation, where he highlighted some of the compliance challenges banks are facing today and provided helpful advice on how they can successfully manage this complex function.

Customer feedback sessions during the conference provided insights into current IT, security and compliance issues and trends bankers are most interested in and helped to identify areas where they will need the most support. Community bankers today wear many hats, and it can be daunting to keep up with all of the changes occurring in the world of IT. One big concern for bankers at the conference was being able to manage networks effectively and ensure that all activities are running smoothly for their institutions. Other major topics included understanding cybersecurity, managing new regulations, providing proper IT training for employees, and communicating effectively on IT issues with the board and senior management at the bank.




Free White Paper



Taking Business Continuity Planning to the Next Level:
A Better Way for Banks

Learn how examiners are increasing their focus on BCP, the risks involved in relying on a single individual, and better ways to develop your plan.



Free White Paper



Safe Systems also worked to create an atmosphere where customers could exchange ideas and learn more about the latest technologies and services in the financial services industry. The conference featured many trusted partners and vendors, who either sponsored the summit, exhibited during the trade show, or both. These companies included:

  • Thigpen, Jones, and Seaton
  • Banc Intranets, LLC
  • Consolidated Banking Services, Inc.
  • Rebycsecurity
  • iTransit Solutions
  • Porter Keadle Moore, LLC
  • Bitdefender
  • Jack Henry & Associates
  • CashTrans
  • ATM Response
  • Kaseya
  • Intronis

Overall, last month’s NetConnect Conference was an engaging and educational experience where bankers received invaluable knowledge and advice regarding technology, compliance, and security. Safe Systems continues to enhance its products and services to help community banks strengthen their businesses and build success! We look forward to the next event to grow and create new opportunities for our clients.

© 2024 Safe Systems, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy