Our Code of Conduct 

Adapted from http://cybersecuritycapital.com/event-code-of-conduct/

Security events present opportunities to learn, share knowledge and network. As a security event organiser, we believe these events should represent a safe, enjoyable and inclusive environment for all people, irrespective of gender, race, ethnicity, age, sexuality, religion, disability, socioeconomic background, experience, size, shape and so on. No one should undergo harassment, bullying or abuse. Any sign of such behaviour will be deemed unacceptable and will be handled in line with our zero-tolerance policy. We will apply consistent, specific sanctions regardless of the circumstances to ensure they do not reoccur. This code of conduct explains exactly what we mean by unacceptable behaviour and it outlines the steps someone subjected to such behaviour at an event can take to report it.

Why do we need one

Unfortunately, unacceptable behaviour still occurs and whilst harassment metrics are yet to be introduced and measured, anecdotal reports are widespread and have been reported in the media and social media platforms for years. This has reportedly resulted in increased dissatisfaction and non-attendance by some minorities who feel disenfranchised and threatened. The purpose of this code of conduct is to get participants fully aligned on what constitutes unacceptable behaviour, how the aggrieved can report it, and what will be done about it.

Who is it for

Our code of conduct is for event attendees, speakers, sponsors, partners, facilities staff, committee and board members.

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Harassment includes offensive verbal comments related to gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion, technology choices, sexual images in public spaces, deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of talks or other events, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention.

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How to report unacceptable behaviour

 

Option 1. Speak up. See it, say it, sort it. If you are disrespected, or witness this happening to someone else, engage politely with the person involved, if you feel able to, and let them know that you find their behaviour unacceptable and offensive. Sometimes the best way to change unacceptable behaviour is by bringing it to the perpetrator’s attention and giving them an opportunity to acknowledge this and apologise.

Option 2. Report it to us via any of the following ways:

• Inform a member of our event staff who can be identified by their badge.

• Email us at cyberriskmeetup@gmail.com.

• Complete our event feedback form (this can be done anonymously), which is available at https://www.cyberriskmeetup.com/feedback.

When reporting, please provide as much detail as possible, preferably:

• Your name and contact details (email, cell/mobile phone and address).

• The time it occurred.

• The place it occurred.

• The names and contact details of any witnesses.

• The outcome you are expecting (e.g. letter of apology, steps taken to prevent a similar instance from occurring etc.)

Note: you can remain anonymous if you so wish and providing any of the above information is optional.

We don’t have a time limit for reporting unacceptable behaviour, although we encourage you to do it as quickly as possible, as it can be difficult to obtain accurate witness statements the longer time passes. If you report unacceptable behaviour more than 3-months after an incident, you should explain why as it may impact the ability to respond accordingly. We will consider your explanation and then endeavour to deal with your report.

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How we handle unacceptable behaviour

We are committed to ensuring that you experience a positive, enjoyable and inclusive event. We strive for customer service excellence when reporting unacceptable behaviour. That’s why, for the duration of our event, we will have a number of reporting mechanisms available (e.g. suitable informed event staff, event feedback forms etc.). When you report unacceptable behaviour to us, we will respond promptly and with care, consideration and respect. Our process does not replace nor remove the formal mechanisms available to you as an individual to report inappropriate or offensive behaviour such as making a police report. 

 

Our process is as follows: 
• We will acknowledge your report and reply via email.

• We will perform a thorough investigation. We will not comment on your experience or perception of it. We will keep it wholly professional and confidential. We will treat all of the people involved fairly and objectively, irrespective of what our relationship with them is.

• We will apply the appropriate sanctions / remediations e.g. warnings, direction to learning resources on the topic of harassment, bullying or anti-social behaviour, temporary or permanent suspensions, and if necessary, report them to the police. We will take into consideration your wishes in any enforcement.

• We will suggest measures we can take to ensure incidents of this nature do not reoccur at future events.

• We reserve the right to remove people from the event or prevent people from joining the event.

• We will not name and shame individuals, but we will analyse our progress with regards to unacceptable behaviour and publish our findings annually on our website. 

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We expect all participants, speakers and sponsors to follow these rules at our events.

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Thank you for taking the time to read this!