{"id":33382,"date":"2020-02-18T15:00:54","date_gmt":"2020-02-18T15:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/packetstormsecurity.com\/news\/view\/30948\/IBM-Pulls-Out-Of-RSA-Over-Coronavirus-Fears.html"},"modified":"2020-02-18T15:00:54","modified_gmt":"2020-02-18T15:00:54","slug":"ibm-pulls-out-of-rsa-over-coronavirus-fears","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.threatshub.org\/blog\/ibm-pulls-out-of-rsa-over-coronavirus-fears\/","title":{"rendered":"IBM Pulls Out Of RSA Over Coronavirus Fears"},"content":{"rendered":"
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IBM on Friday pulled out of the upcoming RSA Conference over concerns of the worldwide coronavirus outbreak.<\/p>\n

The company said the move was made as out of an abundance of caution to protects its employees from the virus that has so far killed 1,400 people and infected 50,000 worldwide, according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control.<\/p>\n

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The health of IBMers is our primary concern as we continue to monitor upcoming events and travel relative to Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). We are cancelling our participation in this year’s RSA conference.<\/p>\n

\u2014 IBM Security (@IBMSecurity) February 14, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

RSA Conference execs said in a February 14 statement<\/a> that it understands and respects IBM\u2019s decision, but the show will commence on February 23 and run through February 27 as planned. Show organizers noted that a few other scheduled attendees had also canceled either from concerns or the travel restrictions put in place. About 42,000 people attended the show in 2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince our last update, the number of individuals, including those from IBM, who have canceled their registration is approximately 0.79 percent of the total number of expected attendees. Also, the total number of exhibitors, including IBM, that have canceled their participation as a sponsor or exhibitor is eight. Six, of the nine registered, are from China; one from the U.S.A.; and one of them is from Canada,\u201d RSA said, but did not name the other companies that have decided to stay home.<\/p>\n

In its daily update on the coronavirus the CDC noted that this flu season has been particularly harsh with an estimated 26 million people being infected so far, 250,000 hospitalized and 14,000 deaths.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have the vaccines and the drugs to fight the flue illness. We don\u2019t have the tools yet for this Novel virus but there are things everyone can do to contain the virus,\u201d the CDC said<\/a>.<\/p>\n

RSA said 82 percent of the registered attendees and exhibiting organizations are from the United States. Additional precautions are being put in place at the Moscone Center and other venues, including:<\/p>\n