In a world transformed by the coronavirus pandemic, the CEO of security firm RSA, which runs the eponymous conference, took to the stage virtually on Monday, delivering a prerecorded keynote speech on the theme of this year's event.
"It's been 15 months since we met, right before the pandemic stopped the world in its tracks, and in that time, countless doctors, nurses and other first responders have been brave enough to be the light for all of us. They've worked tirelessly to save lives, and we owe them our gratitude," said Rohit Ghai, CEO of RSA.
"I also want to express my deepest thanks to each of you, our digital first responders," he added. "When everything was upended, you made sure that kids could still log into their classrooms, researchers could collaborate on vaccines and governments could serve their citizens. Though I'd prefer to thank you all in person, virtual formats like this symbolize the year we've had, the adaptations we've had to make, and the theme of RSA Conference 2021: resilience."