In the final meeting of M3AAWG’s 20th milestone year, Sara Roper, Chairperson of our Board of Directors, delivered her opening address with a powerful metaphor.

Our organization is now 20 years old, and like a properly raised and determined individual, we must transition into adulthood ready to face emerging challenges head-on. We must also continue to strengthen our formidable support system of contributors along the way.

As we confront the increasingly powerful and sophisticated global threats of abuse, we have no other choice. The consequences of sitting on the sidelines are catastrophic for both our economy and society, as Sara pointed out in the opening minutes of her talk:

• According to the World Economic Forum, cybercrime is now the world’s third-largest economy, behind the United States and China.*
• Statista projects that the cost of cybercrime as a whole will rise to nearly $14 trillion by 2028.**

Sara’s presentation served as a vibrant call to action. As M3AAWG grows beyond young adulthood as an organization, we need to roll up our sleeves and bring in an even more diverse collection of perspectives to empower M3AAWG for the next twenty years and beyond.

Judging by the momentum coming out of Toronto, we are on the right path.

Meeting Recap and How to Get Involved
354 attendees from 22 different countries, including 84 new attendees, contributed to our 62nd General Meeting in Toronto. With a strong round of Open Roundtables (ORTs) taking place, 165 participants delivered five proposed outcomes, two of which will be proposed as new Initiatives in line with our Top Priorities and Focus Areas.

M3AAWG Program Committee selected from 58 submissions for training, keynotes, working sessions, and general track sessions to curate programming for this week of participant engagement and collaboration. 

“Having so many submissions is great for our organization.  It demonstrates that you understand the power of our individuals with our member companies, and it demonstrates to me that you trust in our partner programs,” Sara told attendees.

Our meeting’s keynote was delivered by Dr. Douglas Stebila of the University of Waterloo. He brought us the latest news on the challenges, standardization and open-source efforts, costs, timelines, and insights on post-quantum Transport Layer Security (TLS) in this herculean transition to Post Quantum Cryptography (PQC).

Freshly removed from this momentum gained in Toronto, it’s time to embrace Sara’s inspiring call to action in this fight against abuse. Here are some quick tips and resources for getting involved with M3AAWG:

• M3AAWG Members are encouraged to learn about M3AAWG’s Top Priorities, submit and participate in Initiatives, attend committee/SIG calls, utilize the Help Wanted Ads forum for Initiatives, and contribute to General Meetings.
• We invite the community to learn About M3AAWG and our Top Priorities, as well as how to get involved..

As Sara wrapped up her talk, she read a heartfelt letter to her younger self from twenty years ago, summarizing the surprises of today and the lessons learned from twenty years of fighting abuse with M3AAWG.

“We’re at a point, a milestone, where we have an incredible opportunity to choose our own adventure in adulthood,” she told attendees. “In 20 years, what would that letter to ourselves look like based on today’s moment?”

References 

*Critical Start. (n.d.). Cybercrime: The world’s 3rd largest economy. Retrieved from https://www.criticalstart.com/cybercrime-the-worlds-3rd-largest-economy/...

**Fleck, A. (2024, February 22). Cybercrime expected to skyrocket in coming years. Statista. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/chart/28878/expected-cost-of-cybercrime-until-2...