Nearly 200 auditors, bankers, examiners, and credit union professionals gathered in Allen, Texas for the 9th annual CoNetrix KEYS Conference. Designed to provide Knowledge Essential to Your Security (KEYS), the April 2019 event attracted attendees from financial institutions across the United States.

The annual KEYS Conference provides a gathering place for users of Tandem software, and offers an educational forum on information security and technology. Attendees were able to engage in sessions covering a variety of hot topics, including mobile device security, cybersecurity, and phishing. They also had the opportunity to receive direct assistance from Tandem experts and information security consultants.

Keynote sessions included: a presentation on the state of cybersecurity in the financial institution industry by Russ Horn, of CoNetrix; a fast-paced interactive session entitled "The Vendor"; and a conversation with examiners, featuring an elite panel of five examiners from the FDIC, OCC, Federal Reserve, NCUA, and Texas Department of Banking.

Tandem Personal Training provided a place for Tandem users to develop their information security programs with the aid of onsite consultants and focused time. The "Tandem Shark Tank" track gave users a forum to talk with developers about the tools and pitch ideas for enhancing the software.

For conference entertainment, attendees enjoyed a night at Pinstack in Allen on the evening of April 11th. Sponsors included Perch and ePay Advisors.

"I absolutely love working with CoNetrix. I get great support from the staff. It's great to know our vendor actually cares about enhancing their tool to help the end user," said an attendee from a $600 million bank in Massachusetts.

"KEYS is always such a positive event, and this year was no different. Our speakers were top notch, and I'd say we have some of the best customers out there. We came home with a lot of great ideas for what resources our customers need and we're excited to get started working on those," said KEYS Conference coordinator, Leticia Saiid.

The FFIEC emphasizes the importance of financial institution staff training and knowledge, especially regarding IT and cybersecurity. The CoNetrix KEYS Conference and others like it are an excellent resource for bank and credit union staff looking to achieve these recommendations and enhance their preparedness for the future of banking.

About Tandem: Tandem helps financial institutions create and maintain a complete program to comply with GLBA and the Interagency Guidelines Establishing Information Security Standards. The simple, yet robust online platform includes efficient integrated modules, sharing information across compliance functions. Modules include Risk Assessment, Policies, Vendor Management, Business Continuity Planning, Identity Theft Prevention Program, Internet Banking Security Program, Audit Management, Social Media Management, Cybersecurity Assessment, and Phishing Simulator. Today, Tandem serves more than 1,400 financial institutions, with over 25,000 active users.