24th Annual Computer Security Applications Conference
December 8-12, 2008
Anaheim, California

Frequently Asked Questions

When/Where is the conference being held?

December 8-12, 2008 in Anaheim, California at the Sheraton Park Hotel at the Anaheim Resort.

How big is the conference and what is the typical mix of people?

Average is well over 200 people, with a mix of industry, government, and academia. Last year approximately half the papers submitted were from outside the US and we have growing mix of attendees from outside the US. It is a mixture of practitioners, researchers, engineers, etc. It is generally a very technical audience, and what separates us from some conferences is that there is a great deal of participation from the attendees....very little networking during the sessions (people gather before and after the sessions)...the hallways are empty during the tracks and tutorials ... but there is plenty of networking during breaks and social events.

Do you pay speakers or cover their expenses?

No, except for students (for whom there is a conferenceship program, subject to conference approval), tutorial instructors, and the keynote speaker, we do not pay speakers or cover registration or travel expenses.

Is there a program to help students attend the conference?

Besides lower conference and tutorial fees, ACSAC also offers a conferenceship program to enable students to attend the Annual Computer Security Applications Conference. This program will pay for the conference and tutorial expenses, including travel, for selected students.

What kind of submissions do you accept?

Do you accept speaking proposals?

ACSAC does not accept "speaking proposals" per se, however; you are encouraged to submit suggestions in the form of a one paragraph description of a topic and a biography of the proposed presenter. Depending on a proposal's technical content, it may be acceptable as a case study. If a full paper is available, it may be acceptable as a technical paper. If a presentation by a group of related speakers is contemplated, a proposal for this session may be acceptable as a panel or forum. If a proposal for a half day or full day seminar is appropriate, it may be acceptable as a tutorial. If a one or two page technical writeup is available that describes work that is not yet completed, it may be acceptable as a works in progress. Finally, if your have an interest in a full day interactive dialogue, exchanging ideas, opinions and concerns between multiple presenters and attendees, consider being a workshop presenter.

I have an idea for a tutorial or workshop that I'd like to see offered, but I'm not available or qualified to teach it. What should I do?

We'd love to hear your idea! Send it to tutorials_chair@acsac.org or workshop_chair@acsac.org, and we'll try to find an instructor/speaker to turn your idea into a tutorial/workshop. If there's someone you think would do a good job, but you don't want to approach them yourself, we can do that for you.

I'd like to see a survey paper on a particular topic, but I'm not available or qualified to write it. What should I do?

We'd love to hear your idea! Send it to program_chair@acsac.org, and we'll try to find an author to turn your idea into a survey paper. If there's someone you think would do a good job, but you don't want to approach them yourself, we can do that for you.

I've been accepted to present at ACSAC; are there any guidelines for speakers?

Yes, please see our Speaker's Handbook.

How many total presentations will there be and how many might run concurrent to each other? How many panels will there be compared to single presenter sessions?

We don't set the exact number of presentations until we get the papers, but the following is an approximation based on previous years.

So there are a total of 22-25 sessions (not counting the plenaries). Of these, probably 10-12 will be refereed technical papers (3 papers per session), 6-8 will be panels, and 6-7 will be case studies. We don't have single presenter sessions, except tutorials (which are held Monday and Tuesday). The exact numbers will depend on submissions and acceptance decisions.

When will the detailed schedule be available?

The detailed schedule, showing specific tutorials, papers, panels/fora, and case study presentations will be available in September. We will send an announcement to the ACSAC mailing list when it's on the web page. To join the ACSAC mailing list, please fill out this form.

What are the conference fees?

We are working on setting the fees for this year and will post them during the Summer. For estimating/budgeting purposes, the fees from *last year* appear below.

Discounts are available for early registration. Registration fees include food at breaks, lunches, and some evening events. The early registration deadline will be sometime in mid November.

Regular Attendee Student Attendee
Early Regular Early Regular
Conference 2-1/2 days $750 $850 $400 $400
Tutorials Full Day or
2 Half-days on same day		 $550 $650 $400 $400
Tutorials Half Day $325 $375 $200 $200

Receive an additional $100 discount for making a reservation at
the conference hotel prior to registering for the conference.

How do people dress at ACSAC?

We encourage you to dress in business casual attire. If a business suit is more your style/preference, that is fine too.

Will you provide a Visa letter for non-US citizens?

For information on requesting a Visa letter, please click here.

My question is not answered above, what should I do?

Email the Program Chair