COSAC Security Conference

What COSAC Security Conference does

COSAC Security Conference is an annual information security conference operated as a division and trading name of David Lynas Consulting Limited (Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK) and David Lynas Consulting Pty Ltd (Perth, Australia). Founded in 1993, COSAC has delivered 33 consecutive annual editions, with the flagship event held at Killashee Hotel in Naas, Kildare, Ireland since 2002 under a fully-residential format spanning four nights and four days. The conference differentiates itself through a strict no-vendor, no-sales, no-exhibition ethos aimed at senior cybersecurity practitioners (typically 15+ years of experience) including CISOs, security architects, and heads of information security. Content is delivered through interactive masterclasses, workshops, design competitions, and rigorous peer debate, with sessions deliberately limited in size to preserve intimacy and candor.

The portfolio comprises three core offerings: the COSAC Annual Conference (Ireland), COSAC APAC (Melbourne, Australia — launched 2025, next edition February 2027 at Collins Square), and the COSAC Patron subscription program, which provides year-round access to forums, roundtables, crossover sessions, COSAC Conversations interviews, and conference materials. There is no proprietary technology platform; the underlying infrastructure is a WordPress-based website used for registration, patron account management, and content distribution. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through the website, with pricing structured as full all-inclusive packages (covering accommodation, meals, transfers, and CPE certification), day-delegate options, and recurring monthly or annual Patron subscriptions. International attendees are supported through capped flight sponsorship reimbursements for selected regions.

The business model blends transactional conference registration revenue with recurring Patron subscription revenue, sold primarily through word-of-mouth and patron referrals rather than paid advertising. The company is privately held and founder-led by David Lynas, who also serves as CEO of David Lynas Consulting and Chairman of the SABSA Institute. COSAC has no external investors, no disclosed funding rounds, and operates with a small team in the 11-50 employee band. Marketing channels are limited to LinkedIn, email, and the website, with growth driven by community reputation and the conference's 33-year track record among named enterprise and government attendees including Prudential, Carrefour, ABN Amro, Deloitte, Idaho National Laboratory, and Australian Retirement Trust.

Name

COSAC Security Conference

Legal name

COSAC is a division and trading name of David Lynas Consulting Limited and David Lynas Consulting Pty Ltd

Website

https://cosac.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

COSAC Security Conference operates a flagship annual residential information security conference in Ireland and the COSAC APAC edition in Australia, plus a year-round Patron subscription program. It serves senior cybersecurity professionals (CISOs, security architects, 15+ years experience) through a deliberately vendor-free, peer-debate format.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cybersecurity Conferences and Events

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

Keywords

• Information security conferences
• Cybersecurity thought leadership events
• Enterprise security networking
• Cybersecurity community programs
• Security architecture forums

Headquarters

HQ city

Belfast

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Conference Registration Fees: COSAC generates primary revenue through full conference delegate registration packages (4 nights accommodation, meals, networking events, conference access) and day delegate registration. Early-bird rates are offered until specific deadlines to incentivize advance registration.
2. Patron Subscriptions: COSAC operates a patron membership program providing exclusive year-round access to forums, roundtables, conference crossovers, COSAC Conversations interviews, and conference materials. This generates recurring subscription revenue from senior cybersecurity professionals seeking ongoing community engagement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

COSAC operates an annual, fully-residential information security conference held at the Killashee Hotel in Kildare, Ireland, featuring interactive masterclasses, workshops, design competitions and rigorous peer debate among senior cybersecurity professionals, with no vendor displays or sales pitches. It also runs a regional COSAC APAC edition in Melbourne, Australia, and a year-round Patron subscription program providing exclusive access to forums, roundtables, conference crossovers, COSAC Conversations interviews, and digital conference materials.

Product overview

COSAC is a single unified conference service offering annual information security conferences in Ireland (COSAC) and Australia (COSAC APAC). The portfolio includes the core COSAC Annual Conference featuring interactive masterclasses and workshops, the COSAC APAC regional edition, and a year-round Patrons subscription program providing exclusive access to forums, roundtables, and conference materials. Registration packages offer either full all-inclusive attendance or individual day delegate options.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• COSAC Annual Conference Annual information security conference held in Kildare, Ireland featuring interactive sessions, masterclasses, workshops, design competitions and peer-to-peer debate among senior cybersecurity professionals; known for its no-sales, no-exhibition ethos focused on thought leadership and rigorous knowledge exchange. Target audience is senior cybersecurity leaders with 15+ years of experience from large enterprises, government, and critical infrastructure.
• COSAC APAC Conference Asia-Pacific edition of the COSAC conference held in Melbourne, Australia, offering the same interactive, vendor-free, residential-friendly format for cybersecurity professionals in the APAC region.
• COSAC Patrons Membership Program

Quantifiable outcome

• COSAC is described as the most energetic, provocative and interactive event by attendees from major enterprises
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• David Lynas ConsultingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025David Lynas Consulting is the parent company and sole operator of COSAC. David Lynas serves as Chairman of COSAC and is the co-author of SABSA methodology. The company provides global leadership in enterprise security architecture consulting and strategic advisory services. As the organizing entity, DLC designs, manages, and delivers the COSAC conference experience.
• SABSA Institute (The SABSA Founders Bursary)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025The SABSA Founders Bursary is a charitable organization dedicated to strengthening information security development and the SABSA methodology. It provides access to training and educational opportunities for young people from diverse backgrounds. COSAC features SABSA-focused sessions, design competitions, and architecture content, with the Bursary sponsoring the annual Security Architecture Design-Off competition at COSAC.
• VestminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Vest is a cybersecurity services provider founded over 22 years ago, focused on helping organizations protect against digital threats. Services span four pillars covering human behavior, technical security, and process implementation. Vest supports COSAC as a sponsor, aligning with the conference's focus on pure information security content.
• GDB Cyber Security ConsultingminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025GDB Cyber Security Consulting, led by Glen Bruce, is a long-time COSAC supporter focused on security strategies, architectures, PKI, and governance. Glen Bruce has over 47 years of in-depth IT consulting experience and contributes to TSI SENC workgroup projects. He participates as a speaker at COSAC events.
• Killashee HotelcoreOthers · 1 January 2002Killashee Hotel in Naas, Co. Kildare, Ireland has been COSAC's venue partner since October 2002 (COSAC's 9th edition). The venue provides world-class conference facilities, accommodation, dining, and recreational amenities including spa and pool. The hotel's proactive, flexible approach and attention to detail has created an unrivalled conference atmosphere over 20+ years of partnership.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• RSA Conference: The largest annual cybersecurity conference globally, attracting tens of thousands of security professionals. Directly comparable as a flagship information security event serving CISOs and security leaders, though much larger and vendor-driven in contrast to COSAC's intimate format.
• DEF CON: One of the world's largest community-driven hacker and security conferences. Comparable through its community-led, anti-vendor ethos and appeal to deeply technical security practitioners.
• Security BSides: Global network of community-driven, small-format security conferences. Directly comparable in ethos: vendor-light, community-led, intimate gatherings for security practitioners — and explicitly positioned as an alternative to large vendor-driven events.
• Black Hat: Premier information security event series with global editions (USA, Europe, Asia). Directly comparable as a senior-practitioner security conference, though larger in scale and featuring a vendor exhibition floor.
• Infosecurity Europe: Major annual European cybersecurity conference held in London, attracting senior security professionals. Comparable as a Europe-region flagship information security event serving CISOs and security architects.
• (ISC)² Security Congress: Annual conference run by (ISC)², the international information security certifications body. Comparable as a senior-practitioner security conference with a CISO/architect attendee base and credentialed community focus.

Emerging players

• OWASP Global AppSec Conference: OWASP's flagship application security conference series with global and regional editions. Comparable as a practitioner-focused, community-led security conference with niche specialization (application security) similar to COSAC's SABSA/architecture focus.

Regional players

• Cybersec Europe: European cybersecurity conference and exhibition. Comparable as a Europe-region security event serving CISOs and security professionals, though more vendor-oriented than COSAC's format.

Broad incumbents

• SANS Institute Events: SANS runs numerous cybersecurity training events and conferences globally (e.g., SANS Cyber Defense Initiative). Comparable as a cybersecurity events operator, though primarily training-focused with a wider portfolio.
• Gartner Security & Risk Management Summit: Gartner's flagship CISO-focused conference series. Comparable as a senior-executive security event, though broader in scope (covering risk and governance) and delivered by a large incumbent analyst firm.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cosac-security-conference

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about COSAC Security Conference