Realms of Cyber is proud to support the IN Security
Movement, and acknowledges IN Security for its Code of
Conduct Template. See
IN Security - The Code of
Conduct
for further information.
Security events present opportunities to learn, share
knowledge and network. As a security event organiser, we
believe these events should represent a safe, enjoyable and
inclusive environment for all people, irrespective of
gender, race, ethnicity, age, sexuality, religion,
disability, socioeconomic background, experience, size,
shape and so on. No one should undergo harassment, bullying
or abuse. Any sign of such behaviour will be deemed
unacceptable and will be handled in line with our
zero-tolerance policy. We will apply consistent, specific
sanctions regardless of the circumstances to ensure they do
not reoccur. This code of conduct explains exactly what we
mean by unacceptable behaviour and it outlines the steps
someone subjected to such behaviour at an event can take to
report it.
Unfortunately, unacceptable behaviour still occurs and
whilst harassment metrics are yet to be introduced and
measured, anecdotal reports are widespread and have been
reported in the media and social media platforms for years.
This has reportedly resulted in increased dissatisfaction
and non-attendance by some minorities who feel
disenfranchised and threatened. The purpose of this code of
conduct is to get participants fully aligned on what
constitutes unacceptable behaviour, how the aggrieved can
report it, and what will be done about it.
Our code of conduct is for event attendees, speakers,
sponsors, partners, facilities staff, committee, and board
members.
People's interpretation of acceptable or unacceptable
behaviour is subjective and influenced by personal
experience, religion and cultural background. That's why we
believe it's important to define what we mean by both.
As an event organiser, we expect everyone to be professional
and respectful to others at all times. Everyone should be
aware of the impact their behaviour can have on others. We
ask that you:
-
Respect the venue, the staff and any equipment you may be
allowed to use.
-
Be courteous and well-mannered when speaking to someone or
engaging with them.
-
Treat people the same way you would like to be treated.
-
Respect someone's personal space and body - when someone
says no it is no, not maybe.
Unacceptable behaviour is offensive in nature - it disturbs,
upsets or threatens. It lowers self-esteem or causes
overwhelming torment. It is characteristically and can take
the following forms:
-
Derogatory, inflammatory or discriminatory language,
comments or conduct.
-
Engineered episodes of intimidation, aggressive actions or
repeated gestures.
- Repetitive heckling and disruption of talks.
-
Presenting staff or volunteers in inappropriate attire
e.g. sexualised clothing.
- Using sexual images or sex toys in public spaces.
-
Inappropriate photography or recordings (where
inappropriate is defined as used later in a sexual,
derogatory or defamatory manner or for exploitation).
- Stalking or following.
- Persistent and unwanted sexual advances.
- Unwanted physical contact.
- Encouraging any of the above behaviours.
-
Speak up. See it, say it, sort it. If you are
disrespected, or witness this happening to someone else,
engage politely with the person involved, if you feel able
to, and let them know that you find their behaviour
unacceptable and offensive. Sometimes the best way to
change unacceptable behaviour is by bringing it to the
perpetrator's attention and giving them an opportunity to
acknowledge this and apologise.
-
Report it to us via any of the following ways:
-
Inform a member of our event staff who can be
identified by their badge.
- Email us at [email protected]
-
Complete our event feedback form (this can be done
anonymously).
When reporting, please provide as much detail as possible,
preferably:
-
Your name and contact details (email, cell/mobile
phone and address).
- The time it occurred.
- The place it occurred.
- The names and contact details of any witnesses.
-
The outcome you are expecting (e.g. letter of apology,
steps taken to prevent a similar instance from
occurring etc..)
Note: You can remain anonymous if you so wish and
providing any of the above information is optional. We don't
have a time limit for reporting unacceptable behaviour,
although we encourage you to do it as quickly as possible,
as it can be difficult to obtain accurate witness statements
the longer time passes. If you report unacceptable behaviour
more than 3-months after an incident, you should explain why
as it may impact the ability to respond accordingly. We will
consider your explanation and then endeavour to deal with
your report.
We are committed to ensuring that you experience a positive,
enjoyable and inclusive event. We strive for customer
service excellence when reporting unacceptable behaviour.
That's why, for the duration of our event, we will have a
number of reporting mechanisms available (e.g. suitable
informed event staff , event feedback forms etc.). When you
report unacceptable behaviour to us we will respond promptly
and with care, consideration and respect. Our process does
not replace nor remove the formal mechanisms available to
you as an individual to report inappropriate or offensive
behaviour such as making a police report.
Our process is as follows:
-
We will acknowledge your report and reply via email within
4 hours.
-
We will perform a thorough investigation within 2 weeks.
We will not comment on your experience or perception of
it. We will keep it wholly professional and confidential.
We will treat all of the people involved fairly and
objectively, irrespective of what our relationship with
them is.
-
We will apply the appropriate sanctions / remediations
e.g. warnings, direction to learning resources on the
topic of harassment, bullying or anti-social behaviour,
temporary or permanent suspensions, and if necessary
report them to the police. We will take into consideration
your wishes in any enforcement.
-
We will suggest measures we can take to ensure incidents
of this nature do not reoccur at future events.
-
We reserve the right to remove people from the event, or
prevent people from joining the event.
-
We will not name and shame individuals, but we will
analyse our progress with regards to unacceptable
behaviour and publish our findings annually on our
website.
