FAQ & Getting Involved

We welcome all topics focused on practical cyber security and defense: defensive engineering, threat intelligence, detection development, incident response, DevSecOps, cloud security, digital forensics, identity architecture, lessons learned from real incidents, and academic research. We also welcome career-transition reflections and community stories.

CSC gatherings are protected learning spaces, not marketing showcases. Speakers are permitted a brief 60-second intro about who they are and where they work, but the presentation itself must be 100% vendor-agnostic and educational. Product pitches, promotional demonstrations, and sales marketing are strictly prohibited.

Absolutely! We actively support and encourage first-time speakers, student researchers, and career-switchers. Our volunteer organizers offer optional 1-on-1 mentorship, draft slide reviews, and practice sessions to help you feel confident. Our room is notoriously friendly, constructive, and supportive.

Our standard keynote slots are 25–35 minutes with 5–10 minutes of audience Q&A. We also frequently host 10–15 minute "Lightning Talks" which are ideal for short case studies, tool demonstrations, or first-time speakers.

Simply send an email to hello@cyberscotlandconnect.com with your name, a working title, a 2–3 sentence summary of what attendees will learn, and any AV requirements. You can also chat informally with any moderator on our Discord server.

We look for welcoming spaces in central urban locations (close to train and bus stations) in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee, and Aberdeen that can comfortably accommodate 60 to 100+ seated attendees with room for community mingling.

Accessibility is mandatory for any CSC host venue: step-free access from the street, operational elevators to all event floors, accessible gender-neutral restrooms, and ideally induction hearing loop capabilities. We disclose accessibility baselines on every event listing.

A large presentation screen or projector with HDMI/USB-C connection, wireless handheld or lapel microphones, and reliable Wi-Fi for attendees. Having streaming or recording capabilities is a great bonus but not strictly required.

Host venues are featured prominently on our website Partners page, linked directly on our Meetup event notices, credited in slide openings, and announced during verbal opening remarks.

Please reach out to hello@cyberscotlandconnect.com. A volunteer organizer will arrange a quick visit or call to review room layout and schedule future dates.

100% of corporate sponsorship contributions go directly to attendee refreshments (community pizza, snacks, soft drinks), venue facility costs, recording equipment, and accessibility accommodations. CSC is a volunteer-led community; organizers take zero profit.

No. Zero exceptions. Speaking slots are never sold or tied to financial sponsorships. Every presentation abstract is evaluated purely on its educational and technical merit by our volunteer team.

Never. Attendee privacy is non-negotiable. We never disclose, sell, or share attendee emails, phone numbers, or registration data with sponsors. Sponsors are welcome to engage in open, transparent conversation with attendees during mingling time.

Yes! Sponsoring our post-meetup pub social (such as Cyera UK hosting our community social at BrewDog Lothian Road) is a popular and appreciated way to support informal Scottish cyber networking.

Contact hello@cyberscotlandconnect.com to explore upcoming gathering dates across Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Dundee.

Yes! Tickets have always been, and will always be, £0. We believe financial barriers to entry should never prevent anyone—especially students, career switchers, and job seekers—from participating in Scottish cyber security.

For established professionals who attend our sessions and find value in the network, we invite you to Pay It Forward on our Buy Me a Coffee page (buymeacoffee.com/cyberscotlandconnect). There is zero obligation; contributions help fund refreshments and ensure everyone in Scotland can attend at no cost.

We adhere to the Contributor Covenant v2.1. We enforce a zero-tolerance policy regarding harassment, exclusionary language, and unwelcome sales prospecting. All participants, speakers, and organizers must uphold these standards.

Join our active Discord server (discord.gg/cyberscotlandconnect), follow our LinkedIn organization page, and RSVP via our Meetup group (meetup.com/cyberscotconnect).

Cyber Scotland Connect is built on servant leadership and zero ego. Our volunteer stewards are not here to build personal brands or push commercial agendas; we exist to create welcoming, psychologically safe spaces where others can learn, share, and connect. We look for individuals with high ethical integrity, empathy, and the courage to quietly stand up for the community when standards or boundaries are tested.

Moderators act as cultural anchors across Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Dundee. Responsibilities include welcoming newcomers and first-time attendees, auditing venue accessibility, facilitating inclusive discussions, mentoring first-time speakers with slide preparation and reassurance, and keeping interactions respectful and vendor-agnostic both in person and on Discord.

Firmly, constructively, and without public drama. We strictly protect our "High-Signal, Zero-Sales" charter and our Contributor Covenant code of conduct. When someone steps over the line, moderators address it privately, empathetically, and clearly, ensuring the collective safety and trust of the community always comes first.

Start by showing up and getting involved—participate in discussions, welcome newcomers at meetups, or assist with event check-ins. When you are ready, reach out to any current moderator on our Discord server (discord.gg/cyberscotlandconnect) or email hello@cyberscotlandconnect.com for an informal conversation.

100% open source under the MIT license. The site is built with Astro and Tailwind CSS, hosted statically on GitHub Pages, and run with zero tracking cookies or invasive third-party telemetry.

Generated statically at build time in two tiers: "All Scottish Cyber Community Events" and "CSC Gatherings Only". They allow live synchronization with Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, Outlook, or feed readers. Detailed setup instructions live on our Calendar page (/calendar).

Yes! Community organizers, student societies, and company security teams can plug our RSS feed (/feeds/community.xml) into Discord channels via free webhook bots like MonitoRSS to automatically broadcast upcoming Scottish cyber events as rich embeds.

Anyone can contribute via GitHub! Fork the repository (github.com/cyber-scotland-connect/csc-website), add or edit markdown files under src/content/, and open a Pull Request. Review our CONTRIBUTING.md and AGENT.md guidelines for detailed standards.