Princeton, NJ – January 25, 2024 – In a strategic move to extend its leadership in the market, ISMG is proud to announce its acquisition of a majority stake in QG Media, a global leader in enterprise technology conferences and exhibitions.

Established in 2011 by Kudsia Kaker and Ravi Manji and headquartered in London, QG Media has a robust track record of delivering high-impact, technology-focused events and content in super-specialized niches such as manufacturing, critical infrastructure security and operational technology (OT) security in more than 12 key geographies globally – consistently providing cutting-edge insight and key business intelligence for its attendees and partners.

“ISMG has demonstrated a deep focus on cybersecurity education from its very inception, and with this acquisition, we continue our commitment to that vision,” said Sanjay Kalra, CEO, ISMG. “The rising importance of OT security and QG’s super-specialization in this space make this union a natural fit. We are confident that the addition of QG’s events portfolio and capabilities to ISMG’s lineup will enhance our ability to serve the global IT and cybersecurity ecosystem tremendously.”

QG Media’s event brands include the ManuSec Series, CS4CA Series and Cyber Series of events across Europe, North America and the Middle East.

This partnership is expected to extend this coverage globally to additional regions, leveraging ISMG’s deep understanding of the global cybersecurity landscape and its proven expertise in creating tailored content for specific verticals and geographies.

According to Fortinet’s 2023 State of Operational Technology and Cybersecurity Report, almost every organization (98%) now includes its OT cybersecurity posture in the broader risk score shared with executive leadership and boards of directors. The report finds that 95% of organizations have made their CISOs responsible for OT cybersecurity. The overall global operational technology (OT) security market size was valued at $17.95 billion in 2023 and is expected to reach $72.62 billion by 2030.

This partnership puts cybersecurity education and OT security front and center for CIOs, CISOs and other senior technology managers, recognizing its crucial role in protecting critical infrastructure across vital industries such as energy, manufacturing, transportation, water treatment and utilities. ISMG and QG Media are committed to empowering OT, IT and cybersecurity professionals with actionable insights necessary to secure these critical infrastructures.

“OT and education are in our DNA, and having worked in this space for many years, we are excited to extend our offerings to a broader audience,” said Ravi Manji, co-founder and executive director, QG Media. “QG shares ISMG’s dedication to continuous education, and ISMG’s support will propel QG Media to achieve a stronger impact on the global cybersecurity and technology sectors. We believe this is a perfect partnership to extend QG’s reach and go beyond events.”

QG Media’s expertise aligns with ISMG’s commitment to cybersecurity, positioning the joint entity as an important player in the evolving landscape. ISMG’s global infrastructure and business will enable QG Media to cross-leverage expertise from ISMG’s expanding lines of business, including ISMG’s proprietary first-party intent data engines, CyberEdBoard, CyberEd.io, Xtra-Mile and CyberTheory, thereby ensuring a multifaceted approach to address the needs of its audience.

“Over the years, we have observed and admired ISMG’s growth in the cybersecurity and IT space from a distance, and we believe this is the right time to join hands to make a lasting impact on the industry,” said Kudsia Kaker, co-founder and global program director, QG Media. “Joining forces with ISMG will enable QG Media to acquire an unprecedented global reach and the opportunity to expand its influence beyond current boundaries.”

As part of ISMG’s 2024 strategic road map, ISMG is instituting significant investments in OT coverage and education designed specifically to address the needs of OT asset owners, device manufacturers, OT ecosystem partners, service providers, MSPs and system integrators. Since its inception, CyberTheory, ISMG’s marketing advisory unit, has helped some of the largest OT manufacturers globally in streamlining go-to-market strategies and educating its global OT communities.

“All of our data indicates cybersecurity professionals desire niche educational events focused on topics and industries – as opposed to ‘one-size-fits-all’ city-based regional summits that have become more generic in nature,” said Mike D’Agostino, general manager, ISMG. “We’ve been moving in this direction already as we’ve launched many topic and industry-specific events focused on areas such as AI, healthcare, government, financial services, fraud prevention, digital transformation, and more. This acquisition will help round out our IT/OT events portfolio.”

With the addition of QG Media to its ranks, ISMG will offer over 500 events in its portfolio across a range of formats for its global audience of senior practitioners and its sponsors.

Joelson LLP, Grant Thornton and veteran commercial finance adviser Vasu Majumdar provided legal, financial and investment banking services to ISMG on this transaction.

With each new partnership, merger and acquisition, ISMG’s evolving portfolio stands poised to enrich the cybersecurity landscape comprehensively and in a holistic manner. ISMG is addressing the diverse needs of the market through media, summits, education, advisory, and community, and continues to execute its “build, grow and acquire” strategy to extend its leadership in the IT and cybersecurity domains.

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About ISMG
ISMG is the world’s largest media organization devoted solely to information security and risk management. Each of its 37 media properties provides education, research and news that is specifically tailored to key vertical sectors including banking, healthcare, and the public sector; geographies from North America to Southeast Asia; and topics such as data breach prevention, cyber risk assessment, AI, and fraud. Its annual global summit series connects senior security professionals with industry thought leaders to find actionable solutions for pressing cybersecurity challenges.

About QG Media
QG Media is an international provider of cutting-edge B2B conferences and digital content for technology leaders. Focusing on cybersecurity and IoT (internet of things), QG brings together business leaders to demonstrate thought leadership through content-driven presentations, interviews and webinars. The success of any QG Media event lies in providing expertly curated programs, inviting industry leading speakers, along with offering extensive networking opportunities to promote collaboration and drive innovation.