Cyber Security Conferences

Is it normal in your role to be sent to a cyber security conference? Is it mandatory, optional, do you need to go on your own time? How does your company view conferences, is it difficult expense, or mandatory training budget? Do you need to push your manager and the expense approvals?
I'm assuming for a SOC analyst it may not be common but as a penetration tester or red teamer it would be also mandatory to go to at …

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