Of the many cybersecurity challenges facing practitioners today, the very high risk Supply Chain security domain is among the most significant. Join us on July 9th as Peter Hillier maps out those challenges, asks why our Government is seemingly ignoring them and provides recommendations for both government and security practitioners alike to address a systems security engineered approach to the problem.
BIOGRAPHY
Peter Hillier served 20 years in the Intelligence and Security areas of the Canadian Armed Forces. He has spent over two decades dedicated to the evolution of the IT Security profession either through creating new services, writing, speaking, and participating in standards development. He is also a longtime professional mentor and Veterans advocate. He currently works under Hillier Information Protection Solutions Inc. and also provides Systems Security Engineering services, training, and R&D through SSEng Group Inc.
Zoom Online meeting RSVP Required – register at Zoom
TOPIC(S):
Tear it Down and Start Over
PRESENTER(S):
Deb Radcliff
ABSTRACT
It’s time to cut our losses and replace our network computing model with something completely different.
As the tech industry pushes businesses into adopting their versions of digital transformation, the heart of all technology is still based on IP, which dates back to 1983. Trying to secure networks by adding layer after layer of security up and down the TCP/IP stack and down into the hardware layers is not working and will not scale. Even at the developer layer, where all this transformation is occurring, attackers are deep into their code repositories and loading malware through their build servers (such as in the SolarWinds Orion patch update that was introduced to 1800 downstream clients and infiltrated more than 100 high-level government intelligence and tech agencies in the US).
We need to figure out a new way to network. What do we replace IP with that is both more efficient and naturally secure (versus trusting the way IP is)? That should be the biggest question on everyone’s mind who’s working toward digital transformation.
Will AI come to the rescue or is it just another technology that can be used against us? What about Quantum networking? Can we move data faster than light more securely than IP transport? Can we somehow return ownership of data to the humans behind that data in the process?
In this session, Deb Radcliff raises provocative questions about future networking and access technologies. So be prepared to answer questions. For example, will we ever actually replace IP? Is AI truly autonomous? Would you take a human chip implant if it were the only means to access your data? If so, what would be your security requirements?
Radcliff will also tell stories of how she became the industry’s first beat reporter starting in 1996 after assisting Jon Littman with research for his best-selling book, “The Fugitive Game,” about hacker on the run, Kevin Mitnick. She will share her experiences and the many colorful characters she’s met from the days before we had cybercops and information security programs.
These characters and experiences are also fictionalized in book I of her cyberthriller series, Breaking Backbones: Information is power, which takes place in the near future (available at Amazon, her publisher (free shipping), and all booksellers). In it, hackers rise up against GlobeCom who takes over the world through human chip implants. She’s nearing completion of book II, “Information Should Be Free,” part of which delves into super smart AI and future networking—and that’s why she’ll be picking your brains around these tough subjects.
BIOGRAPHY
Deb Radcliff is an author, speaker and analyst with extensive background in cybersecurity and cybercrime reporting. In 1996, after researching a best-selling book about computer hacker, Kevin Mitnick authored by Jon Littman, she decided to make cybercrime a beat. At first, she relied on gray and white hat hackers to give her the scoop on hacking techniques and then she built relationships with newly-minted cyberagents and leaders at the FBI, several agencies within DoD, the Secret Service, CIA, NYPD and many other local and federal agencies. Her articles are cited in numerous research papers and college textbooks, and she’s won two Neal Awards for investigative reporting and was runner up for a third. She’s spoken at West Point, HOPE 2000 and other events, and is currently speaking regularly in online venues. She also stood up an Analyst Program at SANS Institute and ran it for 15 years until April 2020.
Today, as a cybersecurity analyst and author, she writes for CSO and manages her own blog OnlineCrimeBytes, runs the Shift Left Academy content program. In April 2021, Radcliff published her first cyberthriller book, Breaking Backbones: Information is Power. The book is part one in a three-part fictional series set in the not-too-distant future when a powerful entity called GlobeCom takes over the world through human chip implants and the hackers mount a coordinated defense to break GlobeCom’s network backbone.
Zoom Online meeting RSVP Required – register at Zoom
TOPIC(S):
Presentation 1: Why is phishing still an issue? Presentation 2: Setting the CISO free
PRESENTER(S):
Presentation 1: Mike Fleck (Senior Director of Sales, Cyren) Presentation 2: Rob Newby (CEO, Procordr)
Presentation 1 detail:
ABSTRACT
Why is phishing still an issue? Let’s take a look at the tactics attackers are using and discuss why these simple, yet sophisticated, tricks allow malicious messages to evade detection. Mike will share summary statistics about the scale and type of phishing attacks and also provide detailed examples of specific incidents.
BIOGRAPHY
Mike Fleck is the Senior Director of Sales Engineering at Cyren. With over 15 years of experience in information security, Mike holds patents for transparent encryption and automated encryption key management and has been featured in Security Week, Information Security Magazine, Information Management, and NBC News. Prior to Cyren, Mike was the Vice President of Identity Protection at 4iQ, a provider of dark web threat intelligence that helps to protect consumer identities and to investigate cybercriminals. Previously, Mike was the Vice President of Security at Covata Limited (ASX: CVT) where he directed US operations and global marketing. He joined Covata in 2017, by way of acquisition of CipherPoint which he co-founded in 2010 and was CEO. His vast experience with complex Fortune 500 and Federal Government environments includes technical leadership roles at Vormetric (acquired by Thales), High Tower Software (acquired by NetForensics), Predictive Systems (NASDAQ: PRDS), and Lockheed Martin.
Presentation 2 detail:
ABSTRACT
Cybersecurity is now front page news. Companies are exposed, and CISOs need to make strategic decisions. Lack of accountability can lead to large fines and even prison time for Board members, but they aren’t being appropriately informed. Rob Newby was a new CISO in this situation 2 years ago. His board was concerned, but about the wrong things.
Rob explains what we’re doing wrong now in Security, and what simple changes can be made for the better to fix issues in reporting, strategy, governance and the demand for skills.
BIOGRAPHY
Rob is a problem solver for UK and EMEA boards, as a CISO and Security Adviser Rob has returned failing programmes and projects to the critical path, including setting up and developing multiple lines of defence in parallel, defining and delivering measurable business value. He is now the CEO of UK Cybersecurity startup Procordr, delivering strategy and governance solutions to large enterprises He previously worked as a CISO to SmartDCC, Strategic Adviser to Group CISO at Admiral Group, and at Aviva Group, he was the CISO for General Insurance and Strategic Adviser to their UK CISO.
Zoom Online meeting RSVP Required – register at Zoom
TOPIC(S):
Security Frameworks
PRESENTER(S):
Robert Slade (M. Sc.)
ABSTRACT
We have a whole alphabet soup of security frameworks, ranging from checklists to guidelines to salami slicers to product evaluation criteria. Most consider them simply annoyances. Some consider them annoyances that must be complied with. However, they can be of use–if you know what they are, and what they can (and can’t) do for you.
BIOGRAPHY
Robert Slade prefers to say that he is the recipient of patronage from his nation-state because he is old and wise. Others prefer to say that he is retired. Rob finds this odd, since he is not the retiring type, as can be easily determined at
Zoom Online meeting (Please note Zoom link was updated) RSVP Required – register at Zoom
TOPIC(S):
Ransomware, Risk, and Recovery: Is Your DR Strategy Ready for Today’s Threats?
PRESENTER(S):
Sean Deuby (Director of Services, Semperis)
ABSTRACT
Disaster Recovery (DR) strategies have traditionally focused on natural disasters, then expanded into other physical events such as terrorism. Today, cyber weaponization is everywhere, and the “Extinction Event” is a genuine threat with no respect for geographic boundaries.
In 2017 the NotPetya ransomware attack impacted Maersk worldwide in under 10 minutes and cost the company over $300M. The 2018 Winter Olympics were hit by a targeted cyber attack. Ransomware attacks have become commonplace. Cyber risk directly correlates to business risk and cyber disasters strike more frequently with broader impact than their physical counterparts. Thus, modern DR strategies must prioritize cyber scenarios.
Takeaways: Denial-of-availability malware is now the #1 risk to business operations Cyber insurance policies are not the magic bullet they position themselves to be New “cyber-first” DR technologies automate recovery of complex systems, facilitate recovery to the cloud, and eliminate the risk of reinfection from system state and bare-metal backups
BIOGRAPHY
Sean Deuby brings 30 years’ experience in Enterprise IT and Hybrid Identity to his role as Director of Services at Semperis. An original architect and technical leader of Intel Active Directory, Texas Instrument’s Windows NT network, and 15-time MVP alumnus, Sean has been involved with Microsoft identity technology since its inception. His experience as an identity strategy consultant for many Fortune 500 companies gives him a broad perspective on the challenges of today’s identity-centered security. Sean is also an industry journalism veteran; as former technical director for Windows IT Pro, he has over 400 published articles on Active Directory, Azure Active Directory and related security, and Windows Server. He has presented sessions at multiple CIS / Identiverse conferences.
Zoom Online meeting Please obtain passcode to enter meeting from email confirmation RSVP Required – register at Zoom
TOPIC(S):
Learning through law: Building a better defense by studying real legal cases
PRESENTER(S):
Chester Wisniewski (Principal Research Scientist, Sophos)
ABSTRACT
While we are inundated by headlines of cybercriminals hacking everything that moves, we seldom have the opportunity to learn how they go about their trade craft. Often stories are distilled to simple things like “didn’t patch” or “phishing attack”. The complexities of real life events are far deeper. We can use the openness of our legal system to discover how these attacks actually unfolded for those who we are fortunate enough to apprehend, or at least charge with a crime. This talk will analyze a dozen recent indictments and US Grand Jury documents to learn the tricks, tools and techniques used in some of the most well known recent cyber attacks.
BIOGRAPHY
Chester Wisniewski is a principal research scientist at Sophos. With more than 25 years of professional experience, his interest in security and privacy first peaked while learning to hack from bulletin board text files in the 1980s, and has since been a lifelong pursuit.
Chester analyzes the massive amounts of attack data gathered by SophosLabs to distill and share relevant information in an effort to improve the industry’s understanding of evolving threats, attacker behaviors and effective security defenses. He’s helped organizations design enterprise-scale defense strategies, served as the primary technical lead on architecting Sophos’ first email security appliance, and consulted on security planning with some of the largest global brands.
As a former President of the Vancouver SecSIG he is grateful for no longer being responsible for the meetings, but excited to continue to share and contribute to the security knowledge of our community. You may recognize me from my appearances on Global News(https://t.co/VWNBOja8Iv), CBC and CTV if you are old enough to still watch news on a TV.
Zoom Online meeting Please obtain passcode to enter meeting from email confirmation RSVP Required – register at Zoom
TOPIC(S):
Differential Privacy
PRESENTER(S):
Robert Slade (M. Sc.)
ABSTRACT
Differential privacy is a relatively recent topic, although it is an amalgam of well-known, and long utilized, concepts. Oddly, outside of academic circles, it was almost unknown until Apple made a big deal of it in an announcement in 2016. Differential privacy is, however, the “quantitative risk analysis” of privacy, which is why it has such important points to make to the field of privacy, and why almost nobody is using it. (Including, mostly, Apple.)
OK, CISSP question time:
Which privacy law does differential privacy support?
a. British law b. Chinese law c. EU law d. US law
You want a clue? OK, some initial discussion, then:
a. British privacy law is still primarily based on the original privacy directives, and is mostly concerned with what data you can collect, and for how long, and how accurate you have to be. b. Yeah, I needed a good laugh, too. But China *does* have a privacy law, and it pretends to be compatible with the original privacy directives. c. Well, GDPR is *mostly* just the original privacy directives, but the new accountability directive *might* have to do with how well you protect what you *have* collected … d. OK, I often say the the US doesn’t have any privacy laws, but they do. Those are primarily concerned with how much you can sue when people disclose your data.
For the final answer, attend the December 11th meeting on the topic of differential privacy.
BIOGRAPHY
Robert Slade has been stuck inside for six months with nothing to do but study the latest security and privacy buzzwords. More information than anyone would want to know about him is available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Slade (and he doesn’t particularly care if you know that).
