Infosec2018 – from live-hack fails to password managers and combating the rise of ransomware

Cybersecurity is big business when malware and phishing schemes show no signs of slowing (and the big banks we trust with our hard-earned money can’t guarantee our security). Between the 5^th and 7^th June at London Olympia, Intercity took up a residence for three days only at Stand B60 in the Main Hall.

We teamed up with one of our trusted partners, Aruba, to talk to attendees about finding security solutions for their networks that empower and don’t stifle their workforces. It was also good to visit our other key partners, CheckPoint, Wandera and Juniper (and not just to claim some of their merchandise). There were plenty of takeaways in the form of printed t-shirts, canvas bags, webcam covers, and even flasks for the gym, but what were the main talking points?

The TechTalks came through with some great content on how the academic study of cybersecurity can teach you something in terms of day-to-day security. Professor Engin Kira’s ‘Redemption: Real-Time Endpoint Protection Against Ransomware’ presentation (where attendees got to wear some wireless headphones to be able to listen to his content), talked around a research-based security solution to help us identify when there might be ransomware at work without us knowing.

Whether Microsoft or any of the other big operating systems opt to include a solution of this type in the future remains to be seen, and whether you’re bemused or enthused with the details, it was a fascinating presentation to listen to. ‘Inside the Hacker’s bag of tricks’ delivered by Len Noe in conjunction with Cyber Ark didn’t go exactly according to plan after he tried to live demonstrate how easy social engineering makes it for us to be victims of hacking. All was going well until the final big reveal when he couldn’t quite crack the password. The message was still delivered quite clearly: just because an email appears to come from your IT Department asking you to install a software update, it doesn’t mean it is. If in doubt, pick up the phone and ask them directly.

We’re regularly told that we’re the last generation that will use passwords. With 59% of us using either the same or similar passwords across all our platforms, we’re exposing ourselves to a higher risk of having our security breached. Only 12% of the millennial generation use different passwords across platforms, and whether we’re lazy or prone to forget passwords, there are solutions that can do the hard work for us.

According to Pedro Martins of LogMeIn, ‘Passwords are here and they’re here to stay’. So how do we keep our passwords safe whilst using a password manager, and how secure are password managers? With zero knowledge encryption, the encryption keys are always kept with the end user. If you’re really not convinced, one of the key messages Martins delivered (and others across the exhibition), was the importance of multi-layer authentication. It’s much more difficult for someone to steal your face or your fingerprint than it is for them to use your dog’s name as your password.

[subscribe-form]

With all the talks, all the stands, and all the gimmicks, you might be left thinking, ‘How do I start trying to broach increasing cybersecurity measures in my business?’ As the pace of change in cybersecurity quickens, one thing is certain: no business is safe from a cyber-attack. Most businesses will state that cyber security remains their number one priority. We’re providing you with the answers at our upcoming event ‘

Cyber Security: A Common Problem’ on Tuesday 10^th July 2018 between 12 and 4pm at Canalside in Birmingham. Che Smith will be talking you through how to avoid the common pitfalls of doing nothing when it comes to protecting the security of your business. We’ll also be joined by Tom Kendrick, European Threat Prevention Security Engineer for CheckPoint who will be discussing the advantages of AI technologies for the benefit of the cyber-defence industry. You can sign up to our event here.