I got this week’s copy of Information Week magazine. There was an advertisement in it for a Security Virtual Event. This is like a conference. However it only simulates face to face interaction. The event is being held on October 23rd. It is being marketed as a gathering of the best known white hat hackers. Kevin Mitnick is presenting the keynote speech. The event is being sponsored by Information Week and Dark Reading.To tell the truth, I have never heard of Dark Reading before. Maybe that’s one of the reasons why they are sponsoring the event – to get more exposure. A little research taught me that Dark Reading is a web site. The group that produces it is a division of CMP Technology. It was started in May 2006, and is a security web site. They analyze and report on security vulnerabilities.
The event is an online one. It is supposed to be interactive. In other words, you can participate in discussions. Some of the big topics being addressed are cybercrime, risk management, and compliance. You can network with other security professionals. There will be virtual booths staffed by security companies.
If you register for the event, you have the chance to win some prizes. Kevin Mitnick’s keynote is “The Art of Deception: The Shifting Face of Cybercrime”. That sounds a little like his first book. There are also a number of sponsors for the event. The only name that sounded familiar was Symantec. The big sponsors get 45 minute blocks during the day to present.
All of the speakers listed show their actual names. There are no hackers code eLiTe handles presenting at this conference. I guess it is a legitimate security conference. The only difference is that the whole thing is being presented online. I hope I can get off from work that day to check it out.
