With coronavirus starting to take hold globally, international travel restrictions are kicking in and more workplaces are advising to work from home whenever possible. When self-isolation is a potential solution, public gatherings are increasingly looking like a terrible idea. Events are becoming a bit of a hotspot for cases, leading to inevitably bizarre sc

The second edition of BSides Athens was planned this Saturday. I already attended the first edition (my wrap-up is here) and I was happy to be accepted as a speaker for the second time!  This edition moved to a new location which was great. Good wireless, air conditioning and food. The day was based on three tracks: the first two for regular talks and the th

BSides is known for its collaborative and welcoming environment – something that truly sets it apart from the many other security conferences that are held these days. Today, the conference series has spread all across the world, yet its mission remains the same: to provide an open forum for infosec discussion and debate. Tony Martin-Vegue, a speaker at this

Cybersecurity conferences provide excellent opportunities to network with peers, learn about the latest trends in security, engage with vendors and see firsthand the latest developments in technology. Here is a roundup of some of the most interesting 2017 cybersecurity conferences. RSA Conference For many cybersecurity experts and enthusiasts, the RSA Confer

People say that Philadelphia has an inferiority complex. They say that that we feel overlooked being located between New York and Washington, D.C. Until earlier this month, as far Security BSides was concerned, that was pretty much true. Great BSides groups are easy driving distance from Philadelphia, but we had nothing in our own backyard. Why not us?The ca

Intent. Often a word not usually used when describing cyber intrusions, but is the primary cause of business loss. Organizations and their customers, clients, beneficiaries, and others are not affected by the simple “fact of” intrusion into computer networks.Individuals are impacted by the intent that intruders have when breaching a network. In many cases, t

You are here. But where is that? As a child, I remember being at the mall, standing in front of the directory map. There was a big dot with an arrow. You are here. Still, I had no context of what that meant. Managing an information security program can sometimes feel like that. Sound familiar? If so, you’re not alone.On December 3rd, I have the pleasure of s

Mobile devices are rapidly becoming the primary need of any user. Ease of use, portability, user-friendly GUI, robust computing, a wide variety of applications… all of these features makes a mobile device much more compelling than a normal computer.However, mobile phones are becoming more of a security concern, and organizations need to consider a new

One thing is clear in information security: defending against digital threats today is more challenging than ever.Part of the problem has to do with an increase in the number of threats. For example, the United States Internal Revenue Service in January 2016 received 1,026 reports of tax-related phishing and malware attacks – a 400 percent increase over the

A longtime reader recently asked: “How do online fraudsters get the 3-digit card verification value (CVV or CVV2) code printed on the back of customer cards if merchants are forbidden from storing this information? The answer: If not via phishing, probably by installing a Web-based keylogger at an online merchant so that all data that customers submit

In Part II of our 2015 Infosec Wishlist series, a number of security experts expressed their desire for the security community to renew its focus on collaboration, communication and unity in the New Year. To accomplish this goal, folks in information security will need to internalize this message and inject it into their dealings with one another. But how c

BSides PDX! My first BSides was last year and ever since, I’ve been counting down to this year’s event. For those of you who are not familiar with BSides, the idea behind it is to provide an easily accessible security conference at local venues around the world and to foster activity for the local security community. That being said, this year

Earlier this month, security professionals from all over the world flooded to Las Vegas, Nevada, for Black Hat USA and DEF CON. As two of the largest and most respected events in information security, it is no surprise that they are a preferred choice for security experts and product vendors alike, year after year. Those conferences are indeed popular, but i

The first week of August marks an annual pilgrimage of security professionals to Las Vegas for the Black Hat, DEF CON and BSides conferences. I’ve personally been making the annual trek for over a decade. It’s a set of events I simultaneously look forward to and dread more than any other week of the year. I look forward to being in Vegas because

Today was another successful day at BSides Las Vegas, with more intriguing presentations and an amped up crowd ready to hear from security researchers, engineers, analysts and catalysts alike.Although there were numerous interesting topics to choose from, my time only permitted for about a half-day of sessions. Luckily, many of the presenters noted they woul