How Secure Are Your Systems? Understanding Internet Threats

Wednesday 14th March 2007, 6:30 pm

Speakers: Ed Gibson, Chief Security Advisor for Microsoft Ltd in the UK; and Russell George, Managing Director, Security Minds

Venue: The Royal Scots Club Hepburn Suite, 30 Abercromby Place, Edinburgh EH3 6QE - map and direction.

This talk is free of charge and no reservation is required. Non members are most welcome. Refreshments available from 6:10 pm.

Synopsis

Ed Gibson will talk on Security Environment - From Organized Crime to your Desktop. This is an overview of why security is important to everyone who uses a computer. The internet is vibrant, and e-commerce could no longer be as successful without it. However, new technology means new risks. What are they? How can we protect ourselves? Security is not a fun topic, but neither is phishing, social engineering, worms, Trojans, and viruses. Get a behind the scenes look at the environment from one who has been involved from the inside.

Russ George will talk on emerging internet threats, concentrating on the changing threat picture with the growth in the malicious market place linked to the increase in e-commerce and IP convergence (and may look at demonstrating some of the new issues or evolving issues.). Additionally it will re-enforce the need for defence in depth and that the assurance and protection of information should not be left to technical measures alone.

About the speakers

 

Mr. Gibson is the Chief Security Advisor for Microsoft Ltd, in the UK. His primary role is to serve as an advisor to Microsoft’s customers, and the public, on the work Microsoft is doing to improve the security of its products. This role comes on the heels of his retirement from a 20-year career as a Supervisory Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). During this period, Gibson was a recognized expert in investigating complex, international money laundering schemes, asset identification and confiscation, and intellectual property theft. While assigned to FBI Headquarters, Washington, DC, Mr. Gibson developed and managed an operational training program for all Special Agents and executive management, in money laundering and asset confiscation investigations.

From early 2000 – mid 2005, Mr. Gibson was assigned to the FBI’s Legal Attache office, US Embassy London, as an Assistant Legal Attaché. There, he was responsible for all FBI cyber, hi-tech, cyber-terrorism, and infrastructure investigations in the UK. His leadership resulted in the creation of a model cybe03-Mar-2007world.

Mr. Gibson was a corporate lawyer for a US based multinational corporation for five years prior to the FBI. While assigned to the US Embassy, he qualified as a Solicitor in England and Wales, and completed a two-year computing program at Oxford University. He is a Member of the Board of the John Grieve Centre for Policing and Community Safety, in England.

 
   

Russ George is the Managing Director of Security Minds; he is currently engaged as a trusted advisor to UK Government covering all areas of protective security and security assurance. He is an experienced Information Security & Security Assurance Consultant with a Bachelor Engineering Degree in Electronics and Computer Engineering from the University of Portsmouth. He is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), BSI BS7799 Lead Auditor, former CESG CHECK team member, a former member of the British Computer Society Security Expert Panel, founder member of the Institute of Information Security Professionals and in part time government service. As a principal consultant he has managed a wide range of programmes and projects of all sizes delivering business benefit and enhancing understanding across business groups of the value of protective security and security assurance to business delivery and business change.

In August 2006, He founded Security Minds to offer protective security and security assurance services. Initially, Security Minds offered services to UK Government (Central & Local), Law enforcement, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) and parts of the UK’s Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) and are subsequently expanding service offerings.

Security Minds is a global consultancy specialising in business enablement through supporting clients in identifying their assurance needs. Services enable clients to appropriately identify and protect assets critical to their business. Security Minds are able to support clients in areas such as cultural development instilling resilient and secure practices into every day business activities to strengthen clients’ ability to operate in less stable regions or enable resilient growth. Security Minds have the capability to support clients, in identifying and realising project benefits, managing risk and realising higher levels of success.