Speaker: John N. Stewart
In a world of no boundaries and digital warfare, electronic attacks upon national IT systems are becoming more frequent, sophisticated and effective. These attacks against the IT infrastructure of governments, defense departments, and the large financial institutions on which we rely are challenging current defense operating systems to their fullest, and may have lasting adverse effects to the nation's economy, security, and overall way of life. Research has found that these attacks have progressed from initial curiosity probes to well-funded and organized operations for political, military, economic and technical espionage and maliciousness. As threats continue to evolve in this multifaceted world, we must develop macro, strategic solutions that can help to protect our interests. Each stolen document has a monetary cost. And at a time when many of us carry valuable information on multiple devices, we must each accept the responsibility of creating the architecture of assurance. As IT security professionals, are we asking the right questions regarding information assurance? Are we providing the right set of solutions to today's challenges and are they enough to protect our IT systems? John N. Stewart questions established practices by asking the hard questions that require real-world answers for today's security challenges.