Recently in Web Security Category

For years, I've despised the so-called booth-babe phenomenon, in which vendors hire women to stand at their booths in skimpy attire at conferences. I've focused on what I see at security events, but the problem is universal.

As of 31 March 2014, the UK officially has a governmental Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) that is responsible for being the central point for communication between a variety of governmental and business within the confines of the UK, as well as beyond. While this is the 'birthday' of CERT-UK, the organization has already been working hard since November to create infrastructure and hiring personnel, this was simply an official date to say "We're open for business."

Akamai is a platinum sponsor of next week's SOURCE Boston conference, and we'll have an army of security staff on hand to answer questions, show people around and help with introductions.

Akamai researchers have released fresh details regarding the Wordpress XML-RPC pingback exploits used in a series of DDoS attacks earlier this month. The details are in an advisory written by CSIRT's Larry Cashdollar.

We hear a lot about the need to educate kids on Internet security threats. But Christopher Burgess, CEO of security consultancy Prevendra, thinks the danger is even greater for senior citizens who haven't had the advantages of growing up in a hyper-connected world. 

A week after the shutdown of Full Disclosure sent shockwaves through the security industry, we're getting word that it's getting a second chance. Nmap Project hacker Gordon Fyodor Lyon announced Tuesday that he's taking on management of the list.

The final speaker list and agenda have yet to be finalized, but plenty of details are now available regarding BSides Boston 2014. Those details are below. As for the final agenda, stay tuned for that after the call for papers period closes March 31.

The full schedule has been released for next month's SOURCE Boston security conference. This year's keynote speakers are:

• Internationally renowned security technologist and author Bruce Schneier;
• Justine Aitel, who manages cyber security and identity programs at Dow Jones; and 
• Dr. Andrea M. Matwyshyn, an academic studying technology innovation and its legal implications, particularly corporate information security regulation and commercial and consumer privacy.

The job of security professionals is becoming tougher by the day. While we work hard to ensure that vulnerabilities are covered, an attacker simply needs to find the weakest link. Not a pleasing thought, but often attackers have the time and resources on their side while the "good guys" work under a whole different set of pressures.

International Data Group (IDG) announced yesterday that its Founder and Chairman, Patrick J. McGovern, died March 19 at Stanford Hospital in Palo Alto, California. Having worked at IDG for five years before coming to Akamai, the news made me profoundly sad. But this post is a celebration of a life well lived and the huge legacy he left in the world of tech media and beyond.