I have seen the enemy, and he is us

(Walt Kelly, in the comic strip Pogo)

  • We have gone from deliberate errors, to unwitting mistakes
    • The threat is not in your floppy drive
    • In fact, you don't know where the next threat is coming from
  • The Windows MetaFile ZeroDay Exploit
  • http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=28590
    • "F-SECURE, Bugtraq and a number of other security aware outfits have warned of a zero day vulnerability that's being actively exploited as we write."
    • "There is no solid workaround against emerging WMF exploits."
  • Issues and Answers
    • Do you think things have changed?
    • What is the biggest threat?
    • Breaking in is no longer for hobbyists
      • It's a commercial business
      • IDS vendors pay for exploits
      • Orgainzied crime pays for exploits
      • Spammers hire people to write viruses, trojans, and spyware
    • Answers? There are no easy answers.
  • The Past is the Future
    In the early days, there were bulletin boards, research networks, and government networks. Various small groups found each other, and rumors spread about the computer underground.
    The Internet took off, and bulletin boards started to die off. To celebrate the passing of his bulletin board, a young man known as The Dark Tangent decided to hold a party for all his on line friends, and the rest is history.

    Some things never change.
    		 Defcon I took place in Las Vegas, Nevada, on a hot summer weekend in 1993 (at the Sands Hotel & Casino, which has since been blown-up). This year, it is welcomed at the Riviera, the weekend of August 4.
Etaoin Shrdlu
Last modified: Sun Apr 09 03:50:02 PST 2006