Okay, I don’t have great expectations of AusCert conferences as most know. They’re a great junket and the social side of things is fantastic. Content though is usually ordinary with only a handful of presentations worth remembering.
I was looking forward to seeing Scott Charney’s “Enabling End to End Trust” keynote given recent discussions about his paper since it’s release. Scott: Impressive background, impressive presenting skills, but gees, if you’re going to travel half-way around the world to talk about your End to End Trust, talk about it!
10 minute bio, 30 minute introduction and history of IT security and a few minutes looking at and talking about a page with a magic cloud, sitting on 4 magic circles, sitting on established good security practices. “To know more, go to this link on the MS website”. WTF? Is that it!? Sure was…….one hour I’ll never get back.
Okay, it can only get better……oops, spoke to soon with a few more presentations that gave me an introduction and history on IT security and told me bad guys were up to mischief out there. Declan at this stage needs some air. His eyes are spinning into the back of his head and he’s about to do a Bruce Banner. Luckily for all, he manages to get outside and take a few deep breaths. I hope he’s going to be okay.
Elisabeth Wentworth manages to wake me up. Nice presentation and no introduction to, and history of IT security. Wish Declan was back for this one.
Our old colleague Morgan’s presentation makes me start to think I am in 2008 and at an IT Security conference. His talk about hacking into SCADA networks stood out as the presentation of the day though he had to, at late notice, squeeze a 1 hour presentation into 30 minutes. This was more a Black Hat, Rux, Kiwicon type presentation and I wonder what some delegates made of what he presented. Dec was back to his old self after this one.
Walter Muller’s case study on implementing an IPS system was well worth attending. Some good lessons in this presentation. One of the better IPS implementation case studies I have seen.
So what started as a really “slow” day, ended up okay. To be fair, there were 4 streams (2 of which were paid vendor streams), so there was probably some good stuff I missed. Be keen to hear about them if others were in attendance at them
yeah I feel the same, I go every year this year included and I normally only see 1 or 2 preso’s. It’s all about talking to people putting faces to names for me.
Walter Mullers presentation was top notch, exactly what an industry conference like this should have. It was a the text book discussion of problem, proposed solution, theory and practise. This is the kind of preso that saves companies thousands of dollars who are implementing similar systems, and solving similar problems.
I hope there were people from the ASIA Executive Committee attending this as I’m sure this preso would benefit all the ASIA members who are looking to implement an IPS in their environment.
Hey Alex, yeah, totally agree. Have met a heap of BorB readers this year and even interstate clients who I have only ever spoken to on the phone. Might see you around…
“Me Me Me”
My watch must be slow… by my reckoning, it was at least 20 minutes of Charney’s bio diatribe – “me, me, me”. Followed by some more “me”.
Ok Scott, we get it, mate. By your own account, you’re good. Probably very good. According to you, you’ve done a lot of things, been a lot of places, met a lot of people.
But we Aussies have this thing called humility, mate. Its all about not bragging (too much) and avoiding big noting one’s self.
Lest you be branded a “wanker”.
And we wouldn’t want to call you that, mate.
;- )
BG.
[...] after the first day. He seems really upset by it. “Gees!” is he talking about me? Or this? I cringe and then I think, hell yeah…..if me, good!…if not me……Good! If [...]
Use to go but pulled out a couple of years ago. It has just become a marketing ground for vendors and a piss-up for middle managers and sys admins. Don’t waste your money – go to Blackhat and Defcon – at least your not stuck in a 1980’s hotel in the middle of nowhere.
Thanks for the nice comments man. Good to catch up…
@Hunter, good to see you also mate. It’s been too long. Have fun in Hawaii!
Will do man. Shakacon is on!!!!
Have you checked the presenters list for Defcon this year?
Well done mate. Looks like you’ll get a decent amount of time to present too.
My yet see you there.