Security 2009 report

As promised, here is a report from the Security 2009 Conference that took place in Oslo in October.

The conference had focus on security issues related to the current economic situation, and how to deal with these issues. IMHO, the conference fell a bit too heavy on product vendors jerking off from the stage, although most of them did quite well at controlling their need to mission their own solutions to be the right one for all. As we all know, there is no "one-size-fits-all" when it comes to security. It all depends on the risk profile of the organization, and their security strategy to uphold their profile. I'll hold my horses for now, this post is a report, not a rant...

The day started out with mingling, breakfast and saying hello to the usual crowd that shows up at these things. And some new of course. As you may remember, I was still very much recovering from my car crash, and being the chair was a true challenge to me. I did not have that much wit about me this day, which probably only served to show me off more serious, and more cocky than my usual self.

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Except from the producers jerking off from stage, there were two sessions I liked much. The first one being Per Thorsheim (http://twitter.com/thorsheim) talking about passwords. His been studying the subject for almost a decade, and he has some interesting points. Expect an interview with him. At some point!

The second interesting session was Behavioral biometrics, by Dr. Patrick Bourse. His research is very interesting indeed, showing that using the type pattern of an individual, it is very easy and quick to determine if the one typing is the right person. So for identification purposes, his research is truly promising.

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I'd like to thank Renate Thorseid from the Data Protectorate for her insights on privacy issues, and I am certain there where participants who learned something new. In addition, Matias Cuba, from Fortinet, deserves a special notice for giving clear and valuable information without speaking of his products (neither did he talk negatively about any competitors). I used to work with Matias some years ago, and he is growing more professional by the day! Thumbs up, Matias!

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In addition to the speeches, there was a round table session where the participants shared their experience and questions.

All over, the Security 2009 event went pretty well IMO. I used the opportunity to talk about how the top level management and their actions are critical in any crisis.

Thanks for this opportunity to meet and network!