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Dark Arts - The Next Frontier in Security?

By Katherine Russ-Hotfelter, Director, Channel Marketing, Hexis Cyber Solutions

Those who attended Black Hat USA or DEFCON 2015 in Las Vegas in August are likely already
associated with the Global Information Security community, to whom these
gatherings are targeted. Black Hat briefings were started over 16 years ago and are considered
quite mainstream.

Even DEFCON, the edgy, irreverent, grungy, teenager of hacker focused conferences started
in 1993, which is older than today's college graduates. So why would Dark Arts be the Next
Frontier in Security?

Don't Bring a Knife to a Gun Fight
IT Security in general has become the darling of the media, and "mainstreamed" in the past few
years due to very public security breaches.

Even ordinary consumers like "Grandma", have been affected through their personal records,
financial information and even health details being shared and exploited on the deep web.

Per the media, it is even possible that today, while driving down the freeway, the Dark Lord of
hacking may target my car's computer and careen me into the concrete k-rail at 75 mph.

Still, most consumers (my own family included) and many businesses still think you can just
purchase a virus protection software package or just "buy an Apple computer" and be safe. We
are still purchasing knives to bring to a gun fight.

If I remember the technology lifecycle bell
curve, from University Marketing 101
correctly, the majority of the population
while aware of the constantly morphing
and developing problem of IT Security, is
still in the early majority category based
upon purchases and execution.

One Finger Supporting a Dam
So everyone is aware of the problem, but
no actions are being taken? Not exactly.

The problem is more like the story of the
little boy that stops the dam from
breaking by placing his finger in the hole.


His efforts while effective in stopping the leak, can't keep up with the amount of leaks. He needs
help from others as, he only has 10 fingers and a coverage span of about 5.5 feet.


28 Cyber Warnings E-Magazine – August 2015 Edition
Copyright © Cyber Defense Magazine, All rights reserved worldwide

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