DeepSec 2012 Talk: When I Grow up I want to be a Cyberterrorist

René Pfeiffer/ November 25, 2012/ Conference

We have asked Mike Kemp to give an overview of what to expect from his talk When I Grow up I want to be a Cyberterrorist:

Terrorism is not big. It is not clever. It is definitely not funny (unless it involves pies in the face). It can however (like so much in life), be utterly absurd. To clarify, the reactions to it can be. The UK is the most surveiled place on earth (outside of Disneyland). The United Kingdom has lots of cameras, lots of privately collected and held data, lots of asinine legislation, and lots of panic. The media and political classes have conspired to protect the once freedom loving residents of the UK against themselves (and we are not alone in living the Panopticon dream). Frankly, it’s pissing me off.

In my talk I highlight some of the mechanisms that are allegedly being used by the bad men to do the bad things. I outline some potential mechanisms of attack that can be used to attack the critical national infrastructure of the UK. I outline a number of ways the media have over-reacted, and the politicians have sought to protect us from ourselves. I also examine ways by which it is possible to reap havoc using eBay, why you should be terrified of Twitter use, and how incorrect translations and archaic networks and make you look as silly as Glenn Beck.

As (supposed) security professionals, I maintain it is high time we took an informed stance on defining actual pragmatic risk; rather than running around like idiots trying to utilise FUD to finance our yacht buying. It should be noted that I fully expect some audience members to hate me, however I am relying on enough agreeing with me to avoid arrest and sobriety.