DeepSec 2013 Talk: Supply Chain – The Exposed Flank

René Pfeiffer/ November 15, 2013/ Conference, Security, Stories

Securing your own perimeter is the prime task IT security teams are worried about. However there is Murphy’s Law of Firewalls, too. Given a sufficient amount of time, business requirements will pierce a lot of holes in your firewall and your defences. Once you work with suppliers, you will have to deal with their perimeters as well. Your opponents will go for the weakest link, and if the links on your end are strong, then they go for your suppliers and partners. Dave Lewis of Akamai Technologies will talk about this problem in his talk at DeepSec 2013.

It’s not your immediate partners you have to think about. There are trading partner networks, code developed by off shore development centres and outsourced help desks. Even if you use security products you can get into trouble as the break-in at RSA Security illustrates (it’s just an example, pick any vendor and think of the scenario). Every person, every company, every device that has access to your enterprise network is a part of the equation. Dave will illustrate the need to address these parts by the use of real world stories. It’s not just theory. You will be confronted with real issues, real cases, and real consequences.

Dave’s talk is of interest for anyone dealing with the defences of modern companies and organisations. You will benefit from failures others have experienced for you. It’s never a bad time to take a step back and question what you already know.