Press Release: How Terrorists encrypt, tenuous Security Situations concerning GSM Networks and IPv6 under Attack

René Pfeiffer/ September 22, 2011/ Press

Press release: From the 15th until the 18th of November international IT-security experts and hackers will meet again in Vienna, Austria, to discuss strategic security topics.

The schedule is confirmed: At this year’s international IT-security conference DeepSec, the main focus lies on strategic security topics.

 DeepSec 2011 takes place from the 15th-18th of November, it’ll be the 5th time that world’s elite in network-security and hacking comes together. Encryption techniques used by terrorists, secure use of mobile devices and the security awareness of their users as well as future security-infrastructures are main topics of this year’s DeepSec.

 “As in the years before we want to present exciting and controversial topics which concern not only experts, but most of us directly or indirectly in 7 workshops and 34 talks.” says René Pfeiffer, organiser of DeepSec. “That’s for example attacks on mobile GSM networks or security risks concerning IPv6, which will be more and more present in networks, but most companies and organisations haven’t acquired proper experiences with it. DeepSec acts as neutral platform to connect the hacker-community with IT- and security-companies, users, officials and researchers.” explains René Pfeiffer.

Terrorists: Not only the media is interested in them.

We think we know so much about them, but do they encrypt their communication as well? How do they encrypt? Which tools do they use? And how secure and successful are they? How do Western countries’ secret services react to their attempts to conceal information?

To cast some light on these questions computer forensic and investigative journalist Duncan Campbell will present his talk “how terrorists encrypt” as keynote at this year’s DeepSec conference. Just like anyone who blindly trusts algorithms, terrorists are prone to commit the same mistakes over and over again, with drastic consequences.

Everyone uses them, everyone’s affected: Mobile data devices or mobile phones.

Attacks on those devices and espionage trough mobile networks will be topic of several workshops and talks at DeepSec 2011. GSM security experts Dieter Spaar and Harald Welte will conduct a 2-day workshop called “Attacks on GSM-networks” where they discuss the whole range of security breaches and flaws in world’s most popular mobile radio standard. There’s one thing for sure: Don’t talk about your business secrets on the phone without first taking serious security measures to keep those who shouldn’t from hearing them.

 IPv6 is coming to (your?) town.

In his Workshop “Hacking Ipv6 Networks” Fernando Gont of SI6 will convey security risks and faults of this new protocol, how it can be attacked, but in next instance how it can be secured. Almost every feature of IPv6 carries risks, which can be exploited by hackers. But by understanding those risks you can make it more secure and fend off attacks. Attendees of this workshop will learn by doing, and therefore have practical knowledge of security measures afterwards. The workshop is a must for everyone deploying and securing IPv6 in networks.

Further topics will be: Code review, digital espionage, digital forensics, incident response, malware research, secure communication, network protocols, operating systems, patch & upgrade management, secure software development, security management, social engineering, VoIP technology, web application security and mobile radio standards.

 As a neutral platform DeepSec brings together security experts from around the world to interact and profit from each others experience and ideas. At DeepSec IT- and security companies, end users, government departments, public authorities, researchers and the hacker-community get a chance to interact and get the latest information in 33 talks and 8 workshops.

Another big aim of DeepSec conference is to clean up with the widespread prejudice that hackers are criminals. “It’s just the opposite. Many of the so-called hackers want to demonstrate and show security breaches. The only way to eliminate dangers is to get to know them, just like in every other aspect of our lives.” prompts René Pfeiffer.

This year’s sponsors are Google, McAfee and the University of Applied Sciences in Hagenberg, Austria, among others.

 

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About René Pfeiffer

System administrator, lecturer, hacker, security consultant, technical writer and DeepSec organisation team member. Has done some particle physics, too. Prefers encrypted messages for the sake of admiring the mathematical algorithms at work.