Our community is finally discussing whether computer science researchers should be required to disclose negative societal consequences of their work to the public. Computer scientists argue that they aren’t social scientists or philosophers, but caring about the world isn’t about roles, it’s the responsibility of being a citizen of the world. At the very least, researchers ought to be effective communicators. We’ve seen them work with law enforcement and vulnerability announcements. There must be more they can do!

Tool of the week: Wget, Proof of Concept

Panelists: Mike Thompson, Kilian Englert, Mike Buckbee

Computer Scientists Aren’t Philosophers

We’re in an impermanent phase with technology where circumstances and cyberattacks are not always black or white. Here’s what we’re contending with: would you prefer a medical diagnosis from a human or machine? In another scenario, would a cyberattack on a state’s power grid be an act of war? Officially, it’s not considered so, yet. Or, perhaps a scenario less extreme where you buy a video and then 5 years later, it disappears from your library bc the company where you bought your video from loses the distribution rights. Data ownership is an important part of data security and privacy, but there are no hard and fast rules.

Panelists: Mike Thompson, Kilian Englert, Mike Buckbee

The False Binary of Cyber

Reminder: it's not "your data".

It's the patients' data
It's the taxpayers' data
It's the funder's data
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If you're in industry or self-fund the research & don't publish, then you have the right not to share your data. Otherwise, it's not your data.
— Lenny Teytelman (@lteytelman) July 16, 2018
We continue our conversation with Protocols.io founder Lenny Teytelman.In part two of our conversation, we learn more about his company and the use cases that made his company possible. We also learn about the pros and cons of mindless data collection, when data isn’t leading you in the right direction and his experience as a scientist amassing enormous amount of data.

Computational Biologist and Founder of Protocols.io, Lenny Teytelman (Part two)

After the latest Microsoft Ignite conference, the enduring dilemma of how CISOs explain security matters to the C-Suite bubbled to the surface again. How technical do you get?

Also, when the latest and greatest demos are given at one of the world’s most premier technology show, it can be easy to get overwhelmed with fancy new tools. What’s more important is to remember the basics: patching, least privilege, incident response, etc.

Other articles discussed:

Engineer fined for not disclosing a vulnerability responsibly
Young Mirai botnet authors avoid jail time
Is public shaming bad security a good idea?
Tool of the week: cspparse - A tool to evaluate Content Security Policies

Panelists: Kilian Englert, Matt Radolec, Mike Buckbee

How CISOs Explain Security to the C-Suite

Troy Hunt, creator of “Have I been pwned”, gives a virtual keynote that explores how security threats are evolving - and what we need to be especially conscious of in the modern era.

In this keynote, you’ll learn:

Real world examples of both current and emerging threats
How threats are evolving and where to put your focus
How to stem the flow of data breaches and protect against malicious activity
and much more!

Troy Hunt: The Modern State of Insecurity (Part One)

Troy Hunt, creator of “Have I been pwned”, gives a virtual keynote that explores how security threats are evolving - and what we need to be especially conscious of in the modern era.

In this keynote, you’ll learn:

 - Real world examples of both current and emerging threats 
 - How threats are evolving and where to put your focus 
 - How to stem the flow of data breaches and protect against malicious activity

and much more!

Troy Hunt: The Modern State of Insecurity (Part Two)

Troy Hunt, creator of “Have I been pwned”, gives a virtual keynote that explores how security threats are evolving - and what we need to be especially conscious of in the modern era.

In this keynote, you’ll learn:

-Real world examples of both current and emerging threats
-How threats are evolving and where to put your focus
-How to stem the flow of data breaches and protect against malicious activity
and much more!

Troy Hunt: The Modern State of Insecurity (Part Three)

Learning about the CIA’s tips and tricks on disguising one’s identity reminded us that humans are creatures of habit and over a period of time, can illuminate predictable behaviorial patterns, which are presented as biometric data. As a result, businesses can leverage and integrate these data points with their operations and sales process.

For instance, businesses are buying data about one’s health and also creating patents to measure a user’s pulse and temperature. Others are learning about the psychology about a user and making it difficult for a user to cancel a service.

Other articles discussed:

A trolley problem’s ethical dilemma
Humans, not algorithms, hired to curate Apple News
Panelists: Cindy Ng, Kris Keyser, Mike Buckbee, Sean Campbell

Disguises, Online and Offline

Passwords are easy to use. Everyone knows how it works. However, many security pros point out the inherent design flaw in passwords as a safe form of authorization and authentication. The good news is that we can reflect upon what old technologies can teach new technologies as we’re creating new products and services. One vital concern to keep in mind are terms and conditions, particularly with DNA ownership rights.

Other articles discussed:

How did Iran find CIA spies? They Googled It
Panelists: Cindy Ng, Kilian Englert, Forrest Temple, Matt Radolec

What New Tech Can Learn From Old Tech

Our podcast takes up the big questions of security, risk, and vulnerabilities. A weekly discussion with experts and the Varonis team.

Inside Out Security Podcast