APT1, Shanghai Jiao Tong university, and Xenophobia

A few things have caught my attention recently which I'd like to share with you all in a somewhat abbreviated manner (meaning I'm swamped but this is important):

A Security Engineer's Forensic Review of Mandiant's APT1 report

Please read this security engineer's forensic review of the evidence contained in Mandiant's Appendix. He's discovered a lot more evidence which casts doubt on Mandiant's conclusions.

Shanghai Jiao Tong University's Collaboration with U.S. InfoSec Companies

Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Information Security Engineering is just that - one of many Chinese universities that teaches information security. It is not a PLA school nor does it engage in hacking attacks. If it did, then I doubt that BreakingPoint Systems, a company that conducts "cyber warrior training" and does "cyber range deployments" for the U.S. government would have signed a "strategic cooperation agreement" with them.

Mandiant CSO Richard Bejtlich's view on Hiring Foreign Nationals

While I've disagreed often with Mandiant and Richard Bejtlich's views on China, I never heard him say anything remotely as awful as this quote from the Washington Examiner. I hope he was misquoted:

Bejtlich said he opposed placement of any foreign citizen of a suspect country like China in any sensitive government position.
"If you're considering them for a job at a national lab or a government agency, I think we're at the point now where it's recognized that's probably not a good idea," he said.

If that's an accurate quote, I can only hope that U.S. companies will ignore that incredibly poor advice. I think that most intelligent people in today's globalized economy have experienced working side by side with honest, talented, and skillful "foreigners" in many high technology settings including national labs and other environments. In fact, the U.S. would be hard-pressed to continue to innovate without them. The above quote is an example of xenophobia that's not far removed from McCarthyism and other witch-hunts and it has no place in the U.S. in 2013.

Add to Cart View detail

The Most Important Cyber Issue in 2013: Offense as Defense

Between SECDEF Panetta signaling Iran and other states that the U.S. won't tolerate increased cyber attacks without a response and the increasing impatience on the part of the private sector of being legally restrained from doing anything when they see their stolen data sitting on a foreign server, I predict that the most important cyber topic of 2013 will be active defense. In fact, we had a lively discussion about this very topic last Thursday at Suits and Spooks Boston.

In order to provide a forum where the various implications of taking offensive action under the umbrella of active defense can be explored, debated, and tested, I've decided to dedicate our next Suits and Spooks event to this critical area. I've also expanded it from a single day to a two-day event that will feature hands-on labs in addition to plenary sessions. And unlike SNS Boston, journalists will be welcome at SNS DC 2013.

Two speakers and one lab that are already lined up include Dr. Boldizsar Bencsath, director of the Laboratory of Cryptography and System Security, Budapest who's lab first discovered DuQu, Richard Bejtlich, the Chief Security Officer of Mandiant, and via IRC in one of our labs - th3j35t3r (hacktivist for good). Dr. David Bray, who had been earlier announced, may have a conflict on either of those days so his may be a last minute appearance. Many more speakers and labs will be announced in the coming weeks.

It will be held in the same venue as our February 2012 event - The Waterview Conference Center; a spectacular space overlooking the Potomac river and the Capital from the 24th floor. I'm inviting both national and international experts to participate and am open to your suggestions for the types of labs that you'd like to participate in as well as receiving inquires from companies who'd like to be a sponsor.

As is our custom, attendance will be capped at 100. I've set up a super early bird rate in order to help keep your costs associated with attending low. Considering the controversial nature of this topic in combination with its criticality, I expect fully expect this event to sell-out. See you in DC.

Suits and Spooks DC: Offense as Defense

• February 8-9, 2013 at the Waterview Conference Center, Arlington, VA
• Featuring plenary and breakout sessions (labs)
• Two Continental breakfasts
• Two lunches
• A free signed copy of my new book "Assumption of Breach: A New Security Paradigm" (O'Reilly Media, 2013)

Registration:
Super Early Bird $225.00 (until November 9, 2012)
Early Bird $395.00 (until January 9, 2013)
Standard $595.00 (until February 7 or when the event is sold-out)

Options

Super Early Bird registration $225.00 USD

Add to Cart View detail