Infosecurity Europe 2008 - advice on the latest IT security threats. Many technologies displayed at Reed Exhibitions’ Infosecurity Europe 2008 in the Olympia Grand Hall, London, in April showed visitors how to stay ahead of new threats, whenever and wherever they may arise in the World.

Europe’s most comprehensive convergence of information security professionals, the exhibition was bigger and busier than ever, with 12,500 visitors and more than 380 exhibitors filling 6480 m² stand space on the ground floor and gallery level. Meanwhile the adjoining Service Desk & IT Support Show 2008 featured over 80 exhibitors.

In fact the strategy for accommodating further growth next year, at the 14th Infosecurity Europe on April 28–30, is to transfer to a larger venue nearby, Earls Court 1 and 2. The 2008 event included a wide-ranging education programme of keynote presentations, workshops and both business and technical seminars. Over three days visitors had the opportunity to listen to as many as 130 experts, including Ed Gibson, the Chief Security Adviser for Microsoft UK, who chaired a panel reviewing the latest threats and mitigation strategies.

In its Forefront Security Academy programme running each day, Microsoft demonstrated its portfolio of MS Client, Server and Network Edge security products and solutions as well as discussing current industry topics such as the virtualisation of company infrastructure, how to secure a multiplicity of mobile devices, network access protection for laptops and identity management.

Particular emphasis at Infosecurity Europe was placed on data, messaging and Web security in the business environment and public sector. The most topical included technical countermeasures to avoid recent serious data breaches, such as inadequate security for laptops and discs containing confidential or even top secret information as well as the disclosure of personal credit card details.

Over the past 12 months in the UK alone, unencrypted discs containing sensitive data on millions of child benefit recipients have been sent by post, a laptop has been left on a car seat with hundreds of thousands of data records for the Ministry of Defence, and millions of credit card transactions have been transmitted over an open wireless network.

Other key themes of the Show were solutions to combat profit-driven cybercrime such as identity theft and internet fraud in online financial transactions. Technological solutions were offered too, to combat thorny behavioural issues such as improper use and data leakage by authorised individuals, whose anomalies in behaviour can be detected.

Critical data or even entire customer databases can be copied over or emailed out to business competitors or broadcast. Then hackers can invade the latest VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) corporate telecommunications systems. Many of the solutions exhibited from European vendors to block these practices were founded upon a track record of success in North America, although Western and Central European suppliers were also displaying proprietary solutions that were both effective and innovative.

Every year visitors, however well informed they think they are, know that they need to attend Infosecurity Europe for advice and information on all the newly evolving IT security threats and vulnerabilities.

Oliver Haines

Contact:

www.infosec.co.uk