Cyber defence an immature discipline

Issued by
Johannesburg, Jan 26, 2012

Cyber defence is still an immature discipline; traditional law enforcement currently does not have the skills required to effectively address cyber warfare.

This is according to Kenneth Geers, NCIS cyber subject matter expert, who says that another problem, when it comes to addressing cyber warfare successfully, is the fact that it`s difficult to retain people with the required skills in the industry.

Hacking offers a high return on investment, as it`s cheap to carry out, the impact is far reaching because no organisation or person is immune to being hacked, and there`s a high degree of anonymity for the perpetrators, Geers notes.

He stresses that critical infrastructure, which controls everything from electricity to the elections of a country, is susceptible to cyber warfare, because everything is connected to the Internet.

Geers is a speaker at the ITWeb Security Summit, which takes place from 15 to 17 May, at the Sandton Convention Centre. He will discuss conflict, crime, espionage, terrorism and warfare in relation to the Internet.

[Sidebar]The summit will also feature renowned whitehat hacker, Moxie Marlinspike, as well as a host of local and international speakers, who will provide informative discussions around all areas relating to security.

To book your seat and to find out more about the summit, click here.

Story by Nadine Arendse