RSA Conference Plans To Show Some Real Hustles

Hackers may be technology experts, but a lot of security exploits are scams and confidence tricks, pulled off by hustlers whose skills verge on magic.

The RSA Conference 2010 in London will reflect that, in its closing session, “To Catch a Thief: What IT Security Can Learn From Con Artists and Magicians”, which features  Alexis Conran, magician and star of the BBC3 TV show, “The Real Hustle“, as well as Bob Sullivan, author of two best-selling books on scamming techniques.

Scammers, Cyberterrorists and Teens

The show, established as a leading IT security forum, won’t skimp on the tech panels either, according to a list of sessions published today. In three days from 12 to 14 October, it will feature speakers including

Richard A. Clarke, former senior White House Advisor and expert on cyber security and counterterrorism, who served the last three presidents will talk on “Confronting the Hydra”.

Bruce Schneier, BT’s chief security technology officer, will give a keynote on the generation gap – and how the ideas of security and privacy will change as the younger generation becomes even more reliant on the Internet than the present one.

Along with the magic, Sullivan and Conran’s session will have a serious message: explaining how users are constantly under the assault of scammers, and why seemingly smart people continue to fall for phishing emails, social engineering attacks and other scams.

Other speakers include Adrienne Hall, general manager of “Trustworthy computing” at Microsoft; Philippe Courtot, CEO of Qualys; and Art Coviello, President or RSA and vice president of EMC.

Last year’s RSA show in London saw the Russian police accused of abetting cybercrime, and Rogue Trader Nick Leeson accused by ex-FBI agent Ed Gibson – as well as a packed programme of product and service announcements.

The show has discounts for early registration (but only until this Friday, 16 July).