Meeting Agenda

Cost:  $0

Everyday, all around the world, engineers work to build better, faster, more connected products. From medical devices and cars to refrigerators and lighting systems, more and more products are becoming network-aware and capable of interacting not only with other systems on a network, but with the end user as well.

For consumers this new level of information sharing and interaction seems like the path towards some type of hyper-connected utopia where one needs merely to send a command from a tablet computer to the dishwasher for it to start. Who wouldn't want to control almost every device in their home or business via a mobile app, social media service, or by instant messaging?

Ease of use, convenience, and centralized control...it's an intoxicating mix for the engineer and the user alike.

Unfortunately, just like every other kind of intoxicating event, there's typically a hangover looming after the fun comes to an end. This exciting connectivity nirvana is no different and the hangover is starting to reveal itself already.

Many in the information security field see these new advancements as a slippery slope where the device and the network it is attached to become almost impossible to protect from security related threats. Imagine a day where an exploit launched against your network-aware coffee maker causes it to overheat and start a fire in your home or business. Far fetched? Not really. Attacks like these are already happening with other connected products.

Join Tom DeSot, Chief Information Officer for Digital Defense, as he discusses these threats and others that begin at the beginning...when a product is being designed and engineered. During his presentation he'll review the issues surrounding non-traditional device connectivity and discuss steps that those in the engineering field can take to protect consumers and businesses alike from unintended and unwanted events.

Tom Desot, NSA-IAM
EVP, Chief Information Officer

As the CIO of Digital Defense, Tom DeSot is charged with developing and maintaining relationships with key industry and market regulators; functioning as the “face of DDI” through public speaking initiatives, and serving as the prime regulatory compliance resource for external and internal contacts. Tom also serves as the company's internal auditor on security-related matters. Tom gained much of his controls experience during his 16 years in the financial industry. Prior to joining Digital Defense, Tom was Vice President of Information Systems for Generations Federal Credit Union in San Antonio, Texas.
Tom holds a Bachelor of Arts in Applied Arts and Sciences from Texas State University where he graduated summa cum laude. He is heavily involved in San Antonio's network security community and was a founding member on the board of directors for the Alamo Chapter of Information Systems Security Association. He is currently a member of ISSA and ISACA, the latter of which he serves on the board of the San Antonio chapter. He is also a former Supervisory/Audit Committee Chairman for Generations Federal Credit Union and now serves on their Board of Directors in the capacity of Treasurer.

About Digital Defense
 

Digital Defense, Inc. (DDI), a San Antonio-based corporation, is a leading provider managed cloud-based security assessment solutions. We provide the insight necessary for organizations to protect their critical customer and business information while allowing them to focus on their business, rather than dedicate resources to network security. DDI clients enjoy greater visibility and management insight of their enterprise-wide governance, risk management, and compliance (GRC) programs using DDI’s proprietary Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) delivery platforms and assessment tools

DDI develops and maintains solutions to address the increasing security threats companies face on a daily basis. The organization has gained prominence in the national information security arena with its proprietary and patent pending technology, cloud-based services delivery, and Frontline™ Solutions Platform (FSP), which allows clients to effectively identify and remediate security vulnerabilities through a sophisticated workflow management capability known as Active View™. In addition, DDI’s highly trained staff includes certified security analysts and a dedicated vulnerability research team who are credited with the recent discovery of vulnerability within the IBM® WebSphere® Application Server Administrative Console.

www.ddifrontline.com