by Yi Ning Lim, marketing specialist at GMO GlobalSign
The Infosecurity World Exhibition & Conference 2012 (ISWec 2012) was held at Putra World Trade Centre from 21 to 22 March 2012. This inaugural event was officiated by Y.A.Bhg Datin Paduka Seri Rosmah Mansor, wife of the Prime Minister of Malaysia (pictured right).
The central theme of this event was the enhancement of information security against the rapid rise of cyber threats. With more than 200 booths, Malaysia has signaled its keen intent to place itself as the focal point in the region for experts and key players from local and international industry to exchange views and ideas. With a reported attendance of over 5,000 local and international channel players, buyers and trade visitors, this was a good start for a key industry event looking to be a major player in the region.
2011 was a Watershed Year for Hacktivism
2011 was described a watershed year for many organizations around the world with the rise of Hacker Activists or Hacktivism. Multiple high-profile attacks on organizations and governments around the world, including Malaysia, have grabbed international headlines due to their well-coordinated nature and the scale of the data breach.
“Groups like Anonymous and LulzSec have demonstrated that once thought to be highly-inaccessible information can be easily penetrated by external parties, who may have both economic and political agendas,” said Y.A.Bhg Datin Paduka Seri Rosmah Mansor in her officiating speech.
“Hacking, once thought to be in the realm of mischievous school kids, has taken a more serious and sinister turn, often with malicious intent. They are not ad-hoc, but well-planned, well-timed and well-targeted,” she added.
Malaysia wants to be in the Infosecurity Business
Malaysia is no exception. With the increasingly computerized nature of transactions, it is inevitable that systems will be prone to attacks. ISWec 2012 signals Malaysia’s commitment to be at the center of security discussions, as well as an opportunity to enhance Malaysia’s standing and influence in this field.
ISWec 2012 2012 was created in recognition of the lack of strategic platforms for buyers and sellers to network in the region, as well as to allow local technologies in Malaysia to have an avenue to showcase their products.
Granted however, with the event only in its first year, many of the attendees were also unfamiliar with infosecurity trends as well as the vulnerabilities of their products and systems. Despite the efforts of our industry with regards to security education, many representatives from the IT security departments were unfamiliar with common terms like SSL amongst others.
An Acknowledgement of Rising Security Threats in Asia
It was reported that 70,000 new security threats are discovered daily globally. Such statistics will make any user concerned about the safety of our data online. It is imperative for organizations and governments to come together to explore how we can collectively come to a solution to secure our information.
Touted as one of the most extensive Infosecurity exhibitions in the region, this event also acknowledges the increasing risk of information security breaches as well as the need to explore cost-effective solutions to better manage people and processes. Governments, companies and individuals are increasingly more willing to spend to safeguard their information. Nevertheless, with every new safeguard in place, another threat will rise to render the current safeguard useless almost instantly.
Make Data Protection Everyone’s Priority
The days where we once could assume that safe data could remain safe are now over. Solutions are increasingly gaining in complexity with the rapid changes in technology. Protecting our data is an issue that should concern all of us. Our individual reputation, the economic well-being of the country, protection of intellectual property and even the sovereignty of a government are now dependent on how we safeguard our information and IT systems.
Yi Ning Lim is a marketing specialist at GMO GlobalSign, one of the first Certification Authorities, providing Digital Certificate and credentialing services since 1996. Yi Ning has a diverse background in marketing, finance and human resources, with experience both in the public and private sector.
