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Executive Briefing with Ken Munro
October 9, 2019
12:00 pm - 3:00 pm
The Executive Briefing Programme is a series of lunch events designed to provide valuable information to senior executives, advisors and consultants in the technology sector.
The lunch will commence with networking drinks at 12.00pm, followed by lunch at 1.00pm with our guest speaker. There will be a further opportunity for networking after lunch during coffee and cheese & biscuits.
Our guest speaker is Ken Munro, Partner, Pen Test Partners who will be talking about ‘The executive threat. IoT security for leaders’
Asking staff to protect your organisation from cyber crime is one thing, but do you know the risks that your IoT fridge, or kettle, or even Building Management System present?
The IoT is fast becoming embedded in our lives. It’s good for functionality (sometimes) but it’s bad for security (a lot of the time). At this event you’ll get to understand the avenues into your organisation that the IoT provides to hackers. From publicly broadcasting Wi-Fi PSKs, to providing toe holds and pivot points into your network, from IoT devices and platforms.
Ken will give real world examples, with live hack demos, to show how an attacker can get under the skin of your organisation using something as innocuous as a mobile app for example. He’ll also show you how to protect against IoT attacks, and where in your organisation you should be focussing your efforts.
Ken Munro, Pen Test Partners
Ken is a security entrepreneur and industry maverick that has worked in infosec for over 15 years. After studying Applied Physics he tried his hand in the hospitality industry but soon discovered a talent for hacking, persuading a till to print out mortgage amortisations. He went on to cut his teeth in the anti-virus industry before founding SecureTest, a penetration testing business that quickly established a reputation for delivering high spec services using a boutique business model. NCC Group recognised the value of the proposition and acquired SecureTest in 2007. But Ken had found his calling and his penchant for pen testing saw him set up Pen Test Partners in 2010 which now boasts some of the best ethical hackers in the business, each of whom has a stake in the firm.
Ken’s zeal for pen testing is matched only by his disdain for those vendors who resort to scaremongering to peddle point solutions. He is a fierce advocate of responsible disclosure and regularly researches and reveals security vulnerabilities in an effort to promote better security design and practice. He takes a key role in conducting investigations as well as encouraging team members to pursue their own research and the results are published on the company blog on a weekly basis as well as being publicised by the wider media.
Ken is a respected speaker and pulls no punches during his annual Tech Talk presentations at Infosecurity Europe, where he can also be found performing practical hack attacks on the company stand. He is a regular speaker at events held by industry bodies and associations and has spoken at the ISSA Dragon’s Den, (ISC)2 Chapter events and CREST (Council of Registered Ethical Security Testers) events, where he sits on the board, helping to establish standards in both member organisations and among individual penetration testers. He’s also an Executive Member of the “Internet of Things Security Forum”, a body that aims to promote best security practice and the application of controls in smart device manufacturing, and spoke out on IoT security design flaws at the forum’s inaugural event. He’s also not averse to getting deeply techie, regularly participating in hacking challenges and demos at 44CON, DefCon and Bsides.
Ken has a wealth of experience in penetration testing but it’s the systems and objects we come into contact with on an everyday basis that really pique his interest. This has seen him hack everything from hotel keycards, to keyless cars and a range of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, from wearable tech to children’s toys and smart home control systems. This has gained him some notoriety among the national press, leading to regular appearances on BBC TV and BBC News online as well as the broadsheet press, and he’s also a regular contributor to industry magazines, penning articles for the legal, security, insurance, oil and gas, and manufacturing press.
The lunch will be chaired by John Higgins CBE.
John Higgins has been the public face of the digital sector in Europe since November 2011 and speaks regularly on platforms and at conferences throughout Europe and beyond. He was Director General of DIGITALEUROPE, the association for the digital technology industry in Europe, until April 2017, following nine years leading its UK member association, Intellect, now TechUK. In spring of 2017 he became Chair of the Global Digital Foundation and a Senior Advisor to global communications company, Burson Marsteller. He continues to chair DIGITALEUROPE’s Brexit Advisory Council and is chair of the University of Warwick’s European Advisory Board.