Computer and Network Security: How did we get here and is there a route out?
By
Peter Chapman
Founder and CEO, Haven Hardware AntiVirus Systems Inc.
Slides
Update 1: here are the slides
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Abstract
This webinar will be a slightly technical overview of how we allowed a totally insecure network with insecure computers to be created and on which we depend upon today. We begin with a description of the basic principles on how computers work, while avoiding the subtleties of today’s performance enhancing features. This will include a little history on how we got here based on 1940s economics compared to today’s.
We will then turn to discuss operating systems, application software, and browsers, among other examples, by addressing what they are and how they interact. This will be followed by a discussion on how malicious software is introduced into network and computer systems.
Why did the software industry move from highly functional products necessarily tried and tested, to product development today where speed to market and sloppy functionality and hidden background activity are enabled? This raises the issue of what software do we really need with a focus on the Internet, the World Wide Web, the Browser and the Search Engine. All great concepts; but frequently corrupted by money and exploitation interests (e.g., personal data of users).
Freeware, shareware and other good things exist out in the wild, and many are designed and built by good and honest people. Then there is the “Walled Garden” concept, promoted by numerous high tech firms. We will explore what it is and consider its drawbacks.
This will lead to a discussion about who controls the network and our computer architectures; before turning to the topic of who should control them and finally, pose the questions: can we fix the current situation and should we fix it?
Biography
Peter Chapman is an engineer who has spent his professional life in the semiconductor and telecommunications industries. He spent many years at Nortel and had responsibility for software security programs. He has worked extensively on network architectures dealing with security and resilience.
After retiring from the corporate world he created a company developing safe network security products that address the problem of malware intrusions across telecommunication networks and in computer systems with solutions that do not depend on software for their security.
Mr. Chapman is a Chartered Engineer and a member of the IET (UK). He studied Electrical Engineering at Imperial College, University of London under an industrial scholarship from the UK Atomic Energy Authority.
Foresight Synergy Network (FSN) 