CLOUDSEC 2015 delebrates the Issue of Digital Chaos

CLOUDSEC, an internet security conference in Asia Pacific and Europe, kicked off its fifth annual edition this year with the theme “Expect the Unexpected”. This year, experts from across the globe gathered in Mumbai to address the issue of digital chaos, a future scenario that could potentially come about as a result of the high degree of interconnectedness of today’s networked world.

The advancement of the internet has brought about many tangible benefits for businesses and society, and in line with that, business models are evolving to take advantage of this new digital reality. However, there is now so much interdependence. Much akin to the global financial system, businesses, organizations, governments and people today are so interlinked to one another via the internet that a disruption can create a domino effect which jeopardizes the entire network. And this is what can happen with the increasing intensity and frequency of cyberattacks around the globe.

In addition, Trend Micro’s Q2 Security Roundup Report revealed that the nature of attacks is evolving – no longer are just corporate networks at risk. Cybercriminals are also attacking Internet-connected physical infrastructure such as petrol stations and automated vehicular systems. If ongoing studies in transportation security are any indication, attacks may be heading in a direction that could turn hacking into a more physical concern. A successful airline hack, for example, could mean serious trouble in the skies.

Given the nature of attacks, and the networked nature of today’s world, the question that begs asking is this: Are we at a point where the world has created an over connected, and vulnerable global system which, under intense pressure, could collapse and throw civilization into chaos? Could such a scenario could be closer than we think?

To address this, CLOUDSEC 2015, hosted by Trend Micro Incorporated, discussed new threats that companies should be vigilant about and countermeasures from around the world today. Through discussions and shared learnings, the takeaways from CLOUDSEC 2015 will help governments, organizations and society better understand the threats facing our digital future, and how to safely traverse the shark-infested waters of today’s cyber threat landscape.

At CLOUDSEC 2015, attendees were engaged in discussion around today’s security landscape and how that requires a different mindset from yesteryear. With cyberattacks increasing in frequency and intensity, organizations need to accept that they will not be able to keep threats out forever. Addressing the inevitability of being breached, the conference looked at the paradigm shift that organizations need to take and how companies can rethink their IT strategy, and find the right person to champion this organizational change. Some of the key sessions from CLOUDSEC 2015 included:

• Raimund Genes, Chief Technology Officer, Trend Micro, addressed the top disruptive technologies today and examined their impact on businesses and governments
• Dhanya Thakkar, Managing Director, Asia Pacific, Trend Micro, delved into the machinations of the cybercriminal mind and how to detect and defend your network from targeted attacks
• Myla V. Pilao,  Director, TrendLabs Marketing Communications, Trend Micro, will share lessons from the major data breaches of the past quarter

“Everything is evolving to take advantage of today’s new digital reality. Disruptive technologies will produce large, complex and intelligent hyper-connected networks and cybercriminals will certainly follow technology disruption closely to develop and launch attacks in unexpected ways. In such scenario, it becomes even more imperative to have platforms like CLOUDSEC to better comprehend and combat cybercriminals,” said Raimund Genes, Chief Technology Officer, Trend Micro.

“The networked nature of today’s world, coupled with the increasing intensity and frequency of cyberattacks, means that we might just be a major attack or two away from creating a domino effect that could spread around the globe disrupting business and society,” said Dhanya Thakkar, Managing Director, Asia Pacific, Trend Micro. “However, the cumulative intelligence of the security community is exponentially more than the sum of its parts. This is the true value of a platform like CLOUDSEC, which helps attendees better understand and navigate today’s cybersecurity issues and challenges.”