Rational Survivability

I'll be updating my speaking itinerary shortly, but I wanted to let folks know I'm working on three major VirtSec/CloudSec presentations for 2009:
 


The Frogs Who Desired a King

The Frogs Who Desired a King is based on the topical reference to one of Aesop's fable about a discontented population of frogs who appealed to Zeus for a king.

Ultimately, through a comedy of errors, the frogs finally got their new king — a stork — which promptly ate them.

We, as a discontented legion of frogs, decry our dark overlords' choices (or lack thereof) of security in virtualized and cloud computing environments and long for security solutions to magically solve all our problems. 

Just like the frogs, we better be careful what we wish for, as our prayers might just be answered, consuming us all. This is the sequel to my "Four Horsemen of the Virtualization Security Apocalypse" series.

Cloudifornication: Indiscriminate Information Intercourse Involving Internet Infrastructure

What was in is now out. 

This metaphor holds true not only as an accurate analysis of adoption trends of disruptive technology and innovation, but also parallels the amazing velocity of how our datacenters are being re-perimiterized and quite literally turned inside out.

One of the really scary things happening with the massive convergence of cloud computing is its effect on security models and the information they seek to protect.

Where and how our data is created, processed, accessed, stored, backed up in what is sure to become massively overlaid cloud-based services — and by whom and whose infrastructure — yields significant concerns related to security, privacy, compliance and survivability. 

This "infrastructure intercourse" makes it very interesting to try and secure your assets when you don't own the infrastructure and in many cases cannot provide the same levels of functionality we can today.

Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro": Complexity & Insecurity Of the Cloud

Mozart's sequel to the Barber of Seville was lauded as one of the most profound works of its time. 

Its staggering complexity, inviting overtures, rich textures and variety of orchestration were perceived by many as unapproachable, unfathomable and in some cases unintelligible. 

Yet so remarkable and unique was the composition that people flocked to its performances although in many cases were blinded by the simplicity of its underlying complexity.

Such are the parallels with the deeply profound cacophony surrounding the issues of securing Cloud Computing and the tonal miscues hidden amongst its various acts.

This presentation will review the most pressing security, privacy, sustainability and resiliency
issues surrounding the marriage of convenience, economics and computing.