Eradicating the Human Problem

Presented at Kiwicon 8: It's always 1989 in Computer Security (2014), Dec. 11, 2014, 2:15 p.m. (45 minutes).

People are a problem. We are tangled balls of emotional detritus that masquerades as a trusted member of society. Underneath this lacquered veneer of respectability however writhes a tiny pink squishy ball of vulnerability - the root of all evil, well the root of security issues anyway. Let me tell you a story, let me bend your brain and make you feel uncomfortable. I want to show you why we are all our own worst enemies, why we should never ever be trusted and why security people are the worst of them all. Then, I will cross the creepy line and introduce AVA, the first prototype automated human vulnerability scanner. A tool for automatically mapping networks of people, attacking them and measuring the results. A tool for spotting the weak link in an organisation. A tool to help remove the squishy human element of human security. This is the future, a first step towards a greater good or a dystopian nightmare. You're welcome.

Presenters:

  • Laura Bell / ladynerd as Laura "ladynerd" Bell
    Laura is a reformed software developer, penetration tester, amateur python juggler and repeat meddler. She talks a lot and has been known to have opinions. She is the founder and lead consultant at SafeStack.io, a specialist agile information security company and lives in Auckland with her husband and daughter.

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