Hacking - the new "STING"

Hacking is a very real threat for businesses of all sizes: cybercrime is estimated to cost business more than £21bn a year.

You wouldn't leave your car unlocked. Yet we do with our most important business assets all the time - whether it's compromising data through unlocked computers or open files accessible to un-vetted contractors.

Professional hackers use seven steps, some of which terrorists use to get to know an organisation. Understanding these, training your staff on how they can be hacked, is the best way to defend yourself.

At the end of this event, the delegate will be able to identify:

• the 7 key steps used by hackers, including a live demonstration hack
• technological defences
• professional exploitation

Steve McLaughlin's background is in IT, security and financial services, serving ten years in the Royal Air Force in the field of telecommunications, IT and security then moving into financial services, working for HSBC until 2004.

He set up his first financial services company in 2005 and in 2011 saw a niche market in IT security as he noticed IT companies were not paying particular attention to IT security. He and his firm (Steve Mac Media Ltd) decided to gain certification in the industry qualifications:

• Certified Forensic Investigation Practitioner (CFIP)
• Certified Security Testing Associate (CSTA)

Steve believes IT security is not about spending thousands of pounds on Anti-Virus, firewalls etc.; he believes it is about investing in education and training. "The more we educate our staff, family and friends the better protected we all will become and this will allow us to quickly identify when something appear not to be right".