CBIA will be hosting South Africa’s first conference on business counterintelligence and the protection of corporate information during September 2012 at the Kwa Maritane Bush Lodge in the Pilanesberg, North West Province.
Many companies do not take information security seriously although information and intellectual property is now amongst some of the greatest corporate assets.
One of the key aims of the conference is to involve and to provide decision makers, managers and business unit leaders with the insight to understand business counter-intelligence and how it differs from other streams of information management and security practices. Corporate information gathering is a fact of life, even more so during hard and tough economic times.
“Your competitors want to know what makes your company successful or what your company may do in the future to improve its competitive situation,” says Steve Whitehead, the organiser of the conference.
Information theft and business espionage inflicts costs on companies that range from the loss of unique intellectual property to financial outlays for remediation. The protection of business information touches on many functions or aspects of business. It involves everyone in an organisation and everyone is responsible for it. However, many have little or any concept of what is required.
The conference will take participants on an eye-opening journey regarding information protection issues. Attendees will gain a practical understanding of the value added role counterintelligence plays in competitive strategy and the protection of business information.
There are several international keynote speakers. One of the keynote speakers is David G Major from the Centre for Counterintelligence and Security Studies (CI Centre) (USA). Major is a former FBI agent, a leading expert and teacher on counterintelligence and considered to be the world’s top counterintelligence expert. Major has a passion for helping business gaining a greater understanding of the importance of counterintelligence and information protection.
The international keynote speakers will be supported by a number of leading South African specialists and practitioners.
Presentation topics deal with a wide range of information protection issues such as:
* What is the scope of business espionage and information theft threat to business.
* Non-cyber methods of information gathering and economic espionage.
* Social engineering, trade craft and other psychological tricks used to penetrate companies.
* The insider threat and motivational factors.
* Importance of information security awareness training.
* How to protect sensitive information and high value employees at work, home and whilst travelling.
* Countering electronic espionage.
* Technical surveillance countermeasures (TSCM).
* The evolving cyber threat.
* Background screening and vetting, pre-employment and existing employee screening.
* The dark side of social media.
* The threat of consumerisation and BYOD.
* The importance of policies, procedures and how to build an effective business counter-intelligence capability.
* Corporate case studies.
* Active dialogue sessions (Ask the expert).
Vendors will exhibit some of the latest information protection solutions. One of the exhibitors at the conference is Research Electronics International (REI) (USA). REI specialises in the design and manufacture of electronic countermeasures (TSCM) equipment.
The Kwa Maritane Bush Lodge is situated in the Pilanesberg National Park. It is about two hours drive from Johannesburg and Pretoria and about five minutes away from the well-known Sun City complex.
The conference is endorsed and supported by Business Espionage Countermeasures South Africa (BECSA), Hi-Tech Security Solutions, Security Association of South Africa (SASA), ASIS Chapters 155 (Jhb) and 203 (Cape Town), Information Security Group of South Africa (ISGA), CI Centre (USA) and Security Focus magazine.
If you wish to join other attendees and professionals from around the world at the Business Counterintelligence Conference from 17–19 September 2012, please contact Steve Whitehead on Tel +27 (0)12 664 3157.
Current South African cases
The Zululand Observer reported on 23 March 2012 that January Makubane an employee of TD Industrial Services and Themba David Myeni, a former employee of TD Industrial Services appeared in the Richards Bay Magistrate Court after being accused of stealing industrial information worth R100 million.
They are charged with the theft of stealing a USB memory stick containing information, invoices and price lists. The theft of the information relates to an upcoming cleaning and pollution control tender at BHP Billiton potentially worth R100 million.
In the beginning of December more than 90 businesses in the Port Elizabeth area were hacked and their data bases penetrated.
© Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd. | All Rights Reserved.
printer friendly version