[GRLUG] Need Security/Linux Expert for a talk

[Adam Tauno Williams]

On Mon, 2012-10-01 at 16:02 -0400, Michael Mol wrote:
> On Mon, Oct 1, 2012 at 3:58 PM, Adam Tauno Williams
> <awilliam at whitemice.org> wrote:
> > On Mon, 2012-10-01 at 15:47 -0400, Michael Mol wrote:
> >> On Mon, Oct 1, 2012 at 3:43 PM, Casey DuBois <casey at grlug.org> wrote:
> >> > Hey GRLUG,
> >> > I'm wanting to do a joint GRLUG / GR-ISSA meeting and am looking for a
> >> > linux security expert to give the talk.
> >> > Who's interested?
> >> Might I suggest you try to get two people involved:
> >> 1) An expert in the 'attacker' space. (i.e. a penn tester.)
> >> 2) An expert in the 'defender' space. (i.e. a seasoned sysadmin who's
> >> dealt with security concerns.)
> >> Penn testers are single-focused, while the sysadmin has to think about
> >> larger pictures. IMO, you'd really need both for proper chemistry in a
> >> good presentation.
> > +1  I've sat through quite a few 'security' presentations.  Most blew
> > right past their audiences, or at best it wasn't clear how to use the
> > information presented [other than "hire us"].   "Security" is such a
> > broad swath of topics, and depending on the type of organization and
> > size is approached so many ways, it is hard to address generally in a
> > meaningful / practicable way.
> I was thinking of you when I was thinking 'seasoned sysadmin'. Maybe I
> just want to see you call the other guy's BS, and then see him call
> yours. It would be a very entertaining way to spend an evening. :)

Could be fun.  But for the record I've never referred to myself as a
"security expert", or for that matter, an "expert" on anything. 

I'm just not certain what I'd have to offer that a GR-ISSA person would
be interested in; they are big corporate theory, regulation, and
expensive tools guys.  I'm a hammer and wrench guy.  No hate, but I'm
not clear what the overlap is.  My security 'advice' is all pretty basic
stuff.