Introduction
ISSA2005 is the annual
conference for the information security community that continues on the
successful recipe established in 2000. This years' conference is once again held
under the auspices of the University of Johannesburg Academy for
Information Technology, the University of Pretoria Department of Computer
Science and the University of South Africa (Unisa) School of Computing.
The ISSA2005 Conference will run from 29 June to 1 July 2005 at the
Balalaika Hotel in Sandton, Gauteng, South Africa.
The conference has grown each year in various ways. Not only have delegate and
presenter numbers been on the rise, but interest from industry has also grown
and been displayed through sponsorship of the conference or aspects thereof. We
believe that the quality and relevance of the information presented by industry
practitioners and academics has also evolved over the years, as have the
opportunities for students to present their research to a critical and
representative audience.
Conferences have become a major focus area - and often a money spinner - in many industries, so at any time you will see a number of conferences being advertised in fields such as information security. What sets the ISSA conference apart is that it is not intended to generate a profit for an organisation, and it does not encourage marketing of products and services through presentations. Instead, the proceeds from registration fees are reinvested to ensure that the conference grows each year. In exchange for their investment in the conference, sponsors are afforded an opportunity to present company-specific information that has a bearing on the conference themes, and presentations submitted by potential speakers are sent through a vigorous review process, managed by a team of respected international experts in information security.
The ISSA conference
affords local players in information security the opportunity to attend an
international conference in their own country, and encourages international
practitioners to share their knowledge, at the same time receiving exposure to
local thinking, and getting a chance to visit our beautiful country. We trust
that the annual ISSA conference will continue to be recognised as a platform
for professionals from industry as well as researchers to share their knowledge,
experience and research results in the field of information security.
To ensure ongoing improvement, we again encourage input from all those
interested in the field of Information Security, particularly those who are
actively seeking to progress the field, to take part and share their knowledge
and experience.
We look forward to seeing old friends and new participants at ISSA2005.
Les Labuschagne
Conference Co-organiser
ISSA 2005 Conference Organisers:
Jan Eloff
Les Labuschagne
Mariki Eloff
Hein Venter
June 2005
Focus
Information security has evolved and in the last few months there has been
renewed interest in the subject worldwide. This is evident from the many
standards and certifications now available to guide security strategy. This has
led to career path that is more clear for security professionals.
The convergence of technologies together with advances in wireless
communications, has meant new security challenges for the information security
fraternity. As hotspots become more available, and more organisations attempt to
rid their offices of "spaghetti", so the protection of data in these environments
becomes a more important consideration.
It is this fraternity that organisations, governments and communities in general look to for guidance on best practice in this converging world.
Identity theft and phishing are ongoing concerns. What we are now finding is that security mechanisms have become so good and are generally implemented by companies wanting to adhere to good corporate governance, so attackers are now looking to the weak link in the chain, namely the individual user. It is far easier to attack them than attempt to penetrate sophisticated corporate systems. A spate of spyware is also doing the rounds, with waves of viruses still striking periodically. Software suppliers have started stepping up to protect their users and take some responsibility for security in general and not just for their own products.
The conference focuses on all aspects of information security and invites participation across the Information Security spectrum including but not being limited to functional, business, managerial, theoretical and technological issues.
The purpose of the conference is to
provide information security practitioners and researchers worldwide with the
opportunity to share their knowledge and research results with their peers.
The objectives of the conference are defined as follows:
• Sharing of local and international knowledge, experience and best practice
• Promoting networking and business opportunities
• Encouraging the research and study of information security
• Supporting the development of a professional information security community
• Assisting self development
• Providing a forum for education, knowledge transfer, professional development,
and development of new skills
• Promoting best practice in information security and its application in
Southern Africa
• Facilitating the meeting of diverse cultures to share and learn from each
other in the quest for safer information systems
