InfowarCon 2007: How we Unknowingly Publish Secret Information

  • Aug 16, 2007

InfowarCon 2007 is set for 19-21 September in Bethesda, Md. Delegates will see first hand just how many secrets we are giving away. They will be able to bring their own files and have them dissected. They will see the national secrets we have given away because we are using the wrong programs to distribute and publish information.

Public and private sector organizations routinely publish confidential government, financial and sales information on public facing web sites, as well as give it away at conferences every day.

If this sounds downright careless, it is. If this sounds irresponsible, it is. If this sounds fixable, it is. The common problem is Microsoft Office.

Concern about weaknesses in Microsoft Office led the U.S. government to find a solution. “And we did,” says John Ivory, Director of Applied Research at Dolphin Technology. “But first, you need to appreciate the problem.”

He explains: “When you copy a portion of an Excel file into a PowerPoint, you actually copy the entire Excel spreadsheet, not just the bit you want. When you edit a Word document, all of the meta data, the edits, the comments and other identifying features are ripe for the picking.”

Winn Schwartau, international security expert and founder of the InfowarCon event in 1994, says, “I found John Ivory in a small corner of a huge trade show, no one interested. I knew about some of the problems, but their research into just how bad the Microsoft Office problem was astounded me.”

The InfowarCon international conference on information warfare and operations is your chance to learn more on these critical issues, network with public and private sector experts, and take a hands-on look at exhibitors’ technology. Schwartau, the founder, is the visionary author of Information Warfare.

InfowarCon Advisory Board: Dr. Dan Kuehl, National Defense University; Amit Yoran, NetWitness; Howard A. Schmidt, Former White House Cybersecurity Advisor; Mark Rasch, FTI; Dorothy Denning, DoD; Richard Forno, Infowarrior.org; Lars Nicander, CATS; Bruce Brody, CACI.

InfowarCon Sponsors & Partners Include: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Mandiant, Netwitness, Purifile, Secure Computing, Lincoln Group, Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center (DC3), (ISC)2; Homeland Defense Journal, Government Security News, Homeland Defense Week, Officer.com, Continuity Insights, InfraGard National Members Alliance, ISSA NOVA, Terrorism Research Center and National Defense University.

Featured

  • Report: 47 Percent of Security Service Providers Are Not Yet Using AI or Automation Tools

    Trackforce, a provider of security workforce management platforms, today announced the launch of its 2025 Physical Security Operations Benchmark Report, an industry-first study that benchmarks both private security service providers and corporate security teams side by side. Based on a survey of over 300 security professionals across the globe, the report provides a comprehensive look at the state of physical security operations. Read Now

    • Guard Services

  • Identity Governance at the Crossroads of Complexity and Scale

    Modern enterprises are grappling with an increasing number of identities, both human and machine, across an ever-growing number of systems. They must also deal with increased operational demands, including faster onboarding, more scalable models, and tighter security enforcement. Navigating these ever-growing challenges with speed and accuracy requires a new approach to identity governance that is built for the future enterprise. Read Now

  • Eagle Eye Networks Launches AI Camera Gun Detection

    Eagle Eye Networks, a provider of cloud video surveillance, recently introduced Eagle Eye Gun Detection, a new layer of protection for schools and businesses that works with existing security cameras and infrastructure. Eagle Eye Networks is the first to build gun detection into its platform. Read Now

  • Report: AI is Supercharging Old-School Cybercriminal Tactics

    AI isn’t just transforming how we work. It’s reshaping how cybercriminals attack, with threat actors exploiting AI to mass produce malicious code loaders, steal browser credentials and accelerate cloud attacks, according to a new report from Elastic. Read Now

  • Pragmatism, Productivity, and the Push for Accountability in 2025-2026

    Every year, the security industry debates whether artificial intelligence is a disruption, an enabler, or a distraction. By 2025, that conversation matured, where AI became a working dimension in physical identity and access management (PIAM) programs. Observations from 2025 highlight this turning point in AI’s role in access control and define how security leaders are being distinguished based on how they apply it. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • EasyGate SPT and SPD

    EasyGate SPT SPD

    Security solutions do not have to be ordinary, let alone unattractive. Having renewed their best-selling speed gates, Cominfo has once again demonstrated their Art of Security philosophy in practice — and confirmed their position as an industry-leading manufacturers of premium speed gates and turnstiles.

  • HD2055 Modular Barricade

    Delta Scientific’s electric HD2055 modular shallow foundation barricade is tested to ASTM M50/P1 with negative penetration from the vehicle upon impact. With a shallow foundation of only 24 inches, the HD2055 can be installed without worrying about buried power lines and other below grade obstructions. The modular make-up of the barrier also allows you to cover wider roadways by adding additional modules to the system. The HD2055 boasts an Emergency Fast Operation of 1.5 seconds giving the guard ample time to deploy under a high threat situation.

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure.