Bitcoin, Pig Butchering, Deepfakes, and Zero Days: Today’s Cybersecurity Landscape

Instructor: Jason Garbis

February 12  |  1-4 p.m.

Please note the three-hour length of the class

Modern technology has brought us tremendous benefits but has also unleashed a seemingly limitless supply of scams, criminal activity, hacking, and disruptions, and caused no end of headache or heartache. Why is this the case? Who are the players behind these acts, and what are their motivations? And what can we do to stop this?  This class will provide a gentle and non-technical introduction to the current state of the world from a technology and cybersecurity perspective. We’ll begin by going back in time to the 1960s and 70s, tracing the history of computing and communication, and explaining how we got to where we are today. Next, we’ll dive into some of the core enabling technologies in use today, including cryptography, cryptocurrency, and Generative AI.

 

Then, we’ll introduce the primary players in this dark landscape, including criminals, nation-states, hacktivists, and script kiddies, and examine their primary motivations: money, information, and disruption. Next, we’ll make this real by exploring several case studies about recent attacks.  Finally, we’ll attempt to conclude on a positive note by talking about ways in which companies, governments, and individuals can protect themselves against hacks and scams, and revisiting the benefits of new and forthcoming technologies.

 

Jason Garbis is founder and CEO at Numberline Security, an advisory firm that helps enterprises and government agencies create effective information security programs. He has published several technology and security books, chairs the Zero Trust working group at the Cloud Security Alliance, and is a frequent speaker at information security conferences. Jason’s background blends technology and business, and he is fascinated by online criminal activity.