05/15/2013: "Bitcoin and Deep Web" and "Security in a Connected Vehicle System"

Date: Wednesday, May 15th, 6:30 PM
Location: Microsoft office, Cambridge, MA
Cost: Free and includes pizza!
Reservations: Required in order to pass building security. Reserve here at Meetup or at http://boston.naisg.org/.

Topics:

1. "A Primer on Bitcoin and Deep Web," presented by Paul Bowen, board member emeritus of NAISG.
   This presentation will explain the basics of Bitcoin and Deep Web through the Tor network and .Onion domains.
   Bitcoin is a digital, crypto-currency that can be used anonymously outside the view and regulation of government. The value of bitcoin vs. traditional currencies has dramatically increased in the last few months. Anyone using or considering ecommerce should know about bitcoin.
   The Deep Web is a part of the Internet that is not reachable by standard methods and is the home of political dissidents, criminals and other non-mainstream elements. This presentation will show you some of the items on Deep Web and explain how to reach it, touching on sites including those offering criminal activities like hacking for hire, illegal drugs, stolen items including credit card and PayPal accounts, counterfeiting, and murder for hire. It will not go into any x-rated material or sites.
   NOTE: This presentation is being provided with the understanding that as a security professional, you need to know and understand where danger lies, not get involved in it. We are not promoting the use of Deep Web; rather we are just educating our membership on its existence. No one under the age of 18 will be allowed to stay for the Deep Web portion of the presentation.
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2. "Security in the Connected Vehicle System," presented by William Whyte, chief scientist of Security Innovation.
   The US Department of Transportation is considering mandating a system for inclusion in all light vehicles that would allow them to broadcast their position and velocity on a more-or-less continuous basis. The system is claimed to have the capability to prevent up to 80% of all unimpaired collisions.
   The decision on whether or not to move ahead with a mandate will be made by the end of this year, and if the mandate goes ahead, vehicles equipped with this technology will be on the roads starting in 2018-2020.
   William Whyte has been the lead communications security architect for the project for nearly ten years, interacting with the government, with OEMs, and with standardization bodies both in the US and in Europe to ensure the system will be robust when deployed.
   In this presentation we discuss the security needs, the constraints due to cost and other issues, and the efforts that are being made to ensure that the system will not compromise end-user privacy.