Tech Talk: Firmware Security 101

Grab dinner with us, expand your knowledge, and meet someone new! Please RSVP or register on Eventbrite so we can make sure we have enough seats (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/firmware-security-101-tickets-49313865098).

Talk Abstract:

More often than not, firmware is seen as an intriguing no man’s land -neither software nor hardware exclusively. However, increasing interest in firmware binaries is challenging their security, which has depended on obscurity for decades. As attackers focus more on them, understanding the fundamentals of firmware become more relevant to be able to defend ourselves better. This talk is derived from my personal experiences of tinkering with firmware without any formal learning in it. It is intended as an introduction for anyone who is interested in firmware security but doesn’t know where to start. I will talk about:(1) System architecture.(2) Firmware flavors – BIOS and UEFI(3) Attack vectors(4) Defensive approaches.(5) Open source firmware tools. Hopefully, by the end of this talk, the audience will have a big picture of firmware architecture and security measures.

Speaker:

Arpita Biswas - Threat Researcher at Palo Alto Networks

Arpita Biswas is a threat researcher at Palo Alto Networks focused on systems, networks and firmware security. She works on malware detection tools, dynamic analysis of suspicious samples, reverse engineering, understanding kernel, hypervisor and firmware concepts for improved Advanced Persistent Threat (APT). Before Palo Alto Networks, she worked with an SDN startup focusing on DDoS defense vectors. She was a graduate student at UPenn from 2011 – 2013. As part of her Master’s thesis, she also worked on modifying Android’s security model to implement dynamic user permissions.

Agenda:

7:00p Arrivals & Mingle
7:30p Firmware Security 101
8:10p Q & A Discussion
8:20p Networking

Cost: Free to attend

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To register for this event, please go to:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/firmware-security-101-tickets-49313865098