The Information Security User Group of Southern Africa, also known as White Hat, will hold its first meeting on 21 July, aimed at raising awareness of growing security threats faced by South African organisations.
Founder Craig Rosewarne has invited all interested members of the public to attend the meeting, which is set to become a monthly event.
The group already has a large membership from some of southern Africa`s largest corporations, parastatals, government departments and IT security vendors, Rosewarne says, adding that membership and the monthly update sessions are provided at no charge.
"Many local companies are na"ive when it comes to what security threats are out there," he explains.
"The user group was created to provide a forum for IT security professionals within corporate, government and security provider companies to meet, learn and share information.
"White Hat is not biased towards any single company, product or technology, and members are encouraged to network and share knowledge. The ethos behind the group is purely one of knowledge-sharing, encouraging the freedom of information," Rosewarne says.
A committee will be put in place to address all IT security-related issues.
Rosewarne adds that many companies don`t have a dedicated IT security professional and that regular IT staff battle to keep up with the deluge of security threats.
"It is no longer just the volume of threats that is causing headaches; the level of sophistication of today`s threats has made keeping on top of current issues a full-time job. By providing this forum, we hope to give interested professionals the opportunity to learn how to deal with threats in the real world in real-time."
The monthly two-and-a-half-hour meetings will include discussions on the latest threats, a specialist presentation, a hacking or vulnerability demonstration, as well as a "gloves-off" round-table discussion. There will also be brief product updates and a list of security training and accreditation programmes. Members will receive newsletters and e-mail alerts to complement the seminars.
White Hat membership is free and interested parties can access additional information at www.whitehat.org.za.
Meetings will be conducted on a monthly basis, every third Thursday of the month, unless otherwise stated. Meetings will be held at the Midrand Graduate Institute, on Alsatian Road, Midrand.
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