Trust, transparency solutions to security?

Security experts should not only consider cyber war conflict as a threat; a closer look needs to be taken at what's happening at home.

This is according to NCIS security expert Kenneth Geers, speaking yesterday at the ITWeb Security Summit, who warned that potential threats could be closer than anticipated.

This raises questions about trust and the relationships between law enforcement and technology, as well as the capabilities of law enforcement, as this differs from country to country, Geers said.

The Internet is the ultimate enabler; as computers get more processing power, possibilities become endless, Geers said.

Using the movie Ghost in the Shell, Geers highlighted concerns regarding security and law enforcement. Security may be viewed as a necessary evil, Geers said, as complexity enables vulnerability.

Trust needs to be validated, and the question Geers posed is whether organisations know how to reach a level of trust, and once reached, would it be identifiable?

The ownership of content also needs to be examined; questions regarding who writes code and whether it's secure must be asked, Geers said. This assists with the triangulation of bad information.

Added to that is the issue that law enforcement capabilities differ from country to country, and technology improves at a rapid rate, he highlighted.

Both government and business need to ask questions about what happens when everything is known, Geers said.

Transparency in the way we communicate may offer a solution, as hackers compromise the integrity of communications, Geers said. Through transparency, you get security, as this promotes accountability for information.