Title: "Own or be Pwned" – A little goes a long way..
Speakers: Ozan Gonenc, Ryan Thomas
Date: Thursday, Nov 22, 2007
Time: 6:30 to 7:30 PM
Location: Room T130, Algonquin College, Woodroffe Campus
Cost: Free

ABSTRACT
Own your destiny. No system can ever be 100% secure. Security holes in corporate and campus networks are increasingly targeted by thieves and hackers alike for fun and for profit. Security breaches happen every day. Most of them untold, yet the ones that hit the mainstream have touched almost all of us. This presentation includes a demonstration of the tools used and the effort required for a successful hack. The hands-on, live demonstration is followed by the lessons learned and an introduction to some of the types of safeguard strategies that can help minimize the risk to those systems that host not just corporate secrets worth millions, but your personal information as well.

Title: Fools Gold or Pay Dirt - Is Network Scanning Detection a Worthwhile Activity?
Speaker: David Whyte
Date: Thursday, Nov 29, 2007
Time: 6:30 to 7:30 PM
Location: Room T130, Algonquin College, Woodroffe Campus
Cost: Free

ABSTRACT
Networks are constantly bombarded by backscatter packets, incessant probes from auto rooters, malware infected systems (e.g. worms), and Internet cartographers. It can be argued that given the volume of nonproductive network traffic on the Internet, a network operator would be better served focusing on ensuring the latest patches have been installed rather than wasting their time engaging in quixotic endeavors such as network scan detection. In this talk, I will briefly discuss my latest progress on the development of dark port scanning detection technique. Specifically, I will discuss how the network-centric knowledge gained by the dark port technique allows for precise, faster, and finer-grained detection of scanning activity that directly threatens publicly available network services. I will argue that network scanning detection should be an essential part of any network operator's "virtual IT security toolbox".

Topic: When Good Enough is Perfect Date: Monday, Jan 29, 2007
Time: 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Location: Room 1B, Ottawa Public Library, Ben Franklin Place, Centrepointe (Free Parking)
Registration: Free for all, but registration required.

Abstract:
We are in an age where perfection is heralded as the desired goal of all business. Competition for law and medical schools drive students to higher and higher goals. Our media and trade magazines trumpet products that are \"perfect\". Business magazines preach that even perfect isn't good enough. But amid all this, two questions are seldom asked: Can we ever achieve perfection? If we could, at what cost? In this talk, Richard will explore what we mean by perfection, how it can be weighed in classic cost-benefit analysis, why it is never achieved, and some humorous examples of perfectionism run amuck. He suggests that perhaps a better goal is to ask when Good Enough is the perfect solution to the problem.

About the Speaker:
Richard has been involved in web development since Tim Berners-Lee launched the world wide web in the early 1990s. With a M.Sc. and years in the telephony, web application and consulting space, Richard has been quick to identify emerging technologies and harness them to solve real-world applications. He started the first Internet Applications group at Mitel Corporation and served as chief architect at Sanga, one of the first application server companies. In addition to several articles published in trade journals and talks at industry trade shows, Richard has served on Java Community Process Expert Groups and has spearheaded an Open Source Software project in the Java/Telephony space. His website: http://deadman.ca

Proudly Sponsored By: Alumni Association, University of Ottawa

Topic: Technological Futures – An entrepreneur's Paradise.
Date: Tuesday, Nov, 21, 2006
Time: 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Location: Room 1B, Ottawa Public Library, Ben Franklin Place, Centrepointe
Speaker: Preeti Raman (Chair, WiE Ottawa)
Abstract:
Have a good idea? Don't know what to do about it? Traditionally, moving a product from the idea stage to a viable marketable item is generally much more expensive and riskier when technology is involved than for other types of products. With over 90% of businesses not making it to their 10th birthday, why should one follow their dream? Tailored specifically for engineers and technically minded individuals, this talk will review some key steps to turn your idea into a strong marketable product or a service. We will also outline some best practices in identifying high-potential, technology intensive business opportunities, review the tools available to help your research, funding and establishment of a business, and discuss some important 'Gotchas' that can differentiate you from the average entrepreneur, so you don't get embroiled in administration during your first year of 'Dream catching'.

About the Speaker:
Preeti Raman is the President and CEO of Eidos, a managed services provider of business and software solutions. Preeti's own personal experience spans various facets of IT enabled transformation, application development and managed service provision. She brings global technology and innovation management experience gained through her time in China, India and North America. Eidos's clients include large Canadian Media Companies, Educational Institutions and Not for Profit Organizations, to whom Eidos delivers security and software solutions, video encoding and streaming, training and research services. Preeti has a Computer Science background; she is also a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), and a Microsoft Certified Application Developer (MCAD.NET). She is currently involved in research with the Carleton Computer Security Lab. Her interests include Bio-inspired Computing, Ubiquitous & Pervasive computing security and Intrusion Detection in Service Oriented Architectures.

She is the 2007 Chair of the IEEE Women in Engineering chapter of the Ottawa Section and is on the board of Ramjay Trust, a non-profit enterprise focused on Education in SE Asia.