Orange Cyberdefense South Africa recently hosted a unique cyber security event in Cape Town, aiming to equip businesses with insights into the evolving landscape of cyber crime and how they can better protect themselves. Held in an art gallery space, the event creatively merged technology and art, reflecting the company’s approach to ethical hacking as a form of art itself.
The event, aptly named "Juice", used the metaphor of freshly squeezed orange juice as a means to communicate the importance of "building up defences". Just like the vitamin C boost from orange juice helps strengthen the immune system, the talks and presentations at the event were designed to nourish the cyber security knowledge of attendees.
Thulani Mabuza, head of Pre-Sales at Orange Cyberdefense, kicked off the day by expressing appreciation for the attendees, many of whom took time out of their busy schedules during the year’s final quarter. He also highlighted the company’s ongoing efforts to add value to the cyber security community through research, blog writing and tool development.
“The concept of ‘Juice’ aligns with our mission as ethical hackers. Just as the body needs to stay up to date and continually defend itself, organisations must do the same with their cyber security efforts,” Mabuza said, explaining the event’s theme.
The packed agenda was carefully tailored to address how organisations can actively combat cyber crime beyond the traditional tactics of monitoring and reporting. This included real-world use cases, examples of advanced persistent threats (APTs) and how the industry can leverage collaboration with law enforcement to create a stronger defence.
The first session, presented by Leon Jacobs, focused on “Continuous Attack Surface Reduction”, where he shared the latest findings from his team’s experiments in reducing attack vectors. Jacobs' talk set the stage for a deeper exploration of cyber crime’s global impact.
The keynote presentation by Anna Collard captivated the audience as she walked through real-world examples of cyber crime, from North Korea’s IT worker scam to the notorious Nigerian Yahoo Boys. Her talk highlighted how global cyber criminals are organised, and how traditional defences might not be enough in the face of such sophisticated operations.
“It’s not just about defending against the big players anymore. The democratisation of tools has opened the door for smaller, opportunistic criminals to act with the same capabilities as state-sponsored attackers,” Collard explained.
After a short refreshment break, the event resumed with a session by Dominic White and Uli Kruger, who focused on the role of law enforcement in the cyber crime ecosystem. Their discussion emphasised the growing need for co-operation between private businesses and law enforcement agencies to tackle the increasing scale of cyber crime operations.
The final session of the day featured Charl van der Walt, who took the stage with a thought-provoking discussion on “Time for Re-volution”, shedding light on the impact of cyber crime on society and the environment.
The event concluded with a scrumptious lunch, allowing attendees to network and reflect on the day’s discussions.
Orange Cyberdefense’s “Juice” event was a valuable addition to the ongoing conversation about cyber security, providing businesses with critical insights and practical strategies for defending against the evolving threat of cyber crime.
Marketing and Communications Manager of Orange Cyberdefense in southern Africa, Dillon Bensusan, said the event marks the launch of a series of JUICE by OCD events – which aims to bring cutting-edge research within the InfoSec industry in SA to the forefront.
To receive an invite to the next event, send an e-mail to info@za.orangecyberdefense.com with the subject “JUICE by OCD” and your name, surname, job title and company name.
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