Keren Elazari

Cyber security is now a top concern for global corporates and governments alike. Since 2010 and the advent of cyber weapons and major cyber espionage campaigns, cyber warfare has become a critical issue affecting the national security of nation states worldwide. At the same time, Cybercrime and corporate espionage attacks are persistent – and more lucrative than ever. Intellectual Property (IP) theft, customer data breaches & damage to corporate reputation have caused business loses estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars. While the global security industry leads a constant cat and mouse game, trying to catch up with the bad guys – cyber criminals make millions with a click of a button – staying one step ahead of the game. This talk ventures deep “behind the scenes” and into the dark world of the global cybercrime industry, in order to reveal how innovative technologies are abused by cyber criminals and understand what this means for organizations in all sectors of industry.

 In the information age, data is the new currency and access to it is power. With battle cries such as “Information wants to be free”, “Hack the planet” and “we are legion” – in recent years, Hackers have risen to infamy. But can we learn anything about innovation from them? The surprising fact is that hacking can, and often does, improve products. It exposes vulnerabilities, supplies innovations, and demonstrates what is possible and how consumers actually want to use technology. In this talk we will learn how companies that once fought hackers, can now invite them to innovate – and how more and more organizations are learning to embrace the creative aspects of hacker culture.

 In cyber space, race or gender should not matter. But in the real world, there’s huge gender bias and lack of diversity in the information security community. We will look at this phenomenon from a global perspective, examining studies and examples from all over the world. I will share my personal story of pursuing a career in a mostly male dominated industry, and how serving in the Israeli military changed my life. We will discuss why women often exclude themselves from the powerful world of hacking and how this can change, with accessible role models, female industry leaders reaching out and more respectful business environments that can nurture the next generation of cyber warriors—of all genders.

The beauty of hackers is that they force us to evolve and improve. Yes, some hackers are bad guys, but many are working to fight government corruption and advocate for our rights. By exposing vulnerabilities, they push the Internet to become stronger and healthier, wielding their power to create a better world. Hackers, as manipulators of technology and information, are playing a key role in the future of man & machines evolution. Like an immune system, they are change agents, they continuously push the boundaries of technology, exploring new frontiers the turning science fiction into a reality. But with great power comes great responsibility, and the transformative power of hacking can become a positive influence in years to come, but only if we learn to embrace it.

From hacking the human body to stopping our cars, today’s innovative technologies are changing not just digital lives, but humanity in a broader sense, blurring the lines between the human and the artificial, the born and the made, creating new interfaces between man & machine. The next frontier of hacking will affect all aspects of our lives. As hackers discover the vulnerabilities of things like medical devices, “the internet of things” or the automotive industry, new boundaries will be explored and broken. This talk will highlight the new threats and opportunities of the next digital revolution, and why every organization should care about cyber security.