Changing Cybersecurity Defense Postures

Cyberattacks are challenging our current methods of defense much as gunpowder tested - and ultimately defeated - castles, says Lance James, a global cyber intelligence adviser at the consultancy Unit 221b.

In a video interview at Information Security Media Group's recent 2015 San Francisco Data Breach Prevention and Defense Summit, James discusses the changes in tools and skills that must be made to fend off clever, fast-moving adversaries. He also discusses:

• What recent hacks, such as those against Ashley Madison and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, tell us about the current state of cyber defenses; and
• Why Chinese hackers are offering the equivalent of penetration tests.

James, an internationally known information security expert, formerly was head of cyber intelligence at Deloitte. He has more than 15 years of experience in programming, network security, digital forensics, malware research, cryptography design and cryptanalysis, and attacking protocols. James serves on the advisory board of several security-focused organizations and has provided consultation to numerous businesses. Credited with the identification of Zeus and other malware, he has authored and co-authored several technical e-crime books.