Technology expo bring pros to Wheaton

Getting a computer virus should be the least of your worries. The latest trend has been multiple attacks on a computer, which will be one of the main topics at NetSecure '10, the eighth annual IT Security and Forensics Conference and Expo, on Thursday, March 4 at the Illinois Institute of Technology's Wheaton campus.

About 200 information technology professionals will meet with representatives of IBM, Oracle, and other companies as well as the FBI and local governments. Their mission is to share information about the latest technology trends, including security, identify theft and hacking, said Professor Bill Lidinsky, assistant director of IIT's Information Technology and Management.

"It used to be that someone would find the vulnerability in your computer and exploit it," said Lidinsky. "Now, they find the vulnerability, exploit it and then after the machine has been compromised, it would include something like a Trojan horse, something that still hangs around and starts running a month later to open the door for more."

And enforcement agencies aren't the only ones looking into a computer involved in a crime. Many corporations are training a staff specialist or hiring professionals to investigate employee online activities while using company resources, he said.

"Before it was considered more of a criminal matter," Lidinsky said. "Now there are more corporate policies that are being enforced and more civil matters."

The idea for the expo started eight years ago to gather local professionals to talk about computer security and forensics.

"There was nothing going on in that area at that time," Lidinsky said.

He decided to contact the FBI and local IT professionals to do the program and help raise awareness at all businesses and government levels.

The expo runs 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. and offers IT professionals as well as government officials and even students a chance to network. The one-day event, which has a tiered admission price, also will discuss cloud computing, wireless technology, policy and compliance issues.

For information, see www.cpd.iit.edu/netsecure10.

Surfing: Oakbrook Terrace-based CompTia, an association for information technology professionals, has organized seven groups of members to look at critical issues, including cyber security, health care IT, cloud computing and other trends. The groups will help others learn more about the issues and, as a result, possibly develop new revenue streams.

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