The Man Who Hacked Kim
The man who successfully hacked reality star Kim Kardashian’s website and exposed weak links that put her fans’ data at risk, will be in Exeter today (Thurs) talking about his work as an ethical hacker.
Jamie Woodruff (above), still in his twenties, is regarded as one of the world’s leading authorities on cyber security. Firms employ his services to identify weaknesses in their computer systems by hacking them. He first caught the public eye when he successfully hacked Facebook as part of a student competition and has since demonstrated vulnerabilities in world players such as Twitter, Apple and Google.
He will be talking about the human side of cyber security and how a serious breach can often begin with a simple ruse. By impersonating a pizza delivery boy at a large financial institution, Jamie was able to gain access to their server room where he easily accessed the data source.
Jamie’s speech on Thursday March 1, will undoubtedly be one of the highlights at Exeter’s Cyber Security Awareness Week (CSAW) which began on Monday.
Organised by Exeter-based Bluegrass Group once again, the week boasts a full programme of free-to-attend seminars, workshops and networking events aimed at small and medium sized companies. Delegates will witness live data recovery demonstrations and learn from a case study of a small south west business that was scammed to the tune of £40,000.
‘The sad truth is that every single day, businesses across Exeter and beyond are being attacked by ruthless criminals causing disruption or demanding ransoms,’ says David Thomas, Bluegrass Group Managing Director.
‘At the moment it’s a massively underreported crime because victims are either too embarrassed or worried about reputation damage. Or because they’re as yet unaware they’ve been targeted.’
It was this apparent complacency particularly amongst small businesses that prompted Bluegrass to stage the first CSAW event last year. Two hundred delegates attended, hearing from 18 of the country’s top experts in all aspects of cyber security at various venues around the city.
Sponsoring the event are Exeter based Bluegrass Group, Stephens Scown solicitors, South West Business Connections and Chalk and Ward. International players include business continuity experts Datto and Sophos who produce IT security products.
For more information please visit www.bluegrassgroup.eventbrite.co.uk
