Symposium Makes a Splash: 2005 Security Symposium Dubbed a Success

rform their regular work responsibilities."

The hard work of the planning committee and the Symposium event staff resulted in a smooth start, when 239 registered attendees flooded the campus the morning of June 22. Most of those attending were UC Davis system administrators, technical staff, and MSOs, although many other UC campuses were represented as well. For the $85 registration fee participants received meals, an event T-shirt, and hands-on instruction. Popular presentation topics included "Understanding and Preventing Web Application Attacks," "Advanced Ethical Hacking," and "Introduction to Computer Forensics."

The highlight of the conference, however, was the keynote address by Microsoft's head of security, Scott Charney, who discussed the future of computing in the face of growing cybercrime. Charney drew from his experience as a computer crimes federal prosecutor for the U.S. Department of Justice to outline the challenges of balancing our dependence on computers with the threats they pose. Computer crime can never be completely abolished, Charney admitted, but we can greatly reduce its damage by raising the bar of security. The presentations by Charney and other speakers were well received by attendees. Participants appreciated the quality of the instruction they received--in combination with the low cost and convenient location--and said they would attend a similar event if offered in the future. According to Ono, UC Davis plans to make the Security Symposium a biannual tradition, with the next one scheduled for 2007.

A Web site dedicated to the details of the 2005 Symposium is now active and includes presentation outlines, information about the planning team and attendees, and a video of the keynote address. More facts regarding the most popular presenters and topics will be available online in August.