SQUAD was at the FIC, whose theme for 2020 was: "Putting people back at the heart of cybersecurity." People, cyber, technologies... where do we really stand? Here is a brief summary of the 2020 edition of this unmissable cybersecurity event.
With 12,000 visitors this year (politicians, institutions, companies, publishers, experts, hackers, influencers, and students), the FIC clearly affirms its position. It is THE leading French cyber event. The FIC is therefore a real opportunity to meet key players and experts, learn about their know-how and best practices, and discover the companies that matter.
For the 2020 edition, SQUAD chose to assert its presence with a booth in the forum's career area , in order to be as close as possible to young (future) cyber professionals.
SQUAD attends FIC2020 to meet cybersecurity experts
Present in the career area, SQUAD demonstrated its desire to expand its pool of experts. This choice, reflecting both SQUAD's growth and its focus on young people, proved to be a winning formula. According to Roxane Desfarge, Director of Recruitment, " We opted for a stand located just opposite the area dedicated to CTF events. In keeping with our image, we wanted this exchange area to be completely open. Our managers wanted to be involved in welcoming visitors themselves... and this was greatly appreciated. "
Experienced actors and students alike had the opportunity to meet the teams and managers. To learn more about SQUAD and our world, each visitor was also invited to a #SQUADventure evening at Mama Shelter in Lille on January 29. This friendly event celebrated the "SQUAD spirit" in a relaxed atmosphere with micro-challenges involving crypto, geek lock picking, and OSINT.
Finally, to promote SQUAD's presence during the three days of the forum and for the very first time, SQUAD launched a #PandaChallenge to all photographers inspired by TheExpert, the official mascot. By sharing a photo of the SQUAD panda, participants could try to win the giant stuffed animal. The campaign (which allowed the panda to be featured on social media) was a huge success with FIC participants and is set to be repeated at other professional events and meetings with schools.
Where does humanity fit into cybersecurity? - Answers at #FIC2020
90%. This figure, repeated ad nauseam in plenary sessions, talks, various workshops, etc., sets the tone: in 90% of attacks, the security breach is down to human error. The multitude of devices, cumbersome authentication processes, negligence, etc. the observation is shared by all speakers: humans are already at the heart of cyber security, because they are the major risk, located between the screen and the office chair. While company employees are beginning to integrate cyber issues, the state is also playing its part, as evidenced by the evolution, support and control role of the ANSSI (French National Cybersecurity Agency) and the Gendarmerie, for example. The French government's maturity in terms of cybersecurity seems reassuring... and the major issue of France's cyber sovereignty is its sovereign scope. Although they exist, there is little talk at the FIC about initiatives to raise public awareness of cyber issues... and yet, between the lines, there are ideas here and there to raise awareness and guide young people or raise awareness among men.
FIC 2020 highlights the importance of securing the human factor. Two major areas of focus are emerging: adopting a ZeroTrust approach and using AI to aid detection and remediation.
ZeroTrust: as a rule, never trust anyone.
This approach is based on the principle that trust does not exist either for internal network users or for external users. It is a very popular security method, as evidenced by Aziz Si Mohammed's (OKTA) Talk on the application of ZeroTrust to identity or access management in companies. Adherence to ZeroTrust is fairly divided among cyber experts, as this method effectively incorporates human considerations and shadow IT into its scope... However, from the user's point of view, this approach imposes a number of conditions and burdens on the authentication process. Contrary to the ZeroTrust trend, Rachel Tobac sees humans as the last line of defense in cybersecurity, basing her approach to cybersecurity on user training, as evidenced by her interview in FIC BlackBox.
AI: a human ally in cyber issues?
There are many different approaches, solutions, and projects in this field. It is no longer a question of IF, but HOW AI will integrate into cyber security and support its stakeholders on a daily basis. A few inspiring talks set the tone on this subject:
- Rafik Mezil – IBM Security: Artificial intelligence for risk detection and remediation provides a comprehensive overview of the future of IAM management, supported by machine learning, serving decision-makers and assisting users.
- Luc Grissonnanche – Titus: AI and Machine Learning for Data Protection showing how technology can provide a solution to data leaks, 88% of which are caused by human error. Technical solutions are emerging to help with the classification and processing (in particular) of data within companies.
- Roundtable discussion – Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence : beyond the buzzword, 87% of cybersecurity companies say they use AI or machine learning. Whether for prevention, detection, or remediation, AI is a key tool for securing infrastructure.
Conclusions
For SQUAD experts, the FIC is, in short, an excellent way to discover innovative technologies and solutions. This event is a hub for talent, work, and trends. That's why the SQUAD experts who participated in FIC2020 will soon be offering content (MixYourTalent sessions in agencies or articles on TheExpert). For SQUAD, people play an obvious role in cybersecurity, as we recruit experts in this field every year and the FIC is a fundamental forum for exchange and recruitment. The SQUAD CTF team took advantage of this opportunity for dialogue by participating in on-site competitions. It was another opportunity to contribute to SQUAD's reputation and showcase the expertise of our experts.
