ISSA-LA January 20 2025 Dinner Meeting (Scott Francis & Jack Bicer)

NOTE: We have had to change the date of our meeting due to the terrible impact of the wildfires. Our hearts go out to our friends who have suffered.

We will now meet on Monday, January 20, 2025

5:30 – 9:00 PM

Come and network with your friends, make new friends, and hear two amazing speakers. A buffet dinner and drinks will be available.

Please register and pay here

Topic One: Practical Steps to Manage Current and Emerging Threats

If you’ve ever felt like the existing scope of work for your security team is already more than you can handle, come hear why that’s not going to get better anytime soon – and why that’s ok, as we talk about effective approaches to managing risk and liability while you build sustainable work patterns for yourself and your team. We’ll talk about the promise and problem of emerging technologies, and how to help your organization think about tradeoffs (every new capability carries with it a new risk).

Speaker One: Scott Francis

Scott Francis is a Security Innovation Principal Director at Accenture, where he is part of the cloud security leadership team. He has been designing, building, operating, and securing Internet-facing services for organizations of all sizes, in industries around the world, since the 20th century. He is pathologically curious, and his focus at Accenture (and at Amazon before that) includes emerging technology and the fascinating (and unexpected) things that happen where domains overlap.

Topic Two:  The Ultimate Solution to the Authentication Problem

Passwords were introduced over 60 years ago to ensure the security of accounts within controlled computing environments. However, the advent of the Internet has significantly transformed the landscape of account security, as we now must protect our accounts from billions of potential threats globally. The emergence of sophisticated malware further complicates this issue, rendering even the most complex passwords insufficient for ensuring security.

Additionally, the prevalent practice of using email addresses as a component of the authentication process poses a further risk, as these addresses are publicly accessible and effectively expose half of the login credentials. Consequently, the traditional password security model is fundamentally flawed. Attempting to enhance this model with supplementary security measures is akin to attempting to navigate a sinking ship.

Given these challenges, what is next for better authentication?

Speaker Two: Jack Bicer

With over 40 years of experience in the software industry, Bicer has served more than 20 years as a Chief Technology Officer. Throughout his career, he has successfully developed innovative products and managed various dot-coms and cybersecurity companies, establishing himself as a thought leader in the cybersecurity sector. Bicer is an Expert Witness in cybersecurity, authentication, account takeovers, and fraudulent transactions.

His inventions include:
· Multi-Factor Authentication – MFA
· Mobile Push Login/Authentication & Payments (Patent 9756042)
· QR Login/Authentication & Payments (Patent 8677116)
· Mobile Browser 1-Click Login/Authentication (Patent 9015813)
· Automatic Software Updates
· Uninstall

Bicer has been honored with cybersecurity recognition awards from both the U.S. Congress and the California State Assembly. Additionally, he has received two “Most Innovative Cybersecurity Product” awards for his work in authentication.