PowerTech i5/OS Security Conference Open to All

Published: January 8, 2008

by Alex Woodie

When i5/OS security software vendor PowerTech held its inaugural iNSIGHT user conference last year, it was open only to PowerTech customers, and focused heavily on PowerTech products. Due to growing demand for i5/OS security information from non-customers, the iNSIGHT 2008 show to be held in Las Vegas next month will be open to just about anybody who wants to learn about the latest in System i security, and will include a preview of security changes in i5/OS V6R1.

No matter what the platform, security is a hot topic in IT today. The growing insecurity felt by businesses and other organizations around the world is driving IT professionals to better educate and prepare themselves against the various threats, both on the Internet and off.

For administrators of Windows, Linux, and Unix systems, there's a plethora of security education options available. But when it comes to the iSeries and System i, there's a noticeable lack of dedicated events.

PowerTech is aiming to fill that security education void with iNSIGHT 2008, which will run February 10-13 at the Rio Casino and Resort in Las Vegas. "This is the only conference of its kind for security and compliance on System i," says Brendan Patterson, vice president of marketing for PowerTech, which is based in Kent, Washington.

As the only conference dedicated to i5/OS security education, PowerTech knows it has a unique event in iNSIGHT 2008. Attendees come "to learn more about the security issues on the platform [and] the chance to network with other people in similar job roles and functions as themselves at the conference," Patterson says. Training in PowerTech security products is another big draw.

PowerTech is hoping to capitalize on this event by expanding it from a user-only conference to inclusive of all System i users. "Last year we did have some requests from non-customers, so this year we decided to open it up a bit more," Patterson says.

PowerTech has also extended iNSIGHT by a full day this year, providing attendees with two-and-a-half days of education and training. All in all, there will be about 20 sessions, giving attendees a range of sessions to choose from. "It’s a great opportunity for training and learning about PowerTech products and the range of security solutions we have," Patterson says. "At COMMON or a conference like that you're not going to get product-specific training like that."

One of the keynotes will be delivered by former Gartner analyst Rich Mogull, who now runs his own security consultancy, called Securosis. Mogull will present a session titled "The Sorry History of Data Breaches," and provide tips for how customers can avoid becoming the next headline, a la TJ Max and CardSystems Solutions.

Another session expected to draw a crowd is "What's New in V6R1 Security," which will be presented by Jeff Uehling, the i5/OS security architect for IBM. Uehling will detail enhancements such as the capability to encrypt data on media and on disk, new intrusion detection and prevention enhancements, and new system integrity and audit and compliance features.

John Earl, PowerTech's chief technology officer, will also present the latest chapter in PowerTech's ongoing security survey. Like the previous two surveys, "The State of System i Security 2008" is expected to highlight the continued ineffectiveness and flat-out ignorance demonstrated by many System i and iSeries customers when it comes to correctly configuring their servers and plugging the various gaping security holes that are enabled on the platform by default.

There will also be several sessions dedicated to PowerTech products, including Compliance Monitor, Authority Broker, Network Security, and Easy Pass. While PowerTech's focus is developing and selling software, the iNSIGHT 2008 show will also show attendees how they can accomplish some security and auditing tasks using the operating system itself.

The deadline for early bird registration is past, but PowerTech is still taking reservations for the event. Registration is $900. For more information, visit www.powertech.com.

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