Phishing stats, User Education, and More! - Notes from APWG CeCOS 3
Posted by Dylan Sachs on Fri, Jun 26, 2009
Among the many opportunities provided to me during my time with BrandProtect, the most exciting for me is most definitely the trips to the semi-annual APWG (Anti-Phishing Working Group) meetings. These meetings, held in different international locations, are excellent opportunities to learn more about bleeding-edge scams, the scammers that employ them, and the people that track their activities around the globe. In the past, these meetings have sent me to Pittsburgh, PA, Tokyo, Japan, and Atlanta, GA.
The latest APWG conference was held in beautiful Barcelona, Spain, this past May. The agenda for the Counter-eCrime Operations Summit included presentations such as National Reports from Italy, Spain, UK, and Malaysia, "The Ins and Outs of Fast Flux Networks", "A Multi-Stakeholder Approach to Battle Cyber Crime", and an entire afternoon devoted to end-user education initiatives (the full agenda can be found here). More information on APWG, including past and future conferences, educational resources, and instructions on how to report phishing to them can be found on the APWG site.
These conferences are not only an opportunity to catch up on the latest and greatest research in the world of Phishing and online fraud, but also let me interact face to face with some of the best and brightest our industry. Engaging world-renowned researchers in discussions ranging from investigative approaches and recent findings, to the latest "footie" results and Canada's addiction to hockey not only helps build up my knowledge and networking base, but solidifies BrandProtect's reputation as a friendly, engaging company who is in it for the greater good, just like everyone else.
If you have any questions regarding the APWG's events or presentations, feel free to drop me a line at dsachs@brandprotect.com.