Many trusted security technologies have failed, and coupled with this, cyber defence is still immature, skills are lacking to address cyber warfare, the world has become more connected and hackers are getting smarter. What can be done?

All will be uncovered by the world’s greatest information security specialists and experts, who will descend onto the Sandton Convention Centre, and will address hundreds of delegates during this year’s prestigious ITWeb Security Summit and Expo.

ITWeb is set to kick off its 7th annual Security Summit and Expo, from 15 to 17 May, featuring over 40 top international and local security experts, who will expose the biggest security threats for 2012.

This year’s theme is: “Reinventing information security: When trusted technologies have failed”. The conference will reveal why old security models have been unsuccessful, and what steps must be taken for a safer IT environment.

Information security themes that will be explored include the freedom and control of the Web, as well as issues around digital identity, unregulated money at risk through mobile payment systems, contactless system security, mobile network insecurities, ERP suite vulnerabilities, anti-virus failures and mobile application vulnerabilities.

Kenneth Geers is a cyber expert for the US Naval Criminal Investigative Service. He will tackle the subject of cyber warfare in his presentation: “Is the pen still mightier than the sword?”

According to Geers, hacking offers a high return on investment, as it’s cheap to carry out, the impact is far-reaching because no organisation or person is immune to being hacked, and there’s a high degree of anonymity for the perpetrators.

He stresses that critical infrastructure, which controls everything from electricity to the elections of a country, is susceptible to cyber warfare, because everything is connected to the Internet.

White Hat hacker and researcher Moxie Marlinspike will be one of the keynote speakers presenting at the ITWeb Security Summit. He was wellreceived during the 2010 Security Summit. In light of recent high-profile security breaches, Marlinspike will explore the issue of trust.

Dr Charlie Miller is a principal research consultant for Accuvant LABS. He will address his recent AppStore “hack” and Apple’s response to this. He will also tackle the broader implications this hack might have for mobile security.