Many of us enjoy danger in the form of a good “scary story” which we can experience vicariously while sitting safely in our living room. But what if the danger is real, invisible but present alongside you?

That is the reality of hacking and cybercrime in which we are now living and which makes all of us potential victims. In his fascinating but seriously unnerving book “Future Crimes”, Marc Goodman, a “global security futurist”, details the many ways that our connected devices have been hacked (“There has not yet been an operating system or a technology that hasn’t been hacked” ) and the unpleasant consequences, including loss of life, that have resulted.

Moreover, he predicts it’s going to get worse, the more connections we make, e.g., the Internet of Things. One startling example, “DNA is just another operating system waiting to be hacked.” In a word, cybercrime is much more far-reaching and threatening than the daily news tells us. And then there is Big Data (“You’re not the customer, you’re the product“)…

This evening we will present a review and discussion of Mr. Goodman’s book with a focus on the dark ingenuity of cyber criminals and the unsettling vulnerability of each of us to their exploits.

As an introduction, prior to attending the Forum you may enjoy viewing a talk by Mr Goodman at “A Vision of Crimes in the Future”. (TED)

If you are connected to the internet, you really need to know about these dangers, so join us and be prepared to have the naïveté (“I don’t have anything to hide”) and complacency scared out of you! Plus, pick up a few tips on how you can increase your internet security.

Presenter: Gary

Follow-Up