From Source to Secure : TechEd Australia

Tech Ed Security Track News

RockyH — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:55:29 GMT

Hi Gang,

Well things are lining up nicely for Tech Ed AU/NZ 09. I was finally able to finalise the security track. This year one of our highlight speakers is Michael Howard.

Michael will be running two sessions on the SDL for us and a special 1/2 day SDL workshop. So watch Commnet and sign up as seats will be limited.

Corneliu is back discussion .NET 4.0 security, and Orin Thomas of Microsoft Press fame will be doing some interesting sessions on mobile security and how to stop rogue administrators.

Jamie Sharp will be discussing Stirling and the new bits of Threat Management Gateway.

We’ll have plenty more great sessions. Stay tuned!

Tech Ed AU/NZ Call for content – Security Track

RockyH — Wed, 13 May 2009 02:31:32 GMT

The Tech•Ed 2009 season kicks off next week in LA, and the show comes to Australia and New Zealand in mid-September. We’ve just opened the Call for Content tool so now’s the time to submit that great idea for a session. Details about how to submit are at the bottom of this post.

Here are the rules for submitting content and what we’ll cover/not cover if the track owners select your session(s).

All the way through the process you’ll be able to review your submission and track its status. This is the first time we’ve opened up the Call for Content publically like this and we’re likely to receive many more proposals than we’ve got slots to fill, so please don’t be disappointed if your submission isn’t selected.

Tips for Successful Submissions

Write a descriptive, fun and enticing title
Target 300-400 level technical content; 200 level content is in low demand
Describe content that is new, unique or significantly refreshed from a previous presentation.
Take a solution oriented approach
Align your topic to the technologies listed for the track
Ensure there is no marketing in your content
Showcase your speaking experience
Focus on currently released technologies, technologies in beta or technologies that will be released within 12 months of Tech·Ed
Include one or more live demos. Historically, sessions with strong demos receive higher audience scores

By the way, Tech•Ed veteran Greg Low’s done a wonderful screencast series on presenting at large events. Well worth a look if you’re considering submitting content for any event.

Tracks and Technologies

There are 13 tracks at Tech•Ed this year and each one is owned by one or more local Microsoft folk. Here are the tracks, a quick abstract of what they will cover and the owner of each track. You may want to use this to guide your submission.

Windows Client and Server

Owners: Jeff Alexander, Philip Duff, Adam Hall and Deannah Templeton.

The basis of any strong data centre now and for the future starts with the core operation system. The Windows Server® family of products provides you with the best solution to build your IT infrastructure for any size organization. From the Essential Server Solutions to Windows Server 2008 R2, this track shows you the solutions and set of technologies to ensure success.
In addition, this track covers the comprehensive set of management products and solutions enabled by the Microsoft® System Center product suite as well as various Windows Management Technologies to help you gain back control of your environment. The sessions presented provide you with in-depth guidance and technical background in "Managing the Data centre" and "Managing the Desktop" while also covering the management of heterogeneous IT environments.
Finally, the Windows Client and Server track has everything you need to know about adoption, deployment, management, and virtualization of the Windows® Desktop Environment, including a technical introduction into Windows 7 and Microsoft® Internet Explorer® 8. Come learn best practices and hear about the advancements in the Windows Client technologies which will help you manage and accelerate your desktop deployment efforts. Get real-world guidance from our industry experts via sessions that span client-side development, readying applications for your OS roll-out, deployment tools and technologies, virtualization, and much more.

Office System

Owners: Alistair Speirs, Ian Palangio and Paul Quirk

The Office and SharePoint® track provides IT professionals and developers with a deep technical arsenal for the 2007 Microsoft® Office system. Come and learn from industry experts the best practices and advice on how to architect, design, deploy, and implement world-class solutions built on the Office and SharePoint platform technologies. Be prepared to learn more about the next wave of innovations while also going deep into 2007 Office system products and technologies such as SharePoint Server 2007, Office Enterprise, Open XML File Formats, InfoPath® 2007, SharePoint Designer, Project Server 2007, and SharePoint Online. As an IT professional, learn about Office server and client applications with sessions covering security, deployment, management, customization, and administration. As a developer, learn how to take your ASP.NET expertise to the fast-growing SharePoint ecosystem, how to craft the next generation of "Office Business Applications" and about the latest techniques for creating applications involving Microsoft Office, composition, collaboration, software-plus-services, VOIP, Open XML, Silverlight™, and more!

Unified Communications

Owners: Johann Kruse and Paul Dolley

Microsoft unified communications technologies use the power of software to deliver complete communications-messaging, voice, and video-across the applications and devices that people use every day. The Unified Communications track strengthens your knowledge of Microsoft Unified Communications platform and technologies, including Microsoft Exchange Server, Microsoft® Office Communications Server 2007 R2, Microsoft Office LiveMeeting and Microsoft® Exchange Online. Explore how you can streamline your organization's communications, build presence aware applications, roll out an on-premise, hosted messaging and collaboration system, and much more!

Web

Owner: Michael Kordahi

The Web and User Experience track brings you all the latest information on cutting-edge Web technologies and provides you with the latest in developing great user experiences from the Windows® desktop to mobile devices to cross-browser and cross-platform on the Web. Get the latest information on Windows Presentation Foundation, XAML, Microsoft® Expression® Studio, and Microsoft® Silverlight™, as well as all the in-depth coverage of Microsoft® Internet Information Services (IIS), ASP.NET, ASP.NET AJAX, Microsoft® Internet Explorer®, Windows Live™ Platform, and Commerce Server. Whether you are interested in taking your ASP.NET development to the next level, or finding out how you can use your .NET development skills to build rich experiences that run in the Safari browser on the Mac, the Web and User Experience track is for you.

Developer Tools and Practices

Owner: Dave Glover

Your knowledge of development languages and proficiency with the tools you use to create software are the core of your skill set. The Developer Tools, Languages, and Frameworks track is packed with deep technical training that covers the best of Microsoft® Visual Studio® 2008, and the upcoming Visual Studio® 2010. Get in-depth information on building mission-critical software using Microsoft® Visual Basic® and Visual C#®. Amplify your application development impact with Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) best practices using the Visual Studio Team System. Acquire the skills that you need to make an immediate impact in your organization while preparing for future versions of Visual Studio.

Architecture

Owner: Nigel Watson

The Architecture track offers sessions focused on Architecture of technology and Architecture as a practice. Elements include the architectural process of translating business vision, intent, and strategy into effective technological change in the Enterprise; addressing the skills of creating, communicating, and improving the key tenets, principles, and models that describe the Enterprise's future state and enable its transformation, evolution, or migration.

SQL and BI

Owner: Ron Dunn

The Microsoft® SQL Server® data platform helps your organization manage any data, any place, any time with the security, reliability and scalability that your mission-critical applications require. The SQL and BI track offers the knowledge you need to maximize your Microsoft SQL Server investments and gain the skills needed to seamlessly run a mission-critical environment. Gain insights into future SQL Server technology investments so you can rest assured knowing the bets you make today will continue to pay off in the future.
Now more than ever, your business needs a quick means of getting the right information to the right people so that they can make smarter, more informed decisions. Microsoft's Business Intelligence solutions enable you to do just this. The SQL and BI track also offers sessions covering how to integrate, analyse, and report on all of your corporate data easily using the Microsoft Business Intelligence platform, end-user tools, and analytics applications. Learn how to build custom, robust Business Intelligence solutions using Microsoft® SQL® Server 2005 and 2008 (Integration Services, Analysis Services and Reporting Services) and the 2007 Office system (Microsoft® Office Excel®, Excel Services and Microsoft® Office SharePoint® Server technologies) and how to easily manage them.

Security

Owner: Rocky Heckman

Security continues to be a major concern for almost every company in business today, and technology professionals are always looking for ways to improve and bolster their security strategies and tactics. Microsoft brings unique capabilities together to deliver comprehensive, integrated solutions across IT security, identity, access, and management. The Security, Identity, and Access track provides guidance and technical detail on Microsoft® Forefront™ products, identity-based access technologies, Windows® security technologies, and more!

SOA and Business Process

Owner: Graham Elliott

Organizations of all sizes use technology to automate, manage, and improve business processes, and many are using SOA to create a more flexible set of IT assets. Designing, building, deploying, and managing these distributed applications can be difficult and complex. There are a range of capabilities, products, and technologies that you will need to understand in order to do your job effectively. The SOA and Business Processes track helps to explain these choices, give you concrete approaches to designing distributed applications particularly around loosely coupled service oriented architectures, and to show you the Microsoft products and technologies that you will use to develop and manage these systems. See products such as Microsoft® BizTalk® Server 2009, .NET LOB Adapters and the Microsoft® .NET Framework 3.5, in addition to some major new technologies that are in development and soon to be released.
With a multitude of new tools and technologies in the middle tier, Microsoft's broad platform offering has created tremendous opportunities for you as a developer. Our experts show you products and technologies that provide successful strategies to take advantage of the platform and development tools.

Dynamics

Owner: Catherine Eibner

The Microsoft Dynamics suite of products provide a comprehensive platform for developing and deploying applications and services for retailers, manufacturers, wholesale distributors, and service companies, doing business domestically or in multiple countries. With these tools in hand, people in every key position in your organization can contribute to the success of your company. Microsoft Dynamics enhances all lines of business in your organization and delivers exceptional benefits. Come and hear how to deploy enhance and leverage the base Dynamics products and integrate them with Line of Business Applications through the extensive services interfaces provided.

Mobility

Owner: Rick Anderson

With the increasingly mobile nature of computing today, the Windows Mobile® track gives you the background that you need for selecting, developing for, and securely managing Windows Mobile phones. Did you know you can build for Windows Mobile with Microsoft® Visual Studio® skills you already have? Did you know that you can securely manage your mobile devices with Microsoft® System Center Mobile Device Manager? Find out this and much more in the Windows Mobile track

Azure Services Platform

Owner: Greg Willis

With the new Azure Services Platform, developers can take advantage of an Internet-scale cloud services platform hosted in Microsoft data centres to build new applications in the cloud or extend existing applications quickly and easily, using a flexible and interoperable platform. The Azure Services Platform track explores Azure's cloud operating system and set of developer services, including Windows Azure, SQL Services, .NET Services, and Live Services. Sessions provide an overview of services currently in Community Technology Preview (CTP) and beta release, in addition to discussions on the future of the Azure Services Platform and the possibilities it provides for your business to reduce costs and accelerate innovation.

Virtualisation

Owner: Amit Pawar

With today's IT budget constraints, virtualization enables you to maximize your current hardware investments and provide increased services. The Virtualization track covers all of Virtualization from the desktop to the data centre. Learn about Microsoft's virtualization strategy, as well as our current solutions: Windows Server® Hyper-V, Microsoft® Hyper-V™ Server, App-V, MED-V, System Center Virtual Machine Manager, and Terminal Services (Remote Desktop Services). Sessions include real-world lessons from both Microsoft and industry experts. Come learn all about the present and future of Virtualization at Microsoft.

Submitting a topic

So how do you go about submitting a session? Go to the Call for Content tool and register with your email address and the RSVP code TechEdANZ. Fill in all the details and hit submit. You can come back to the site at any time to update or review the progress of your submission.

Security Track Speaker Bits- Tom Hollander

RockyH — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 12:56:24 GMT

So for our next Speaker Introduction we have Tom Hollander who graciously agreed to give a session at tech Ed after I begged him to share his awesome wisdom around how to create a secure development framework.

Bio:

Tom Hollander is a Solution Architect in Microsoft’s Solutions Development Centre in Sydney, responsible for driving the technical design and delivery of complex customer projects. Prior to joining this team, Tom spent over three years in Microsoft’s headquarters in Redmond working as a product manager in the patterns & practices team. In this role Tom helped deliver many patterns & practices deliverables including Enterprise Library, the Guidance Automation Toolkit and Web Service Software Factory. Tom is a frequent blogger on patterns & practices and architecture topics, at http://blogs.msdn.com/tomholl.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

At once stage I wanted to be a “real” architect, meaning someone that designs actual buildings.

What got you started in the IT Security Arena?

Being an a developer and an architect, I had no choice but to become interested in security.

What do you like most about your job?

Working with a fantastic team and seeing progress day by day.

If you had a magic wand that fixed things with a single flick, what are the top three things you’d fix about IT Security?

Ignorance and stupidity of (some) end users.

The SMTP protocol.

The need to establish different credentials on every system.

Is this your first time presenting at Tech Ed Australia / New Zealand? If not, how many times have you presented down here?

No, I think it’s my 3^rd time.

What are you looking forward to presenting on most at Tech Ed this year?

All of the cool stuff I’ve learned from working on my current project.

If your audience only takes one thing away from your session(s), what would you like that to be?

That security needs to be top of mind every day for everyone in a development team.

What are you looking forward to most about Tech Ed Australia / New Zealand?

Going to New Zealand again J. Nothing against Sydney but I’m here every day!

Security Track Speaker Bits - Lee Hickin

RockyH — Thu, 29 May 2008 04:08:40 GMT

As part of the Security Track, I like to get you some personal insight on the speakers we'll be having. Lee, being the prompt and studios guy he is has answered some questions for us.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

LH > Depends, when I was 5 I wanted to be a fire engine….I got my first computer around 1979 (a Commodore PET) and then a VIC-20 in 1981 - after that…..I wanted to write Computer Games, don’t know why and I never did……just seemed like a pretty cool way to make a living.

What got you started in the IT Security Arena?

LH > Luck, not Judgement. Took a job with IBM back in 1993 running Mainframe systems (DOS/VSE on VM systems if you’re interested) and just found myself lucky enough to be the ‘Security’ guy. Once you get into it…….it’s hard to get out ! J

What do you like most about your job?

LH > The Challenges…..it’s never easy and there is a constantly changing playing field. I also find the whole ‘cat n mouse’ aspect of IT security fascinating.

If you had a magic wand that fixed things with a single flick, what are the top three things you’d fix about IT Security?

LH > Easy to say, hard to do……………….I would make the internet both the safest place to do business and completely uncensored :)

Is this your first time presenting at Tech Ed Australia / New Zealand? If not, how many times have you presented down here?

LH > I’m afraid not ! this will be my 3^rd year presenting at TechEd :)

What are you looking forward to presenting on most at Tech Ed this year?

LH > Finally getting to talk about something new in the ISA product line up (Threat Management Gateway) :)

If your audience only takes one thing away from your session(s), what would you like that to be?

LH > Take a second look, don’t discount Microsoft as a security vendor based on old thinking – come with an open mind and we will be honest with you…..

What are you looking forward to most about Tech Ed Australia / New Zealand?

LH > A trip to the Gold Coast…………..oh wait……….it’s in Sydney, damn……….. :)

Stay tuned for more Speaker Bits coming soon...

Tech Ed 08 Security Track

RockyH — Thu, 22 May 2008 08:16:19 GMT

Well it's that time of year again. We're just about to Tech Ed and we'll into the planning stages. I have the honor of managing the Security Track again this year. I thought I'd run my proposed track sessions past you and see what you thought.

SPEAKERS

Laura Chappell
Steve Riley
Tom Hollander
Mark Curphey
Jamie Sharp
Lee Hicken

SESSIONS

Network Forensics: Reconnaissance and Attack Traffic Patterns
Analyzing Questionable Network Applications
Top Ten Analysis Skills for Troubleshooting and Securing Your Network
Case Studies: Identifying Compromised Hosts
Virtualization and Security: What Does It Mean for Me?
Privacy: The Why, What, and How
Wireless Security Today
Secure Development Patterns: How not to screw yourself during development
Microsoft Connected Information Security Framework (CISF)
WM Architecture Security: SSCM: MDM
Securing your mobile enterprise: WM Deep Dive
Threat Management Gateway
Stirling
UAG/ILM
2007 Office Client Security

As you can see we have a lot of great speakers, and awesome presentations lined up.