Sponsor Spotlight:
Join our Announcements List
Thursday, December 4th, 2008: Why Is Security Hard?
Presenter: Matthew Dons
Approaches to Security: Raising more questions than answers
Matthew Dons gave a thought provoking presentation that kept
the audience reflecting on their own approaches to security.
Matthew ambitiously attempted to explain issues of security
to a computer club audience by taking a broad perspective
rather than concentrating on specific software applications
and operating systems. Of course, as security themes, such as,
software complexity, misguided design, trust and security
theater were touched upon, one fairly well known software
company often served as a classic example.
Following are some of the security resources that Mathew recommends:
Websites:
Non-technical Books:
“Secrets And Lies” by Bruce Schneiner
If you buy one book on security, get this one.
“Beyond Fear” by Bruce Schneiner
If you buy two books on security, get this along with the above…
“The Art Of Deception” by Kevin Mitnik
“Hackers’ Handbook 3.0” By Dr. K
Semi-technical Books:
“Security Engineering” by Ross Anderson
“Hacking Exposed Series” by various authors
“The Best of 2600: A Hacker Odyssey” edited by Emmanuel Goldstein
Technical Books:
“Applied Cryptography” by Bruce Schneiner
“Hacking: The Art Of Exploitation” by Jon Erickson
The meeting was promoted on the TPC website “Upcoming Events”
and on the TPC mailing list with the following description :
Thursday, December 4th, 2008: Why Is Security Hard?
Presenter: Matthew Dons
New security technologies are appearing on a daily basis, yet little progress
seems to being made. Why is this? The quick answer is that security is hard.
A more useful answer is that security is hard and people regularly forget that
it is hard. This talk will look at the technological, social and economic aspects
of security with an aim to helping attendees choose security products,
configurations and policies for everything from booking a holiday online to
implementing building access control systems. Real-world examples will be
given throughout, including those that are not limited to just computer security.
No previous knowledge of security is required to understand this talk, as
everything will be described from basic principles. Unlike most talks on security,
this one will look at security from the point of view of the attacker, not just the
defender. Ample time will be given for any security questions that attendees may have.
Bio:
Matthew Dons has been an active member of the international security community
for several years. He has spoken at security conferences in the UK, Europe and
the US on diverse topics, including the history of cryptography, security token systems
and the philosophy of security.
Thursday, November 6th, 2008: Lifecycle of a software company
Presenter: Terrie Lloyd
Venue: Tokyo Union Church --- basement meeting room
For this well-attended meeting, Terrie Lloyd was able to
weaving his personal and business experience into a very
interesting and informative presentation on business
opportunities in Japan for the foreign entrepreneur.
Terrie has graciously offered to upload the slide show that
goes with the presentation to the TPC website. The link
below will get you started, however be aware that these
bullet points and diagrams represent but a part of a riveting
presentation. You really had to be there!
Thanks again to Terrie for his much appreciated contributions to the
Tokyo PC Club.
http://tokyopc.org/past_events/081106_nov/lifecycle-sw-co-jp.html
The meeting was promoted on the TPC website “Upcoming Events”
and on the TPC mailing list with the following description :
Locally-based Australian/Kiwi entrepreneur, Terrie Lloyd, probably needs
no introduction, if only because we can find evidence of him all over
Tokyo—thanks to his various publications and websites keeping us
informed and entertained. I know that many people wonder if he ever
really gets to sleep.
Terrie’s motivation is largely fueled by his desire to help other
foreigners build businesses in Japan. Thus, for his presentation, he
will help us delve into the formula that he believes works for
establishing a company, operating it, and eventually selling it.
Those of our members who have dreamed of starting up your own business,
will have an ideal opportunity to not only hear what this tried and true
process is, but also to ask questions during the Q&A that might be
specific to your particular circumstances. Any refugees from Lehman
Brothers are welcome...!
Terrie will cover:
• Businesses that are poised for growth in Japan
• How to get started with a company
• Getting funding when you’re bootstrapping
• Pitfalls in the early years of running a business
• Keys to successful management and profits
• How to value your company when you’re ready to sell
• Where to find the buyers
Congratulations to Gary Wolff our new President, and Mike Tokue and Tony Whitman respective Vice-president and Treasurer.
The A.G.M. will be held on October 2nd. Election of new club officers will take place followed by a presentation. Members who wish to be a candidate for any Executive role should apply by email listing the role and their name. Applications must arrive in the president’s mailbox (See Contact us) by midnight October 1st in order to have the name printed on the ballot paper.
Presentation: Nifty Windows XP applications
According to e-week online magazine 28% of corporate IT admins did, or plan to, upgrade to Vista with the others planning to leap-frog to Windows 7. For home or hobby users Vista is unattractive since only 14% of third-party developers have ported their software to Vista. Windows XP has a very good choice of third-party applications many of which are free. Tonight, Terry McKenna will introduce some of his favorite free software for Windows XP. Interaction is encouraged and everyone is invited to share their knowledge by introducing their favorite too. Participants may send links to the president’s mailbox to have displayed on the screen during the talk.
Links:
https://www.foxitsoftware.com/
http://www.pdfforge.org/products/pdfcreator
http://www.theorica.net/safexp.htm
http://www.softperfect.com/products/firewall/
https://www.steganos.com/us/products/home-office/locknote/overview/
COST: Members free, non-members 1000 yen at the door.
VENUE: The meetings are held in the basement of the Tokyo Union Church (map) on Omotesando Dori, a short walk from the A-1 exit of the Omotesando subway station on the Ginza, Hanzomon, and Chiyoda Lines.
We hope you can make it to the meeting. For those who can’t, you can catch us at Shakey’s down the street after 9 pm.
Where exactly does technology meet with the traditional classroom interface to make the most of a blended learning program? What kind of considerations are important in choosing, adapting and using technology as part of a language skills program? How will the recent innovations of Web 2.0 affect use of IT in language learning? Do teachers and students want to understand and harness technology for the classroom? We will look at some typical language learning software to show examples of ways technology can fit and fill instead of fight and frustrate.
The presenter is Kevin Ryan, who is a longtime member of our club and who has held a number of officer positions, including two years as club president. Kevin has taught in Barcelona, Chicago, Nanjing and Tokyo. He began teaching in language labs in the early 90’s, and has since moved most of his materials and approaches online, but still values the personal interface, especially here in Japan. Past President of the CALL SIG (twice) and editor of the CALL newsletter, Kevin is now taking care of JALT’s money until November. See kevinryan.com for more details.
COST: Members free, non-members 1000 yen at the door.
VENUE: The meetings are held in the basement of the Tokyo Union Church (map) on Omotesando Dori, a short walk from the A-1 exit of the Omotesando subway station on the Ginza, Hanzomon, and Chiyoda Lines.
We hope you can make it to the meeting. For those who can’t, you can catch us at Shakey’s down the street after 9 pm.
In our August meeting, Maqsood Ahmed, President & CEO of Hitech Solutions (http://hitechsol.net), a Tokyo-based website design & internet marketing company, will share his expertise on search engine optimization. In the first half of the presentation, Maqsood will deal with the basics of SEO and related topics such as:
* What is Search Engine Optimization?
* Website Ranking Factors
* Keyword Research
* Keyword Placement
* Link Building
* and more…
After the formal presentation is over, Maqsood will entertain your questions or comments. And if you already have a website, feel free to ask him for his suggestions.
COST: Members free, non-members 1000 yen at the door.
VENUE: The meetings are held in the basement of the Tokyo Union Church (map) on Omotesando Dori, a short walk from the A-1 exit of the Omotesando subway station on the Ginza, Hanzomon, and Chiyoda Lines.
We hope you can make it to the meeting. For those who can’t, you can catch us at Shakey’s down the street after 9 pm.
Looking for information about older TPC events?
Between meetings, you can keep up with what is happening with TPC by participating in the club newsgroups and mailing lists This is a handy way to stay informed, look for information, or share your knowledge and tips.
