BAR Honda to host security conference

IP security leaks in engineering design will be the theme of a free half-day conference organised by this journal and digital content software giant Adobe. Running in November at BAR Honda F1’s development complex in Brackley, Northamptonshire, the event will include an examination of the key issues by Benchmark Research – as well as methods and IT to combat what is a growing problem. BAR Honda will also describe its own solutions in the very sensitive F1 arena, and is also providing tours of its design offices, R&D labs and factory. The event is aimed at senior managers and heads of engineering design, as well as IT management and others involved in information security in sectors such as the automotive and aerospace industries. With IP security an increasing problem, and potentially costing industry millions, this is a valuable opportunity. Latest leaks in the automotive sector, for example, include BMW’s plans for its minis for the next three years, and the case of Ferrari F1 versus Toyota F1 over alleged IP theft. As Adobe marketing manager Mark Wheeler says: “Stuff happens… We hear about websites being broken into, but we tend to brush IP leaks under the carpet. “No one likes to talk about it, but IP related content is all too easily leaked despite the investments companies have made in PLM solutions. Companies have to deal with this.” The problem is that IP security is multi faceted. Key issues include the proliferation of mobile workers, with latest figures showing some 50% of employees now using laptops – meaning more leakage points that are less easy to control. Much the same is the result of the push for lean efficiency, with more developers involved in collaborative working and electronic information sharing. Further, although IT departments have invested heavily in security management, it’s mostly aimed at perimeter strengthening – whereas much of the IP leakage risk is from within and often the result of accidents or misunderstandings. At the BAR Honda event, delegates will gain an insight into the nature of the risks, scale of the problems, how modern businesses are handling them successfully and appropriate systems provision, policies and costs. Adobe’s proposal concerns adding an internal security and policy management layer through, for example, its LiveCycle Enterprise Solutions policy server and some of the Acrobat 7 content management functionality. Acrobat 7.0 and Adobe Policy Server give users advanced security functionality that can protect IP far more effectively than hietherto. A range of policies can be given to a PDF, covering for example printing and reading rights and PDF lifespan. Using Adobe Policy Server, corporate security can be imposed on any PDF leaving a company firewall: meaning rights to a PDF can be removed at any time – so that wherever, whoever and whatever device is being used, the document dies.