The IT Nerd

IFIP has announced that ITU Deputy Secretary-General, Malcolm Johnson, will share the latest research and trends in broadband implementations, when he keynotes at IFIP WITFOR 2016 in Costa Rica in September this year.

Mr Johnson will explore the impacts of national broadband plans, highlighting policy measures that have helped to improve broadband penetration, while also sharing tried and tested best practice strategies that help optimise outcomes for those nations.  

WITFOR (World Information Technology Forum) 2016 is IFIP’s global event focused on advancing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It brings together hundreds of senior policy-makers, ICT experts, representatives of NGOs and GOs, researchers and private sector organizations to discuss strategies for using ICT to solve the challenges developing nations are facing.

WITFOR 2016 will be held from 12-14 September 2016 in San José, Coast Rica. For more information or to register, please visit http://www.witfor2016.org/

The 2016 Kristian Beckman Award winner, Professor Bart Preneel, is one of three Keynotes engaged to speak at the upcoming 31st International IFIP Conference on ICT Systems Security and Privacy Protection (IFIP SEC 2016).

The flagship event of IFIP’s Technical Committee 11 on Security and Privacy Protection in Information Systems, IFIP SEC 2016 will bring together security experts, practitioners, researchers, industry stakeholders and government decision-makers from 30 May to 1 June 2016 in Ghent, Belgium, to hear international keynotes:

• Professor Preneel of Katholieke Universiteit Leuven discuss “The Post-Snowden Threat Landscape”;
• Daniel Le Métayer of Inria explore “The Risk-Based Approach to Privacy: Prospects and Challenges”; and
• Professor Herbert Bos of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in the Netherlands address the topic, “Crazy Time: Exploiting Software without Bugs”.

At IFIP SEC 2016, Professor Preneel will officially receive his prize as this year’s recipient of the prestigious Kristian Beckman Award, which recognises an individual who has significantly contributed to the development of information security, particularly at an international level.

In addition to his work at KU Leuven, Professor Preneel heads the COSIC research group, has been visiting professor at five European universities, has invented five patents and authored over 400 scientific publications. He has participated in about 40 EU projects, seven as coordinator, and been invited speaker at more than 120 conferences in 40 countries.

For more information about IFIP SEC 2016, visit http://ifipsec.org/2016/index.php

IFIP (International Federation for Information Processing), the global ICT professional body, has invited developing nations to partner with it to build their technology expertise and capability.

IFIP President Leon Strous used his high level address to the WSIS (World Summit on the Information Society) Forum last week to make the offer to countries and organisations wanting to improve their ICT capacity as a way of meeting the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in areas such as education, health and addressing poverty.

Held in Geneva, Switzerland from 2-6 May, WSIS Forum 2016 is the world’s largest conference focused on harnessing the power of technology to drive development and sustainability, attracting over 1,800 delegates from around the world including over 85 government ministers and 250 high-level representatives. It is co-organized by ITU, UNESCO, UNDP and UNCTAD along with various facilitators of the WSIS Action Lines.

To date, IFIP has sought to maximise knowledge transfer and information sharing by staging various technical conferences to which it invites representatives and practitioners from all over the developing world. “Our World Information Technology Forum (WITFOR) event in Costa Rica in September this year is specifically focused on bringing together ICT experts with developing nations to achieve positive results in relation to the SDGs.”

Mr Strous said IFIP’s offer of partnership has been warmly received by numerous countries and organisations who have expressed an interest in talking further about how they can leverage the expertise of the global body to help their people.

IFIP took a contingent of seven people to the WSIS Forum, between them conducting three workshops and presenting at various forums and meetings. Mr Strous was accompanied by:

• Brenda Aynsley, Chair of IFIP’s International Professional Practice Partnership (IP3);
• IP3 Deputy Chair, Moira de Roche;
• IP3 Board member, Raymond Morel;
• Stephen Ibaraki, Chair of IFIP’s Global Industry Council, which was recognised with a WSIS Champion Award during the event;
• IFIP Vice-president, Ramon Puigjaner; and
• ISES projectleader Bernhard Hämmerli.

Mr Ibaraki received the Champion Certificate from ITU Secretary-General, Mr Houlin Zhao, during a special ceremony to honour organisations and individuals making a significant impact in progressing the SDGs, after receiving the most global votes out of more than 240,000 overall and best reviews from the WSIS expert group.

The World Information Technology Forum (WITFOR) 2016, organised by global professional association for the ICT sector, IFIP, has received a global response to its Call to Papers with presenters from 23 different countries submitting papers for consideration.

To be held in San Jose, Costa Rica from 12-14 September, 2016, WITFOR 2016 has taken the theme “ICT for Promoting Human Development and Protecting the Environment”. With a focus on progressing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), WITFOR 2016 brings together hundreds of senior policy-makers, ICT experts, representatives of NGOs and GOs, researchers and private sector organizations to devise ways to use ICT to solve the problems of developing nations.

Authors of accepted papers will be notified the first week of May, with the program due to be finalised later that month.

For more information about WITFOR 2016, visit http://www.witfor2016.org

IFIP (International Federation for Information Processing), the global professional body for those working in the ICT sector, has announced the first global awards program for young IT professionals.

The IFIP International Young IT Awards, to be administered by IFIP’s International Young IT Group, InterYIT, will recognise outstanding young IT practitioners from around the world who have distinguished themselves in one of three categories:

• IFIP International Young IT Professional of the Year;
• IFIP International Young IT Entrepreneur of the Year; and
• IFIP International Best Student IT Project of the Year.

Nominations are now being sought, both through IFIP’s 40+ member societies around the world as well as from individuals or companies wanting to put someone forward for consideration. Nominations will be accepted up until 30 June, 2016, with the winners being announced at the Gala Awards Dinner at the WITFOR 2016 Conference in Costa Rica in September.

The International Young IT Awards will encourage young IT professionals and students to explore their full capabilities.

Applications will be reviewed by an independent panel consisting of an IFIP InterYIT Representative (Chair or his nominee), two IFIP General Assembly (GA) Members, one University academic invited by IFIP InterYIT (Non GA Member) and one Industry professional invited by IFIP InterYIT (Non GA Member).

For more information or to lodge an application, please email info@ifipinteryit.org

The Rules and Application Form can be downloaded at http://ifipinteryit.org/activity/ifip-international-young-it-awards-2/