The conference, entitled, Global Approaches to Security and Technology Strategies, will look beyond Canadian borders to examine security issues around the world and what other countries have implemented to address their own challenges. While previous conferences from the Conference Board of Canada have focused on Canadian and U.S. challenges, this conference will look at best practices around the world and how they might be adapted to Canadian organizations.

"We've put together a program that follows a logical sequence of looking at the threats, how they can be prioritized and managed and then how security strategies are formulated to address those threats," said conference organizer Richard Cohen. "Most of the second day will look at how the right technology can be selected to enhance security strategies. There's also an element of communication involved in managing risk."

Individuals from the federal auditor general's office will also speak about how successful Canada has been in addressing the issue of security risks.

The conference will be broken into two areas: building a security strategy and detailed plan, and improving national and international collaboration between governments and industry to produce innovative technology to support security systems.

The conference, to be held Nov. 28-29 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, in Ottawa, will examine the challenges faced by some of the largest private and public sector organizations in Canada and around the world. Featured keynote speakers will include the Hon. Peter MacKay, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Jacques Duchesneau, president and chief executive officer, Canadian Air Transport Security Authority as well as Heiko Loehr, World Cup Project Team, detective superintendent, Serious and Organized Crime, Bundeskriminalamt, Germany. Co-chairing the event will be Gene McLean, CSO and vice-president of Telus Communications and James Robbins, EWA-Canada Ltd, which specializes in network and IT security.

The first day of the conference will include sessions such as a panel discussion on Assessing Threats and Managing Risks: International Practices, moderated by Jacques Shore, partner, Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP. Shore was the first secretary of the Security and Intelligence Review Committee, the oversight body for the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service, and has been involved in the study of national security issues since. This panel will include experts from different countries with different histories who will speak about how they assess and manage risk.

Other sessions include How Technology Contributes to Security: Israel’s Experience, featuring Rafi Sela, a consultant on defence and homeland security industries in Israel. He represents many of that country’s security technology companies and was a popular speaker at last year’s Canadian Aviation Security Conference.

On day two, Ed Schaffner, director of integrated security programs with Unisys Inc. will discuss Selecting and Integrating the Right Security Technology and Louie Volucci, senior manager, forensic, risk and resilience with KPMG will examine the current cyber threat landscape, emerging trends in cyber terrorism and the approaches to take in mitigating risk.

For more information and to register, visit:

http://www.conferenceboard.ca/conf/nov2006/security/overview.asp