Mitnick Two-Day Seminar: Sleeping with the Enemy

[MrLinus]

A friend of mine sent me the following email and I decided to visit their website.

Your mission should you choose to accept it...

To attend an exclusive 2-day Certification Workshop that focuses specifically on understanding and defending against the threat of social engineering. That Mr. Mitnick, who will be personally presenting the workshop, knows what he's talking about goes without saying.

If the world's most renowned former hacker comes to the conclusion that social engineering is the most potent threat your company faces today, it probably makes sense to pay attention.

Toronto, Ontario
March 29/30, 2005
The Second City (Venue)

We're selective about the notices we send. At times, we invite you to take advantage of special offers or inform you of new benefits via email. Should you wish, for any reason, to not receive such offers from Polar Bear please click here.

No offense but this man is not $3000 CDN to listen to for 2 days. Additionally, when looking at the end of the itinerary and saw this at the end:

An exam will be distributed for you to complete and mail to Kevin Mitnick. You will be notified by Mr. Mitnick whether you passed the exam in order to receive the CSEPs certification.

Looking up CSEP brings up Certified Special Event Professional, so I doubt that's it. I suspect it stands for Certified Social Engineer Professional.

If you're inclined, visit here for details.

[phishphreek]

See what happens when you're head gets too big? You start making up stupid certificates.

For one who has a lot of social skills... social eng. comes easy.

What good will this cert do? Why will this make me more valuable to my workplace?

You've either got common sense or you don't.

IMO- I don't need a peice of paper to know that I've got common sense.
IMO- read his book... even watch Catch Me If You Can... you'll probably learn more

[Egaladeist]

Hi MsMittens,

Here's some extra info on CSEP...

http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&cl...G=Search&meta=
Google Search: CSEP: Certified Social Engineer Professional.

Eg

[MrLinus]

Uh.. I used this search Google search using "Certified Social Engineer Professional" and it found nothing.

[XTC46]

its probably some cert he made up... you cant teach social engineering. (well not very well) its a talent. Its like trying to teach someone to sing, they can get decent, but the true greats have the natural ability, and talent.

[fraggin]

Kind of like trying to teach someone to be a con artist.
Ever seen matchstick men?
The con artist get's conned by his con artist friend through the con artist student.....
Hmmm.... Hope that's not too far off track.
I cannot see the benefit of even manifesting such a cert.
An infosec cert could get you in the door to a company to see how weak their infosec policies are.
A Social engineering cert would only get you in the door to a company to show how stupid and gullible everyone is.
That would probably fly like a lead balloon.

[The Grunt]

Its like trying to teach someone to sing, they can get decent, but the true greats have the natural ability, and talent.

Sorry but I gotta call BS on that... I don't know a single wonderful singer who hasn't worked their ass of and practiced every day who is what would be considered "amazing". Granted, some natural talent is needed, but you have to LEARN proper breath support, diction, how to form vowels correctly, and various other things I could go into that can't really come naturally.

But yeah SE is a lot of natural ability of not being scared or nervous when you try something and just being social. It's your personality mainly I'd say.

[Und3ertak3r]

Kind of like trying to teach someone to be a con artist

it IS teaching some one to be (or in this case to defend against?) Con artists

Social engeneering IS a Con artists main tool...EOS

[zencoder]

I think the point is Mitnick isn't worth $2000 Canadian. I'd like to hear him speak, heck I had a chance to meet him a year or two ago that fell through...I was disappointed, mostly just to meet him and see how he carries himself these days. I've been something of a critic of his, and I've changed positions some, but this does sound like over kill.

Then again, he *is* a social engineering expert...and if he can pack a room full of people for two days at $2000 a chair...

[MrLinus]

Based what's being suggested I envision Mitnick showing episodes of The Rockford Files and Charlie's Angels and other PI type shows that used "cons" as methods of gathering information.