On-stage ransomware experiment will reveal IoT security and privacy risks to drive education and protection

Redwood City, California, April 20, 2017 – Vince Steckler, Avast’s chief executive officer, will speak at Collision 2017 on the real impact of Internet of Things (IoT) security and discuss the technology industry’s role in putting security at the heart of IoT innovation. Steckler will share new research and also stage a ransomware experiment to show how easy it is for cybercriminals to access insecure devices and use these against the public for wider harm. Joining Avast in 2009, Steckler has transformed the company into a full-service, global security provider that uses next-generation threat detection technologies to advance its mission of making the internet safe and accessible for more than 400 million consumers and businesses.

Security often gets overlooked in IoT development, as evidenced by recent Avast research, which found that one in six connected devices in the U.S. is vulnerable to cyberattacks. At Collision 2017, Steckler will discuss how cybercriminals exploit vulnerabilities in popular smart home devices to control the devices for spying, accessing personal information, stealing online identities, or building sophisticated botnets to deliver damage to our global digital infrastructure.

When: Wednesday, May 3, 2017, 2 p.m. CDT.

Where: Collision 2017, New Orleans, Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Binate.io Stage

Who: Vince Steckler, Chief Executive Officer of Avast

What: Live demonstration and discussion focused on the dark side of IoT

During Collision, Steckler will also judge business pitches by startup companies and participate in a panel on building and scaling global companies on the Startup University stage.

These panels include:

• May 3, 2017, 11:15 a.m. CDT: Startup Pitch Judging, Pitch Stage
• May 4, 2017, 2:55 p.m. CDT: Scaling without Skimping on Quality, Startup University Stage

Media: If you are interested in speaking with Vince Steckler, please contact pr@avast.com.

About Collision

Collision (https://collisionconf.com/), created by the team behind Web Summit, is America’s fastest-growing tech conference. In four years, Collision has grown to 20,000 attendees from more than 50 countries. Attendees include CEOs of both the world’s fastest-growing startups and the world’s largest companies, alongside leading investors and media.