ESET Research goes to RSA Conference 2021 with record number of presentations

We are just a few days away from RSA Conference 2021, an important annual event for the IT security industry and research. ESET is excited to have a strong presence on the virtual show floor, with its researchers set to host three much-anticipated sessions – a record-high number for ESET Research. The event is taking place from May 17-20 and our very own Jean-Ian Boutin, Alexis Dorais-Joncas, Zuzana Hromcová and Lukáš Štefanko will provide deep dives into Windows XP exploits and Android stalkerware, as well as into how nation-state actors have been breaching air-gapped networks.  

Two of the presentations will take place on May 17, the opening day of the conference. ESET researcher Lukáš Štefanko will address “Security: The Hidden Cost of Android Stalkerware” from 11:20 to 12:00 PDT (20:20 to 21:00 CEST). Stalkerware is used to spy on users by gathering, transmitting, and storing information about their activities. ESET Research has discovered serious vulnerabilities in Android stalkerware apps and their monitoring servers that, if exploited, could have a serious impact on the victims. Based on ESET telemetry, the number of stalkerware detections in 2020 rose by 48% compared to 2019. Lukáš will cover more than 80 different families of Android stalkerware and focus on security issues and privacy flaws in their code. 

Immediately following Lukáš Štefanko, Head of Threat Research at ESET Jean-Ian Boutin and ESET researcher Zuzana Hromcová will take the virtual stage with “Beyond Living-Off-the-Land: Why XP Exploits Still Matter” from 12:05 to 12:45 PDT (21:05 to 21:45CEST). Living-Off-the-Land refers to a technique where attackers use legitimate, preinstalled tools to carry out their malicious operations. At ESET, we know how a vulnerable Windows XP DLL can quickly turn incident response into a nightmare – learn from our experience and leverage our guidance to fortify your defenses. 

The final presentation from ESET Research will be delivered by Alexis Dorais-Joncas, ESET security intelligence team lead, who will speak about “Jumping the air gap: 15 years of nation-state efforts” on May 19 (time is yet to be confirmed). Nation-state actors have been breaching air-gapped networks for over a decade and Alexis has analyzed and compared all their malicious frameworks known to date.  

To watch the presentations live, register at the RSA Conference 2021 website. Be sure to check the conference’s full agenda for additional information, including which type of access pass works best for you.   

If you cannot join the event live, ESET Research has you covered, as WeLiveSecurity.com will publish two white papers during the conference – one by Lukáš Štefanko on Android stalkerware and the second one by Alexis Dorais-Joncas about malware jumping the air gap.  

So let’s meet at RSA Conference 2021 and make sure to stay on top of ESET research on WeLiveSecurity.com. If you don‘t want to miss our research previews and breaking news, follow ESET Research on Twitter.