TEXT OF STORY

Scott Jagow: Internet security is a little bit like the Mad Magazine cartoon, spy vs. spy. The people in IT design a perfect defense for one threat, but hackers find another way in, and so on.
Today, there’s a huge conference on cyber-security in San Francisco. Ashley Milne-Tyte reports.

Ashley Milne-Tyte: An IT professional’s work is never done. Tim Mather is chief security strategist of the RSA Conference.

Tim Mather: Trying to stay up with what those evolving threats are, as well as new products that may not be as secure as they should be, as well as products becoming a) more complex and b) more networked — it’s quite a challenge.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff will attend the conference. He’ll report on a recent government experiment to stage and thwart a simulated cyber-terrorist attack. Turning to the private sector, the conference will also focus on the next generation of security software for interactive sites like Facebook and MySpace. Then there are events dedicated to more immediate concerns.

Michael Chertoff: For example we have one that is looking at information security in the Olympic Games.

Mather says many sports fans will be keeping up with the Games via the Web. And that means people working round the clock to make sure all that real-time information isn’t compromised.

I’m Ashley Milne-Tyte for Marketplace.