( CNN ) -- Barely a day passes without news of another major computer security breach . Last week a hacking network named `` Hollywood Leaks '' began their attack on the personal data of celebrities , officially adding the glitterati to a roll of shame that already includes targets as diffuse as Sony , the Church of Scientology and PayPal . However only a few days before the emergence of this latest hacking outfit , a far less conspicuous but similarly-skilled group met at a London hotel to discuss the other side of all matters of information security , otherwise known as `` infosec '' . The inaugural 44Con was Britain 's first major conference for the good guys of infosec . Among the 300 delegates and speakers were a number of so-called `` white hats '' , programmers and penetration testers specifically employed to discover businesses ' weak spots . Using information from these ethical hackers , manufacturers can remedy or `` patch '' the problem before its release and companies can take measures to safeguard their data . Although their more destructive brethren might continue to grab headlines , 44Con demonstrated that the fight against hackers , and other more traditional threats to information security , is also strong . `` The way people use and consume media and share information has drastically changed over the past ten years , '' said Steve Lord , a security professional and co-founder of 44Con . `` The information that we used to think would stay on a computer , in an increasingly networked world , it goes everywhere . So there is an increasing demand for people to secure that information because otherwise people wo n't put it there . '' 44Con attracted representatives from governments and members of the military , alongside risk managers , consultants and students . According to Lord , the roll call included `` hackers , freaks , geeks , spooks and kooks , '' none of whom was required to identify themselves further than a first name . `` It 's everyone around the table all looking at the same problems and hopefully coming up with some solutions , '' Lord said . High-profile hacking is only one strand of the ongoing battle to protect electronic information from damage or infiltration . Events at 44Con ran the gamut from workshops demonstrating old-fashioned lock-picking with a paperclip , through discussions of threats to iPads and smart phones and even a presentation of how NASA 's transmissions to astronauts have recently been intercepted . `` We 've got a serious problem here ... like the global financial crisis , '' said Haroon Meer , a researcher at the infosec consultancy , Thinkst . But although Meer also referred to `` our upcoming security apocalypse '' , others were focused on how intelligence can be used to predict attacks before they occur and , crucially , how to acquire boardroom backing for improved security measures . Infosec professionals often converse in a language that is not always immediately accessible to a layman ( executives included ) , but the result of their endeavors can often be startlingly clear . `` Every single guy at boardroom level that I speak to says , 'Are we going to be the next Sony ? ' '' said Lord , referring to the recent devastating hack on the electronics giant . `` Everybody had a look at the Sony thing and thought , 'Oh God , I hope I 'm not next . ' '' Sony given 'epic fail ' award from hackers . Several presentations at 44Con offered chilling demonstrations of the vulnerabilities of common business devices . Alex Plaskett , a consultant at MWR InfoSecurity , who described himself as someone who has been `` professionally breaking things '' for many years , performed a so-called `` drive-by '' exploit on a Windows 7 smart phone . Independent security consultant , Neil Kettle , performed a take-down of the much garlanded online banking security software Trusteer Rapport , running a key-logging program that replicated on screen anything a user might be entering into supposedly secure password fields . Another security expert Roelof Temmingh showcased the most recent version of Maltego , software that analyzes and compares freely available information from numerous social networking sites . Using the website of the Executive Office of the President as an example , Temmingh was able to extract specific information such as favored restaurants among White House staffers , as well as other behavioral trends . `` Even if we do n't want to attack , what can we learn ? '' Temmingh asked , before revealing that at least one member of the Bush administration was a fan of Moody 's Diner , visited a psychic medium named `` Rosemary the Celtic Lady '' and was a keen editor of Wikipedia pages . The examples were deliberately banal and outdated , but the implication was clear . Through similar paths , hackers of more nefarious intentions could determine what versions of browsers are being used in the White House , for instance , and probe specific vulnerabilities . `` If you can exploit the browser of a leader , then you 've exploited the PC of a president , '' Temmingh warned . However it was left to Alexis Conran , a former confidence trickster who appeared in a British TV show called `` The Real Hustle '' , to sum up the challenges still faced by the infosec sector . `` The general public will only take steps to protect themselves if they know what the dangers are , '' he said .
Information security professionals working to beat hackers . Conference in London demonstrated threats and solutions . Mobile devices , bank accounts and website all vulnerable . People need to be aware of risks before taking action , suggests experts .