Cyber Security Summit shows the good and the quiet aspects of San Antonio

After attending part of the first Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce's Cyber Security Summit, I have to admire Howard Schmidt, the White House Cyber Coordinator, for helping me understand the national need to change the way things are being done with protecting my computers.
In time, the best way to secure a computer is through the use of additional protection processes. I agree with him that in the near future, computers will have a card slot that will allow what industry experts terms a common access card to provide secure access for non-military uses. The military already has a long-standing policy on using these cards, but I would guess that most businesses will soon embrace this policy as well.
The rest of this morning's event was such that I was asked not to blog about it. I heard an Air Force senior officer talk about the information warfare capability of my former service, but the greater chamber asked me not to take notes or blog about it. It seems the Air Force didn't want media coverage on this.
Bummer!!!
And, I could imagine what Brig. Gen. (Retired) Harry Dalton, my favorite Air Force Director of Public Affairs, would say about not allowing media or even a blogger like me into the room to take some notes. The general's talk was a rehash of efforts that have already been well reported. I believe that General Dalton would say having media on hand would only strengthen the Air Force's reputation in a community which supports the military.
Yet, the biggest highlight of this event was talking to the college kids competing in The National Collegiate CyberDefense competion held as part of the conference. These college students seemed truly jazzed to compete in the simulated cyber attacks designed by firms like the Denim Group.
If San Antonio is going to prosper as the center of cyber defense, it's these competitions and the willingness of senior Air Force officials to explain the basics of their mission.