Introducing SCS Speaker Robert Rogenmoser

Last week, Bloomberg ran a lengthy article on a supposed supply chain attack that gave the Chinese manufacturer (as well as Chinese state actors) a way to control Amazon and Apple devices. The article itself was no journalistic masterpiece, since it was based on a lot of Secret Service hearsay. But that does not negate the possibility of such an attack or the danger it poses.

In fact, when Paul Vixie gave his keynote at Swiss Cyber Storm last October, he gave us several examples of successful supply chain attacks, and a rather grim look on the impossibility of trusting the hardware you are running your software on. And if this is true for large scale companies like the ones mentioned, then God help everybody else and mid- and small-sized governments. It’s a trust problem of epic dimensions.

So there is a recurring request for hardware produced locally. Mainboards, chips, assembly, you name it. Usually this is wishful thinking, but there are a few niche players that actually pull this off. We are happy to present one of them: Robert Rogenmoser, CEO at Securosys SA, a Swiss startup not only designing, but also producing Hardware Security Modules used for encryption here in Switzerland.

Robert Rogenmoser is a veteran of the hardware industry who lists Broadcom and Intel as two of his former employers. And if he is in good mood, he has one or two anecdotes to tell about microprocessor design at those big box companies.

Despite being a startup, Securosys scored a few impressive wins. Their hardware protects the Swiss interbank clearing system to name but one. But how do they secure their supply chain? The company lists Swiss production and transparent European partners as a key element, and I know that they program their FPGAs on their own. So this kind of gives me an idea, but I would like to know how it all fits together:

How do you build trustworthy hardware in Switzerland from A to Z???

The talk by Robert Rogenmoser will cover this question, but he will also look back on his career and how he got where he is now, with many interesting stations and many noteworthy experiences that can serve as an example for younger members of the industry. And if they really succeed with their crypto ITO to finance Securosys anew, he’ll have another positive experience to add.

Please join us at Swiss Cyber Storm on October 30 to see Robert Rogenmoser live on stage. The tickets are selling quite fast now…

More about our speaker Robert Rogenmoser:

• Securosys SA: About page including Robert Rogenmoser
• Twitter: @rorolabs
• Rogenmoser about Securosys: To infinity and beyond

 

Christian Folini, Program Chair