Frank Abagnale Jr. speaks at Wharton Tech. Conference

Frank Abagnale Jr., the former con-artist who was the subject of the film Catch Me If You Can, speaks about security:

In one sense, Frank Abagnale Jr. might seem an odd choice as a featured speaker at a cutting-edge, computer-ruled event like the Wharton Technology Conference 2007. That’s not just because Abagnale — the subject of the 2002 Steven Spielberg movie “Catch Me If You Can” — was one of the most notorious con men of the 20th century, but also because his technique was so decidedly low-tech.

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“What I did more than 40 years ago is now about 4,000 times easier to do because of technology,” Abagnale said in a brief interview after his speech. “When I used to print checks, I needed a Heidelberg printing press — it was a million-dollar machine, it was 90 feet long and 18-feet high, and it required different printers and color separators and negatives. Today, I can open up a laptop, create a check from a large, existing Fortune 500 company, capture their logo from their web site, print it on their check and come out with a perfect document in a matter of just minutes.”

If you haven’t read his story or if you’re fascinated by the man, you should check out the article.