April 11, 2016
SIU to host fourth annual Cyber Security Day
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- A workshop at Southern Illinois University Carbondale will give high school and community college students, and the public, insight into cybersecurity careers and provide tips for protecting yourself online.
The School of Information Systems and Applied Technologies (ISAT) will host the fourth annual “SIU Cyber Security Day” on April 23. Security industry experts, including alumni and current SIU students, will discuss their careers and provide insight into cybersecurity trends and the program’s offerings. The Security Dawgs cyber defense team, a registered student organization, will provide hands-on instruction and demonstrations of tools and skills to help make you safer in your daily technology activities.
The workshop will also feature a mock cyber security competition, modeled after the contests the Security Dawgs have participated in for years. Under the guidance and direction of Security Dawg students, participants will work to identify and fix security issues on systems, respond to technical requests, and identify evidence of “bad guys” hacking into their computers. Students from John A. Logan College and Kaskaskia College will also help with the mock cybersecurity competition and present security information.
Media Advisory
Reporters, photographers and camera crews are welcome to cover the SIU Cyber Security Day on Saturday, April 23. Go to Room 111 in the Applied Sciences and Arts Building C. For more information, contact Tom Imboden, Information Systems and Applied Technologies associate professor, at 618/453-7296 or by email at timboden@siu.edu.
The workshop is from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event is directed toward students, but the public is also invited. The event is free. Registration is required by April 22 for lunch considerations.
Registration information is available at http://isat.siu.edu/activities/cyber-days/cyber-security-day-2016.php.
Tom Harness, owner of Harness Digital Marketing, will present, “Putting Security into Social Media.” Also, Curt Wilson, a senior threat intelligence analysist with Arbor Networks, will present “Who’s Behind the Keyboard: A Brief Review of the Cyber-Threat Landscape.” There will also be a session with current and past “Security Dawgs” discussing their experiences in the Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition. SIU was second in the statewide tournament earlier this year, marking the sixth second-place finish to go with two state titles since 2006.
Tom Imboden, an associate professor in ISAT, said a growing number of students are pursuing degrees involving cyber security.
SIU’s program carries a prestigious stamp of approval from the National Security Agency and U.S. Department of Homeland Security. In 2011, the program earned designation as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education (CAEIAE). The designation means both federal agencies recognize the program’s information assurance curriculum and activities.
“There are countless employers seeking qualified and talented individuals for careers in information technology and security,” Imboden said. “This will give interested community college and high school students a fun and educational glance at the information security industry.”
More information on the university’s ISAT program is available at isat.siu.edu/.