Cybernet Education and Protection – A free conference on Nov. 5 at SIU Carbondale will focus on educating and protecting children, students and the community from cybercrimes. (Photo provided by Shutterstock)
October 22, 2019
Conference will provide information about protecting children, students from cybercrimes
CARBONDALE, Ill. — A conference next month at Southern Illinois University Carbondale will focus on educating and protecting children and students from cybercrimes.
The “CYBERNET: Education and Protection Conference” is from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Nov. 5, in Student Center Ballroom B.
Conference is part of an ongoing series
The conference is the second in a series that addresses important issues pertaining to children and student safety, said Meera Komarraju, SIU Carbondale provost and vice chancellor of academic affairs.
“Our children and students are our future and we all have an interest in ensuring they receive outstanding educational experiences as we protect them from influences that may hinder their ability for future growth,” she said.
The conference will provide informative and educational presentations on cyber safety that students, parents, teachers, community professionals and school administrators will find beneficial, according to Komarraju.
The initial Provost Forum in April focused on school safety, addressing the issue from behavioral, social, psychological and legal dimensions.
Conference hopes to raise awareness
Hussein Soliman, a professor in the School of Social Work and conference coordinator, said the focus of the November session is on ways to protect students and the community from cybercrime, and it will address the issue from social, psychological, legal and technological views.
Each presenter will highlight issues related to cybernet protection and education. Soliman will discuss how family dynamics can help children avoid becoming victims.
The psychological viewpoint will look at cyber-bullying and how it effects a child’s mental and psychological well-being. The legal perspective will show the responsibility of parents and the community toward cyber-related crimes, and the legal remedies involved. The technology aspect focus on securing communications when using the internet.
The presenters, with their respective topics are:
- Hussein Soliman, professor, School of Social Work, “Family Dynamics as Protective Measures.”
- Mary Louise Cashel, associate professor, Psychology, “Parent Resources and Support for Mitigating Social Media.”
- Jennifer A. Brobst, associate professor, SIU School of Law, “State and Federal Legal Protections for Youth.”
- Rana Salameh, assistant lecturer, School of Computing, “Cybersecurity Essentials at Homes, Schools and Work.”
- Khaled Ahmed, assistant professor, School of Computing, “Cybercrimes Mitigation Technology Challenges.”
Registration is open
The conference is free and open to the public but pre-registration at cyberconference@siu.edu is requested. In the email, please include the name and age of the person being registered and whether they are a student, parent, teacher or community member.
Upon request, attendance certifications will be available for those who attend, including continuing professional and continuing education units.
For more information about the conference, contact Soliman at 618/453-5738 or soliman@siu.edu.