What
Local information technology experts from a wide range of industries will join Worcester
Polytechnic Institute's (WPI) Cybersecurity Program for a day-long symposium focusing on
protecting online information, detecting breaches and preventing security lapses.
Why
"Cybersecurity is one of our fastest growing programs at WPI, and it is one of the most critical
disciplines for nearly every industry, now and in the future," said Kathi Fisler, director of WPI's
Cybersecurity Program. "Online breaches harm individuals, cripple companies and can threaten
national security. Our discussion will look at the problems and offer specific solutions.
"For a specialty that is relatively young, there is no denying how critical cybersecurity efforts are
and will continue to be to every person, industry and institution for a long time," said Karen
Kashmanian Oates, the Dean of Arts & Sciences. "For this event we are convening leaders in
their respective fields, and will lead a thoughtful, engaging and informative discussion about
issues of paramount importance."
Who
In addition to WPI faculty, guest panelists include:
Mellissa Elliott, author of the popular “My Security Planet” blog, will detail efforts in static analysis to identify bugs and vulnerabilities in software protection systems, and will lay out genuine worst-case scenarios facing us today;
Joseph Flynn, of Dell Inc.’s State Government Manager in New England, will discuss cybersecurity in cloud computing, an increasingly popular method of file sharing which brings with it increased breach risks. Flynn is the former Chief Information Officer of MIT Lincoln Laboratory;
Ron Watro, the Lead Engineer in the Cybersecurity Group at Raytheon, will describe his work in SMITE (Scalable Monitoring in The Extreme), which is a system that detects malicious network traffic on high speed networks; and
David Hyde, also of Raytheon, will explain PEASOUP (Preventing Exploits Against Software of Uncertain Provenance), which aims to identify and fix possible holes in frequently downloaded software, including browsers and music and video players.
When
Wednesday, October 24 from 9:15 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where
Lower Perrault Lecture Hall, Fuller Labs on WPI's Campus
**This event is free, but registration is requested. Please email Diane Baxter (dbaxter@wpi.edu). Lunch and light snacks will be provided**
