DePaul University’s third annual cyber-risk conference titled “The Speed of Change” will confront the issues of a rapidly changing landscape. The conference will be held Nov. 29, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Room 8005 of the DePaul Center, 1 E. Jackson Blvd. (Image by iStock)
“The overarching argument of ‘The Speed of Change’ is just that — cyber
is changing every year, every day,” said Carl Luft, academic director of the
Arditti Center for Risk Management in DePaul’s Driehaus College of Business,
one of the organizers of the conference.
“Life today is more convenient because of technology and the internet,
but the price of that is security. You can have convenience, or you can have
security, but you can’t have it both ways,” said Luft, an associate professor
of finance.
The conference will cover pertinent issues of cyber security in a
constantly shifting, continuously evolving digital climate. Topics include the shifting
generational perspectives and attitudes toward privacy and protection, cyber
insurance, institutional versus individual threats, state-based cyber warfare,
and the “internet of things.”
“Everything is connected now,” said Alexander Perry, associate director
of the Driehaus College of Business Research Institute and primary logistical
organizer of the conference. “As evidenced by the shutdown that occurred near
the end of October using networked items like printers, web cameras and the
like, we are living in an increasingly connected world. Cars, medical devices
and phones are the new frontier for hackers. With these threats, new
protection, compliance and insurance measures come in,” he said.
The conference features two keynote speakers: Michael Echols and Jeff
Wright. Echols is executive director and CEO of the International Association
of Certified Information Sharing and Analysis Organizations, and former
director of the Cyber Joint Program Management Office in the Department of
Homeland Security. Wright is vice president and chief information security
officer for Allstate Insurance Company. Both speakers will discuss the theme of
the conference in-depth and address the current state and future of cyber
security.
In addition, there will be three panel discussions:
·
“The Speed of Change in Cyber Threats” will be
about the changing landscape of cyber-threats, covering topics like the internet
and the recent Dyn DDOS attack, and “lone wolf” and state-sponsored actors.
·
“Beyond Compliance: Keeping Up with the Speed of
Change” will address the current state and future of compliance, with regards
to current regulations, complacency and insurance issues.
·
“Protection: Proactive and Ahead of the Curve”
will examine the nature of protection, specifically with regards to how it is
not a fixed state and that everyone must be proactive in their security stance.
Speakers for these panels include, among others, Matt Danielak of
Willis Towers Watson, Bob Eichenberg of CTH Technologies, Danyetta Fleming of
Covenant Security Solutions, Brenda Calloway of Blue Cross Blue Shield, Pavel
Slaven of Baxter International, and Liz Kovick of Allstate.
“What we’re trying to do is give people useful information that they
can take from the conference and apply to making their lives easier regarding cyber
security,” said Luft. “We want to show people how they can take advantage of
the benefits of technology while minimizing exposure to cyber-threat, and that it’s
a continuous process. It’s not one and done. You have to continuously monitor
and be aware of threat, because it’s always evolving,” Luft said.
“Cyber security is not just for IT folks and programmers; it’s for
everyone who has access to a phone, a computer, even a car now,” said Perry. “It’s
so omnipresent that everyone is both at risk and has a responsible stake in
creating solutions. This conference provides an open forum for industry,
academics, and students from all disciplines to share their knowledge, whether
they come from a business, legal, or tech background.”
To view the entire schedule of events and more information, and to
register, visit http://bit.ly/2dea4py.
Early registration will be available at a discount of $150.
In addition to the Arditti Center for Risk Management in the Driehaus
College of Business, the event is hosted by DePaul’s College of Computing and
Digital Media, and College of Law. The conference is being presented in
collaboration with Allstate and the Chicago Actuarial Association.
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Media Contacts:
Carol Hughes
Carol.hughes@depaul.edu
312-362-8592
Kristin Mathews
Kristin.Mathews@depaul.edu
312-362-7735