Bay Path University to Hold Seventh Annual Cybersecurity Summit on Oct. 4
LONGMEADOW — Bay Path University’s seventh annual Cybersecurity Summit will be held on Friday, Oct. 4 in the Blake Student Commons on the Longmeadow campus. Networking will begin at 7:30 a.m., with presentations starting at 8 a.m., followed by a question-and-answer session.
This year’s event features Capt. Stephanie Helm, director of the MassCyberCenter at the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, and Kim Casci Palangio, program manager for the Cybercrime Support Network (CSN) of Rhode Island.
A career naval officer, Helm brings to the role deep expertise developed in her senior leadership roles during her nearly 30-year career as a cryptologic/information-warfare officer. Prior to joining Mass Tech in September 2018, she served as a consultant with the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, R.I., providing subject-matter expertise in the areas of cyberspace, space, and information operations.
Helm’s presentation will include an overview of the MassCyberCenter and its current projects, including the Cyber Resilient Massachusetts Working Group, and the need for more strictly regulated and enforced cybersecurity measures in both the public and private sectors, among other topics.
Palangio has been in her role since January 2019. Rhode Island was the pilot program for the Michigan-based CSN, and it was the first state in the nation to offer cybercrime services partnering with the United Way through the 211 phone system. By using the network, citizens in Rhode Island will now be able to report and find resources for battling identity theft, financial fraud, cyberstalking, cyberbullying, and other cybercrimes.
Palangio’s talk will focus on how CSN and CSN of Rhode Island are on the front lines of cybercrimes and CSN’s current efforts with states to launch hotlines, with a company goal to be in all 50 states within three years. In 2018 alone, there were over 350,000 complaints from individuals and small businesses filed with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center for monetary losses of over $2.7 billion.
The seventh annual Cybersecurity Summit is sponsored by Bay Path’s Cybersecurity/Computer Science department, offering undergraduate degrees in computer science, computer security, digital forensics, and information assurance, as well as a master of science degree in cybersecurity management; and by the Economic Development Council of Western Massachusetts.
This event is free and open to the public, with handicap accessibility. To register or for more information, visit baypath.edu/cybersummit.
