At a time of growing concern about the vulnerability of the nationās information systems, Boston College has teamed with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to hold the first Boston Conference on Cyber Security (51²č¹ŻCS 2017), which aims to tackle the knowledge gap between what computer hackers know and what experts can do to stop them.
Scheduled for this coming March, the conference ā which organizers say will be a yearly event ā is a partnership between the FBI and the at the Universityās Woods College of Advancing Studies.
A whoās-who of cybersecurity specialists will appear at the 51²č¹ŻCS 2017, including experts from Boston Collegeās Information Technology Services, the National Security Agency, the US departments of Homeland Security and Defense, State Street Bank, FireEye, Symantec, IBM Security, Mintz Levin, Jones Day, Weil Gotshal, and The MITRE Corp., as well as National Security Council Cybersecurity Director Cheryl Davis, who works at the White House.
āWeāre excited to be hosting the 51²č¹ŻCS 2017 with the FBI on this incredibly important issue,ā said Kevin Powers, founding director of the Cybersecurity Policy & Governance program. āPartnering with the FBI validates our cybersecurity programās focus, which is to develop cybersecurity leaders to address the varying threats faced by private industry and governments.ā
āCombating cyber-crime is one of the FBIās top priorities because of the direct threat it poses to our national security and economy,ā said FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge Joseph Bonavolonta, who oversees the cyber/counterintelligence program for the FBIās Boston Division. āThe work we do wouldnāt be possible without close collaborative partnerships with the private sector. ĢżWe hope the Boston Conference on Cyber Security next spring will help everyone get on the same page so weāre better positioned to identify threats, share information and ultimately defeat cyber criminals.ā
Powers said the Cybersecurity Policy & Governance program and FBI have been working on the 51²č¹ŻCS 2017 itinerary for several months, with an eye to making the conference as informative and meaningful as possible. Ģż
āWith cyber-attacks in the news every day, thereās a fear out there, but itās causing a āsecurity fatigueā to it all, because business, government, and consumer users are overwhelmed and sick of being on constant alert,ā explained Powers, a former analyst and attorney for the U.S. Justice and Defense departments and U.S. Navy. āOur goal in partnering with the FBI is to highlight why itās not only in usersā best interests to continue to focus on cybersecurity, but also for the greater good. ĢżThere needs to be an all-hands-on-deck approach, as the cyber-threats we face today are not going away anytime soon.āĢż
Bonavolonta echoed Powersā remarks. āMost of Americaās cutting-edge technology and equipment is found in the private sector: manufacturers, contractors and academia. Cyber-criminals continue to exploit these networks to steal information. The FBI is committed to finding the criminals behind these attacks, but we canāt do it alone. Conferences like this will help everyone gain a better understanding of the emerging threats as well as our individual roles and responsibilities in defeating them.ā
The Cybersecurity Policy & Governance programās partnership with the FBI is one of more than three dozen governmental and business ties it has formed during its first full year of existence. Others include the Massachusetts State Police, Lockheed Martin, PwC, SkyBox Security, Comtrade, GuidePoint Security, Bank of America, Raytheon, Gartner Consulting, Locke Lord, LLP, and the US departments of Defense, Energy, Homeland Security, Justice, and Treasury.
āOur partners collaborate with us by providing guest lecturers, hosting joint panel discussions and networking events, and providing internships and applied research projects to our students,ā said Powers. āIt is a true collaborative effort by government, industry and academia ā with 51²č¹Ż taking the lead ā to address and mitigate these cyber-threats.Ģż
āWhen we meet here in March at 51²č¹ŻCS 2017, weāll be discussing emerging technologies, best practices, operations and enforcement, and real-life cyber and national security experiences to help our students and private industry and government leaders address todayās cyber-threats.ā
-Sean Hennessey | University Communications