Contact: Leah Barbour
STARKVILLE, Miss.--From mobile malware to invasive spyware, cyber threats endanger anyone connected to the Internet.
At Mississippi State--home of nationally recognized cybersecurity programs--university specialists in the field are encouraging widespread public participation in the seventh annual Cybersecurity Awareness Week.
To begin Monday [Nov. 3], the agenda of activities will include a session at MSU-Meridian for the first time.
"During this week, you will have the opportunity to interact with information security experts to gain valuable information that can be used to protect yourself and increase awareness of information security issues," said Mike Rackley, MSU's chief information officer.
Highlights include:
--Tuesday [the 4th], Thursday [the 6th] and Friday [the 7th], a 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. information booth in the Allen Hall lobby staffed by campus Information Technology Services personnel.
--Tuesday [the 4th], a 2 p.m. program in Colvard Student Union's third-floor Fowlkes Auditorium. "Cybersecurity: Browsing in the 21st Century" will be led by Capt. Lauria N. "Ray" McDuffey Jr., Mississippi National Guard deputy chief of cyber network defense.
--Thursday [the 6th], a 2-3:30 p.m. panel presentation in the Bost Extension Center theater. "Who Is Keeping Your Information Secure? And How?" is sponsored by the Office of Research and Economic Development. Panelists at the feature session will include Trey Breckenridge, director of the High Performance Computing Collaboratory; Dave Dampier, professor and director of the Distributed Analytics and Security Institute; Tommy Morris, associate professor and associate director of DASI; and Tom Ritter, campus security and compliance officer. Attendees should register in advance at www.tfaforms.com/336417.
--Friday [the 7th], a 9-11 a.m. presentation at MSU-Meridian in room 3C of the downtown MSU Riley Center. Ritter and Tabor Mullen, MSU assistant dean of students, will lead "Protecting Student Information and the Campus Information Security Program."
Free T-shirts will be available while supplies last.
For more information or to receive special assistance for disabilities, contact the ITS Help Desk at www.its.msstate.edu/support/helpdesk, 662-325-0631 or 888-398-6394.
MSU is online at www.msstate.edu, facebook.com/msstate, instagram.com/msstate or twitter.com/msstate.