Bay Path University to Hold 7th Annual Cybersecurity Summit

Longmeadow, MA—Bay Path University’s 7^th annual Cybersecurity Summit will be held on Friday, October 4^th, in the Blake Student Commons on the Longmeadow campus.  Networking will begin at 7:30 a.m., with presentations starting at 8:00 a.m., followed by a question and answer session.  This event is free and open to the public with handicap accessibility.  To register or for more information go to baypath.edu/cybersummit. 

The Presenters 

Captain Stephanie Helm is the first director of the MassCyberCenter at the Mass Tech Collaborative. A career naval officer, Helm brings to the role deep expertise developed in her senior leadership roles during her nearly 30-year career as cryptologic/information warfare officer. Prior to joining Mass Tech in September of 2018, Helm served as a consultant with the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, RI., providing subject matter expertise in the area of cyberspace, space, and information operations. 

Captain Helm's presentation will include an overview of the MassCyberCenter and their 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.

Kim Casci Palangio is the program manager for the Cybercrime Support Network (CSN)/

Rhode Island.  She has been in this 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 2-1-1 phone system.  By using the network, citizens in Rhode Island will now be able to report and find resources ranging from identity theft, financial fraud, cyberstalking, cyberbullying to other cybercrimes.

Palangio’s talk will focus on how CSN and CSN/Rhode Island are on the frontlines 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 Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Internet Crime Complaint Center for monetary losses of over $2.7 billion.

The 7^th 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 in Cybersecurity Management; and by the Economic Development Council of Western Massachusetts (EDC).