Newswise — At the same time Yahoo was revealing a huge data breach, topics including vulnerabilities of online voting systems, hacked transportation grids, prosecuting cyber criminals, and the challenges of wireless communications were being discussed at NYIT’s annual cybersecurity conference in New York last week. The event featured experts from academia, government, and industry to discuss the latest threats, opportunities, and strategies to combat the growing wave of digital attacks against financial institutions, government infrastructure, and transportation systems, among other assets and targets.

“The participation of cyber experts in our conferences provides an exceptional opportunity for NYIT faculty and students to work hand in hand with government and industry on finding solutions to the growing threat of cybersecurity,” said Nada Marie Anid, Ph.D., dean, NYIT School of Engineering and Computing Sciences, which convenes the conference.

The likelihood of outside interference in U.S. presidential elections was the focus of industry keynote remarks by Mark Graff, founder and CEO of Tellagraff and former CISO for NASDAQ, who highlighted recent Ukrainian electoral fraud. He presented a “cyber apocalypse election scenario” that, he noted, could result in suppressed or altered online votes, denial of access to information, or fake broadcasts—all intended to create chaos, confusion, and fear.

“Russian intelligence will continue to exert psychological pressure with online trolling and fake news sites,” he said, yet added: “None of the battleground states have really dangerous [voting] practices. Right now, we can expect a good outcome.”

The government keynote address by Richard Downing, acting deputy assistant attorney general, U.S. Department of Justice, focused on botnet attacks, which he called “the Swiss army knife of criminal activity,” as well as extortion schemes, inside cyber sabotage, and attempts by nation state actors to wreak havoc on institutions and individuals. Importantly, he noted the U.S. government’s ability to successfully prosecute hackers and cyber thieves across international borders.

During a discussion by government agencies at the forefront of cyber protection, Richard T. Jacobs, assistant special agent in-charge, Cyber Branch in the FBI's New York Office, noted: “This battle is asymmetrical. Our adversaries know in advance who is going to be attacked and when." The United States, he added, is far from solving cyber threats. “There is no magic bullet. It requires sustained investment in people, research, and technical resources," Jacobs said.

As part of the same panel, Geoff Brown, citywide CISO, New York City Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications, pointed to a “negative unemployment rate” in the cybersecurity field. “Organizations always have openings,” he said. “We can’t find the talent to do this job fast enough.” This sentiment was echoed by Felix Thomas (NYIT ’79), founder and president of Network Security Systems Plus, Inc., who added that a virtual cyber simulation system could prepare students to be job-ready upon graduation.

The afternoon keynote remarks ushered in several presentations relating to both the vulnerability and resiliency of transportation systems. Edward Fok, transportation technologies specialist, U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration, said that transportation control systems are highly resilient and the flow of data and communications is highly predictable, both of which provide an advantage. And during a hack, he urged attendees not to react to or try to preempt it, but rather to learn from it. “Hackers can become your new ‘BFF’,” he offered.

In May 2016, the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security designated NYIT as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE) through academic year 2021. NYIT is one of only eight universities in New York to receive this designation.

Since holding its first conference in 2010, NYIT has introduced and increased its cybersecurity course offerings for undergraduate and graduate students. NYIT offers a concentration in Network Security for computer science and information technology majors in addition to a master’s program in Information, Network, and Computer Security, taught by faculty experts who have been awarded research grants in biometrics, swarm intelligence, cryptography, mobile, and cybersecurity. This program is available at NYIT’s campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi, and Vancouver. Additionally, NYIT’s bachelor’s degree in Computer Science is approved by the Ministry of Education in Beijing, China.

About NYITNew York Institute of Technology (NYIT) offers 90 degree programs, including undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees, in more than 50 fields of study, including architecture and design; arts and sciences; education; engineering and computing sciences; health professions; management; and osteopathic medicine. A non-profit independent, private institution of higher education, NYIT has 12,000 students attending campuses on Long Island and Manhattan, online, and at its global campuses. Led by President Edward Guiliano, NYIT is guided by its mission to provide career-oriented professional education, offer access to opportunity to all qualified students, and support applications-oriented research that benefits the larger world. To date, 100,000 graduates have received degrees from NYIT. For more information, visit nyit.edu.

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