Newswise — (New York, N.Y.) – As the Equifax breach underscores, the need to secure data is more critical than ever. Whether protecting the private health and financial data of individuals or securing the critical infrastructure of smart cities, New York Institute of Technology's annual cybersecurity conference will bring together experts from business, government, and academia to spur dialogue and developments around increasingly complex threats and challenges faced by the cybersecurity community.

The Eighth Annual Cyber Security Conference, hosted by NYIT's School of Engineering and Computing Sciences, will be held on Thursday, Sept. 28, from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. at NYIT Auditorium on Broadway (between 60th and 61st Streets) in New York City.

This year's conference agenda will address a broad range of topics, including:

  • How Vulnerable Are Smart Cities? Securing the Internet of Things and Critical Infrastructure
  • Protecting Mobile Identity from Cyber Theft
  • Securing Private Health and Financial Data
  • Strengthening the Cybersecurity Talent Pipeline

Keynote speakers include Adam Hickey, deputy assistant Attorney General for National Asset Protection in the National Security Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, and Tony Sager, CTO, Commercial Markets for BlackRidge Technology. Peter A. Bloniarz, Ph.D., executive director/senior policy advisor for the New York State Cyber Security Advisory Board and Susanne Wetzel, Ph.D., program director, National Science Foundation, are plenary speakers. Other speakers and moderators represent Oracle; New York City Department of Transportation; Consolidated Edison; iconectiv; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Barclays Bank; Northwell Health; and other NYIT strategic partners.

In addition to discussions moderated by NYIT cybersecurity faculty experts, the conference will feature a panel addressing how to educate the ethical hackers of the future. Panelists include Lynne Clark, chief, U.S. National Security Agency/Department of Homeland Security National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Program, and academic leaders from the U.S. Military Academy, IBM, and CompTIA. Following this panel will be a competition featuring 12 student posters representing work from participants in NYIT’s 2017 Summer Research Experience for Undergraduates program.

Nada Marie Anid, dean, NYIT School of Engineering and Computing Sciences, noted, "As a global university educating students across borders, NYIT is committed to helping spur productive dialogue on critical issues and raising awareness to create solutions, as well as educating students to join the ranks of government and private organizations that fight cyber crime.”

NYIT School of Engineering and Computing Sciences has a long track record of fostering technological innovation and promoting partnerships among industry leaders, academia, and government, and is a leader in providing services needed in the areas of information assurance and cyber defense through its academic programs, sponsored faculty research projects, and cybersecurity conferences. Its Entrepreneurship and Technology Innovation Center offers robust infrastructure for incubating research and collaborations in key areas such as cybersecurity. NYIT offers a concentration in Internet Security for computer science and information technology majors and a master's program in Information, Network, and Computer Security taught by faculty who have been awarded prestigious research grants in biometrics, swarm intelligence, cryptography, and mobile and cyber security.

Engineers/IT specialists in attendance are eligible to receive five Professional Development hours.

About NYIT

NYIT (New York Institute of Technology) 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 10,000 students in programs and campuses in New York (Manhattan and Old Westbury, Long Island) and Arkansas as well as China, Canada, and the United Arab Emirates. NYIT sponsors 13 NCAA Division II intercollegiate sports programs.

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. More than 100,000 graduates have received degrees from NYIT. For more information, visit nyit.edu.