Cybersecurity experts from around the state and across the country will converge on Eugene again this October to share expertise on cybersecurity threats facing individuals, institutions and communities.
Their destination will be the second annual Oregon Cyber Resilience Summit on Tuesday, Oct. 29, at the Erb Memorial Union. The event is open to University of Oregon students, faculty members, staff and the community at large. Advance registration by Oct. 21 is highly recommended.
Federal agents from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Federal Bureau of Investigation will join information security professionals and representatives from the National Institutes of Health, state of Oregon, and other organizations and technology companies to provide briefings and share best practices for defending digital and physical infrastructure from cybercrime.
The UO is co-hosting the event with Lane Community College, in partnership with regional staff from the FBI, DHS and Oregon TITAN Fusion Center. The event is once again sponsored by several cybersecurity companies that conduct business in Oregon, including the summit's platinum sponsor, Fortinet.
In an expansion of last year's program, the event will include a new all-day "threat hunting workshop" for cybersecurity professionals and students Monday, Oct. 28, sponsored and led by the technology company Cisco.
Separate registration is required for the summit and the workshop. Summit registration is free for students, faculty members and staff from the UO and LCC. Others can attend for a $30 fee. Workshop registration is free. Space is limited and students will receive priority.
"We got such a great response last year that we've expanded to offer more talks and allow more people to attend," said Leo Howell, the UO's chief information security officer. "This year's program has something in it for everyone: newcomers and returnees, security and IT professionals, and the general user community."
This year the summit will consist of three tracks. The "cyber physical" and technical tracks will provide technical insights to information technology and cybersecurity professionals. Other attendees are invited to attend talks in the general security awareness track. Sessions will address topics such as threats to critical infrastructure, the workforce shortage in cybersecurity, protecting the "internet of things" and steps individuals can take to protect themselves from cyberattacks.
The summit will feature keynote addresses from Jothi Dugar, chief information security officer at the National Institutes of Health Center for Information Technology, and Scott Buchanan, acting chief for operational planning and readiness and deputy director of the National Infrastructure Coordinating Center in DHS.
Howell invites all UO students to consider attending.
"This isn't just for computer science majors," Howell said. "If we're going to be effective in fighting these threats, we will need everyone's help, from business majors and artists to psychologists, prospective lawyers and anthropologists."
More information, including the two registration forms and the full summit agenda, is available on the event webpage.
—By Nancy Novitski, University Communications