By Norman Corrion
UNIVERSITY CENTER – A panel of cybersecurity experts, ranging from law enforcement to corporate leaders, came together to discuss threats, countermeasures and education.
The panel was part of a Cybersecurity and Emerging Threat Symposium hosted by Delta College. Afterward we further discussed topics with Kris Howery, a panel member and Delta College cybersecurity professor. The big takeaway message for personal cybersecurity was the need for layers of defense.
The idea being that if one layer is not effective another may be. Several layers of defense were mentioned: strong passwords, firewalls, malware protection, antivirus, spam filters, patching and multi-factor authentication. Multi-factor authentication got the most attention; recurring often in panel discussions.
“(Two-factor authentication) on everything, even your personal email, that’s gonna make it 80% to 90% harder for the bad guy to get into your systems,” says Kris Howery, a panel member and Delta College cybersecurity professor.
While having layers may seem like overkill to some, multiple members of the panel spoke about individuals being a more attractive target for hackers. Anyone thinking hackers are not interested in them or their personal information could end up paying a cost.
“The bad guy would like it [personal information] no matter who you are. For example, you as a student, somebody could use your information to take out student loans in your name. Then they’ve got the money and then you owe the money,” says Howery. “Even if you think you don’t have anything, you do.”
Personal cybersecurity was only one of many topics discussed at the event. Education and what you need to get hired in the cybersecurity space was also discussed. Varying answers were given around requiring degrees and certifications. Panelists mentioned cybersecurity being a large field with different sub-areas that care more about certain certifications.
Most agreed that having basic certifications like the Network+ or A+ was important, and that certifications can help you stand out. Many panel members also indicated individuals can go overboard with certifications and neglect other areas.
Communication skills and being able to prove your understanding of the required skills were mentioned as important by panel members. Lastly panel members spoke about how being able to build up any experience possible was important.
For those interested in cybersecurity Howery advises, “You’ve got to show some initiative; study on your own. You can go through the program and do the bare minimum, and that’s probably the type job you’re going to get is a bare minimum type job.”
The panel lasted an hour and followed a keynote speech by FBI agent Anthony Kraudelt. The event had a great turnout and engagement from audience members. Delta College has plans to make the event an annual occurrence. The panel included:
Detective Trooper Aaron Bauman, Michigan State Police, Computer Crime Unit
Detective Sgt. Torey Johns, Michigan State Police, Cyber Command Center
Justin Hughes, Dow Chemical Company, senior cybersecurity manager
Dan Lacher, Dow Chemical Company, senior cybersecurity specialist
Ed French, Netsource One, chief information officer
Special Agent Anthony Kraudelt, Federal Bureau of Investigation
Kris Howery, Delta College, associate professor of cybersecurity
