SRU’s Oct. 31 Cybersecurity Fair offers tips to thwart online predators

Slippery Rock University will host its sixth annual Cybersecurity Fair, Oct. 31, in the Smith Student Center Ballroom.

Oct. 22, 2019

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. — October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month and Slippery Rock University is concluding the month by hosting its sixth annual Cybersecurity Fair, 12:30-1:30 p.m., Oct. 31, in the Smith Student Center Ballroom.

"This event will help educate students, faculty, staff and the community about the importance of online safety," said Stephen Larson, associate professor of health care administration and information systems, who organizes the event. "There are many threats that people might not be aware of and we'll address ways they can protect their information."

SRU student presenters and local vendors will be available at various informational booths to cover topics such as phishing, public and home Wi-Fi security, malware, social media safety and encryption.

Among the topics generating a lot of attention during National Cybersecurity Awareness Month is ransomware, which is a type of malicious software that blocks access to a computer system until the victim pays a sum of money.

"Ransomware is on the rise because all it takes is one person to pay the ransom and attackers will continue to use this tactic," Larson said. "People aren't learning their lesson and we're seeing more schools, hospitals and other organizations becoming victims. The best defense is to continually back up your data to a separate system."

The FBI urges victims not to pay ransom to cyber criminals and to report the activity to its Internet Crime Complaint Center.

SRU has been designated as a 2019 NCSAM Champion Organization for its highly successful annual cybersecurity fairs. The National Cyber Security Alliance, a nonprofit organization, and the Cybersecurity Infrastructure Agency, a federal government agency, work with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to help educate consumers about online dangers.

Attendees at the Oct. 31 Cybersecurity Fair will receive a card when they enter that can be validated at each booth they visit. Completed cards can be entered for a chance to win an HP Stream Notebook laptop computer.

MEDIA CONTACT: Justin Zackal | 724.738.4854 | justin.zackal@sru.edu