FOR THE TOMAHAWK LEADER
RHINELANDER – Protecting your business or organization from computer hackers is a never-ending job.
To help keep vital computer systems and networks safe and secure, Nicolet College is sponsoring a two-day Cyber Hero Academy Thursday, Feb. 27 and Friday, Feb. 28, led by a national expert who will offer a multitude of strategies and techniques that can be applied to keep hackers out and your computer network protected.
While the Academy is open to anyone, professionals from small and medium-sized businesses, as well as local government entities and municipalities, are especially encouraged to attend, said Nicolet Chief Information Officer Greg Miljevich, who helped organize the Academy.
“Large organizations often have the resources to have robust IT security teams,” Miljevich said. “What we’ve found is that many small and medium-sized organizations in the Northwoods simply don’t have the same means. The overall focus over the two days will be to help professionals in these organizations with a variety of their IT security needs.”
The Cyber Hero Academy will run from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 27, and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday, Feb. 28, in the Northwoods Center 207-209 on the Rhinelander Campus, 5364 College Drive, Rhinelander.
The Academy will be taught by Kevin Hayes, chief information security officer at Merit Network, Inc. in Ann Arbor, Mich. Hayes has extensive experience in the field of IT security with almost 15 years of professional working knowledge of the industry. He is a part-time instructor for Wayne State University College of Engineering, teaching Intro to Applied Cybersecurity and Network Penetration Testing courses. Hayes is also a frequent presenter at regional and national technology and cybersecurity conferences, including Educause, Merit, ISACA, and MUSIC. Hayes is a member of REN-ISAC, a higher education and research cyber security collaboration organization, a team leader for the Michigan Cyber Civilian Corps (MiC3), and a member of Information Systems Audit and Control Association and FBI Infragard (Detroit Chapter).
Workshops will include:
Threat on your Doorstep: Cybersecurity for Technical Managers – Comprised of several 50-minute modules, this workshop will focus on the current threat landscape, social engineering, critical controls, common attack vectors and more. You’ll receive an in-depth overview of the various types of hackers, the nature and role of training programs, warning signs of an attack, and you’ll also participate in a phishing demonstration. The content will provide an analysis of the current threat landscape to ensure your organization is prepared to address cybersecurity incidents and threats.
Security on a Shoestring – Protecting your organization is getting tougher as prices for security products and services have skyrocketed over the last decade. While larger organizations are able to purchase necessary equipment and hire staff dedicated to security, small and medium-sized businesses are not able to keep up. Hackers know this and have redirected their efforts in hopes of pulling off the next large-scale breach. There are plenty of low cost and no cost solutions available to organizations that have slim budgets. Find affordable solutions to secure your small or medium business.
Incident Response Workshop – Build an incident response plan in this hands-on workshop. Incident response plans provide instructions for responding to a number of potential scenarios, including data breaches, denial of service/distributed denial of service attacks, firewall breaches, virus or malware outbreaks, and insider threats. Without an incident response plan in place, organizations may either not detect the attack in the first place, or not follow proper protocol to contain the threat and recover from it when a breach is detected. The IR Workshop is based on the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 800 framework for managing computer security incidents.
Cost is $1,295 and includes meals both days. For more information, and to register, visit nicoletcollege.edu/cyberhero or call 715-365-4544.