UAlbany, Syracuse University to Host Cybersecurity Symposium Next Month

Retired Army Gen. Keith Alexander, the founder, chairman, co-CEO and president of IronNet Cybersecurity, will headline a symposium next month with a talk on emerging cybersecurity education and technology trends.

 

The event, hosted by the University at Albany in conjunction with Syracuse University, will take place from 5-9 p.m. in the Campus Center West Auditorium (UAlbany’s Uptown Campus) on Thursday, April 11.

 

Gen. Alexander is the former director of the National Security Agency and chief of the Central Security Service, as well as a former commander for the U.S. Cyber Command.

 

In addition to discussing his 40-year military and public service career, Gen. Alexander will share insights on his transition into becoming an entrepreneur in the private sector at IronNet Cybersecurity. The network security firm is based in Fulton, MD.

 

Robert Griffin, founding dean of the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity (CEHC), will moderate the armchair discussion.

 

As both the public and private sector grapple with an ever-diversifying suite of cyber-related threats, there is a crucial need to stay at the forefront of the industry’s most pressing cyber issues, Griffin said.

 

“Cyber-attacks are continuing to grow in both sophistication and financial impact,” said Griffin, who formally served as the secretary for science and technology at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. “Investing in the security of sensitive and proprietary information should be a top priority for organizations of all sizes.”

 

CEHC offers several bachelor’s degrees with concentrations in cybersecurity as well as a certificate of graduate study with a program track in cybersecurity.

 

 

 

A panel featuring industry experts and entrepreneurs will follow the main event. Participants will include representatives from Leet Systems Cyber Security, Air Force Research Laboratory, NYSTEC and Whiteman Osterman & Hanna LLP.

 

Participants will discuss the economic opportunities and risks associated with cyber and data security, according to Matt Grattan, director of economic development at UAlbany.

 

The University’s collaboration with the Capital Region’s innovation stakeholders is a critical component of the Capital Region Economic Development Council’s (CREDC) “cluster plan” of research and development to commercialization, said Grattan, a co-chair on the council.

 

“It is events like these that clearly demonstrate UAlbany’s leadership role in advancing the innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem in the Capital Region and throughout New York,” he said. “By collaborating with CEHC, Syracuse University and regional industry experts, we hope to create opportunities for academic-industrial synergy with the goal of ultimately stimulating larger-scale, federal proposals down the road.”

 

Shiu-Kai Chin, a professor of electrical engineering and computer science at Syracuse University will serve as the panel’s moderator.

 

 

4:15-6:15p.m. Faculty and student research poster session and reception

6:30-9 p.m. Armchair discussion, panel discussion and audience Q&A

 

Event organizers include the UAlbany Innovation Center, Innovate 518 and UAlbany’s Auxiliary Services.