Combatting Terrorism in Cyberspace is the Topic for MCCC Lecture Feb. 18

WEST WINDSOR – Fighting terrorism has expanded from a ground war to include the virtual world, which is the topic of a lecture at Mercer County Community College (MCCC) on Wednesday, Feb. 18.

The lecture “Combatting Terrorism in the 21st Century: Securing Our Cyberspace” will be presented by Christopher Rodriguez, New Jersey’s director of the Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (OHSP), at noon in Room 109 of the Communications Building on the college’s West Windsor Campus, 1200 Old Trenton Road. The lecture is free and open to the public as part of MCCC’s Distinguished Lecture Series.

In his lecture, Rodriguez will discuss the diverse security challenges the U.S. will encounter over the next decade, from homegrown extremism to the global landscape. He contends that as we increase our dependence on networked technologies, cyberspace introduces new challenges to combatting terrorism and maintaining a secure environment.

Prior to joining OHSP, Rodriguez served for more than a decade in the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the U.S. Department of State, where he held a variety of analytical and management positions. He joined the CIA following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, rising to senior analyst in the Counterterrorism Center.

More recently, Rodriguez served as a policy advisor on NJ Governor Chris Christie’s staff.

A native of Morris county, Rodriguez holds a bachelor of arts degree from Williams College in Williamstown, Mass., and a master’s degree and Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Notre Dame.

For more information on MCCC’s Distinguished Lecture Series, call (609) 570-3324 or visit www.mccc.edu/events.