Experts Examine Emerging Internet Threats to Businesses at BCW/Pace University Conference

PLEASANTVILLE, NY - October 3, 2017 -The Equifax data breach has been a wakeup call to businesses about how lax security can end in disaster for the consumer and the company. How widespread are these cybercrimes? What can businesses do? What are solutions for the future? Answers to these questions and others will be discussed on October 6 when the Business Council of Westchester and Pace University’s Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems hold a half-day conference entitled CyberStorm-Cybersecurity in Business: Emerging Threats & Innovative Solutions.

National experts such as Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., and Information Systems expert Brigadier General Timothy T. Lunderman, as well as IT experts from major corporations like IBM, Johnson & Johnson and Mastercard will breakdown this complex topic.

“There is no greater threat to business than cyber vulnerability,” said Jonathan Hill, dean of Pace’s Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems. “Cybersecurity is a critical area for business success. And as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education, Pace University is the perfect place for executives to learn how best to equip their businesses for continuity.”

Marsha Gordon, President and CEO of the Business Council of Westchester, said protecting data should be a number one concern for businesses in an age where cybercrimes are increasingly common and even the Securites and Exchange Commission (SEC) is not safe.

“The time for viewing these incidents as isolated is over,’’ said Gordon. “The goal of this conference is to make sure that our members and the general business community is as educated as possible on this very important issue.’’

The massive data breach at Equifax announced last month exposed the personal information of as many as 143 million consumers and rocked the stock market as the company’s stock plummeted. Further disclosures that hackers had roamed freely through the company’s database since March but went undetected until July, and that Equifax kept this a secret until September, unleashed a major backlash and an FBI investigation.

Just two weeks ago the SEC announced that it too had been hacked and that a database of filings made by thousands of public companies and other financial firms regulated by the SEC had been exposed.

Hill said Pace University is one of the top schools in the nation for training experts to detect and eliminate incursions that are threatening to derail governments and industry. He added that the conference would highlight Pace’s role in these efforts.

Pace University’s Seidenberg School was designated a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security, one of only two Centers in the New York metropolitan area.

To register for the Cyberstorm conference, visit the Business Council of Westchester at www.thebcw.org

The Business Council of Westchester

The county’s largest and most influential business membership organization, The Business Council of Westchester is committed to helping businesses build, connect and win. In addition, The Business Council of Westchester is actively involved in reviewing federal, state and county legislation and regulations in order to assess the potential impact on the business community and to influence the outcomes through advocacy when the business community’s interests may be affected. It also acts as an information resource for the business community and government leaders at all levels.

About The Seidenberg School:
The Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems at Pace University prepares men and women for professional work, research, and lifelong participation in a new and dynamic information age. Located in the financial capital of the world, the Seidenberg School offers a wide variety of courses and exposure to internships and work with leading corporations, banks, federal agencies, and global entities. Degrees and certificates are conveniently available on Pace’s campuses in New York City and Westchester County as well as online and in special programs. Visit http://www.pace.edu/seidenberg/.

About Pace University:
Pace University is a comprehensive, independent University with campuses in New York City and Westchester County. Nearly 13,000 students are enrolled in undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the Lubin School of Business, Dyson College of Arts and Sciences, Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems, School of Education, School of Law and College of Health Professions. http://www.pace.edu