October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month

October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and Capitol College is celebrating by hosting numerous events at the Laurel campus. Held every October since 2001, National Cybersecurity Awareness Month is a public awareness campaign that encourages everyone to protect their computers and the nation’s critical cyber infrastructure.

The first event will bring Maryland MESA high school students to campus for a demonstration of Capitol’s Cyber Battle Lab (CBL) on Friday October 7. The CBL focuses on experiential learning, as students simulate, analyze and defeat cyber attacks. The lab is also helping the state of Maryland reach its vision of being “cyber Maryland.”

“Here, at Capitol College, the celebration of Cybersecurity Month takes on added significance,” Dr. Vic Maconachy, vice president for academic affairs, said. “We celebrate the expansion of our cybersecurity curriculum to the doctoral level of study. We celebrate the wonderful Cyber Battle Lab, which our state has helped us build. We celebrate the introduction of cybersecurity topics and labs into many of the various curricula we offer. Most of all, we use this time to rededicate ourselves to doing our part in securing our nation’s critical information infrastructures.”

On Thursday, October 13, the “Cyber Battle Lab Showcase” event will highlight the advances made in the CBL throughout its first year. Keith A. Rhodes, chief technology officer of QinetiQ North America Missions Solutions, will speak during breakfast and presentations by representatives from the Department of Homeland Security and Governor Martin O’Malley’s office will follow.

On October 18, cybergamut will host the event “Hacking Windows 7 and Defending Against Physical Attacks” at Capitol, and will teach security measures that can be implemented to prevent attacks on Windows 7. The event will be led by Jesse Varsalone, assistant professor of Cyber Security at Community College of Baltimore County.

Concluding National Cybersecurity Awareness Month at Capitol is the Innovation and Leadership Institute’s President’s Forum. On Wednesday, October 26, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Robert F. Lentz will speak to members of the Capitol community about the growing importance of cybersecurity in industry. As the current president and CEO of Cyber Security Strategies, LLC, Lentz has an in depth understanding of the challenges of cybersecurity.

The “Cyber Battle Lab Showcase,” the “Windows 7” event and the ILI’s President’s Forum are open to the public. Please RSVP to Rachel Burns, 301-369-2800 ext 3074.

Learn more about National Cybersecurity Month at Capitol.