4 days ago
MSU hosts cybersecurity conference
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — Be careful who you talk to online. That's one of the key takeaways from a cybersecurity conference held at Michigan State University Friday.
'Cybercrime is a huge problem that affects virtually everyone in society, whether you know it or not, there is data breaches that you might not even be aware of where your data is compromised, but there's computer hacks that compromise your computer,' Tom Holt, a professor in Criminal Justice at MSU. 'There's cyber stalking, there's harassment, there's all kinds of sexual offenses and interpersonal crimes. Really, anything that happens in physical space.'
The goal of the event was to inform and educate business owners, city officials, and law enforcement about the potential dangers they could face online. The event comes after the Ingham County Sheriff's office recently reported an uptick in cyber crimes.
'To talk about different kinds of cybercrime, different strategies for cybersecurity, and to share some of the more cutting-edge research that's happening so people can take things back to their agencies or their organizations and do different work,' said Holt.
Holt says criminals online will target anyone.
'As an example, you might see seniors being more susceptible to certain kinds of fraud because they may have a lack of understanding or knowledge, they may be a little more lonely or a little more willing to answer friend requests, but that's true,' said Holt. 'People on dating apps and any other place where you're interacting with people who you don't know.'
Participants at today's conference told 6 News they wanted to learn how to protect themselves and the community.
'Cybercrime, the biggest concern is scale, right? Everybody can be accessed through their phone, through their computer, and so whether or not you're careful with your information can be really important, because even if they access your devices, if you have proper encryption or proper safety precautions, then it's a lot harder for them to get at your actual information,' said Dr. Fisher, an associate researcher with a focus on cybersecurity at MSU.
To fight back against cybercrime, Dr. Fischer has some tips.
'People know to use strong passwords, they know not to click on links that come from people they don't know. But the important thing is, is not to give over any information, and even if you do find yourself in a conversation with someone that you think is a scam,' says Dr. Fischer. 'Hammer not giving up that personal information or giving any personal details, and it can really help kind of cut them off'.
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