PTK to host cybersecurity seminar

By Sophia Potter
Editor in Chief

October is Cybersecurity Month, and Phi Theta Kappa is partnering with staff at LCC to start a conversation about safer online practices Tuesday, Oct. 29 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.

“We feel like nowadays, since most of our life is online-classes … we’re not actually thinking about ‘who’s watching this? Is this protected?’” said PTK Club President Angel Martin.

Paul Schwartz, director of Information Security at LCC and the scheduled guest speaker at the event, said he could not agree more.

“National Cybersecurity awareness month is important because it raises awareness of cyber threats, like malware and phishing, and provides safe cyber hygiene practices such as using strong passwords, recognizing phishing attempts, and safeguarding personal information,” Schwartz said.

This topic is particularly important for college students. In fact, part of the reason PTK chose the topic is due to the cybersecurity breach at LCC last spring.

PTK Vice President Joseph Bryant recalled being heavily affected by the aftermath of that incident, and wants to raise awareness for the issue because of it.

“I’m a full-time employee and a part-time student, so I can only do schoolwork on specific days,” Bryant said. “I had set aside all this time to do my homework, and when I went to log on, the website was gone, and I saw the cybersecurity alert.

“I remember freaking out all weekend! I had a paper due! I think, with that being fresh in a lot of students’ and faculties’ mind, now feels like the right time to look at that perspective of what can happen if that information gets out.”

Swartz agreed that students in particular could benefit from this information.

“My goal is to help participants prioritize cybersecurity in their daily student activities,” he said.

“Cybersecurity is important for college students for many reasons to include protection of their information and privacy, and associated identity theft, protection of their academic work from malware and hacking, and protection of their financial accounts from scams and threats.”

To learn more – and enjoy some candy, pizza and games with the members of PTK – scan the QR code for more information, or drop by Tuesday, Oct. 29.