Join CITE for a month full of cybersecurity learning opportunities, events, and many chances to win prizes. This year our focus will feature the topics below.
- Enabling Multi-Factor Authentication
- Using Strong Passwords and a Password Manager
- Updating Software
- Recognizing and Reporting Phishing
Tech Tuesday at Northwest
Northwest Houston Center Library’s Tech Tuesday
Tuesday, October 3
Zoom at 2 p.m.
CITE Training Coordinator Kendramia Prestage will be a featured speaker at the Northwest Houston Center Library’s Tech Tuesday event. During the session, Kendra will provide insight into her role at the university, how she employs CITE tools and services, and share training and online safety tips. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions about CITE-related tools and resources.
Lunch & Learn with Special Speakers
Every Wednesday during October from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the MSC Senate Chambers, CITE will host Lunch & Learns featuring a special speaker from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Arctic Wolf, Calian Corporation’s IT & Cyber Solutions Group, and our very own PVAMU Information Security Officer. These sessions will be moderated and supported by The International Honor Society in Psychology and The Society of Women Engineers.
Alumni in Tech – Duane White
Wednesday, October 4
MSC Senate Chambers
11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Duane White is the Vice President of Engineering and Consulting, within Calian Corporation’s IT & Cyber Solutions Group. In his role as Vice President, Duane leads the development and operation of the company’s Enterprise Solutions Services delivery initiatives. Calian Corporation is an award-winning solution provider committed to helping customers evolve their business through technology. With global presence and 4 nation-wide locations, at our core, we are architects and engineers who specialize in delivering data centers, enterprise networking, cybersecurity, cloud, and managed services. Prior to Calian, Mr. White has held technology leadership and individual contributor roles at numerous technology and consulting companies, including Accenture, NetApp and Accudata systems.
Duane earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Prairie View A&M University. While at Prairie View, he was a member of Eta Kappa Nu, the international honor society of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), The Tau Beta Pi Association, the oldest engineering honor society and the second oldest collegiate honor society in the United States and NSBE, the National Society of Black Engineers. Duane is also a Marine Corps veteran and member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.
Women in Tech – Pushing Beyond Mediocrity: Becoming a High-Performing Team of One
Wednesday, October 11
MSC Senate Chambers
11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Karen Campbell is a technology risk and cybersecurity strategist. With more than two decades of experience in IT and a deep focus on information security and operating mission-critical services, she evangelizes security across the business to reduce operational risk to the enterprise. Her peers recognize Ms. Campbell’s ability to inspire and motivate cross-functional, interdisciplinary teams to achieve tactical and strategic goals; she is characterized as an innovative leader, problem solver, and advisor. Her experience managing technical projects across agile environments within globally diverse teams is valued by those who seek a natural influencer and coalition builder, passionate about developing high-performing teams. Ms. Campbell possesses 15+ years of consulting/advisory experience within the Big 4 (PwC, KPMG, EY) and Industry (Finance, Telecommunications, Healthcare, Transportation, Retail, Construction, and Tech). She currently serves as a Mentor with Executive Women’s Forum and Amazon Career Choice.
Cybersecurity: Where Do We Go from Here?
For the final CSAM event in the MSC Senate Chambers, CITE will host two sessions during the Lunch & Learn. The first session will be with Jim Johnson of Arctic Wolf, followed by a discussion panel featuring industry leaders Todd Vasilou, Chaitanya Belwal, and Kevin Kilgo.
Wednesday, October 25
MSC Senate Chambers
11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Jim Johnson has been working in cybersecurity for over two decades. Beginning at Blue Coat as a support engineer, Jim began his career in support, helping customers ensure their users were protected from malicious sites on the internet. He has worked at top cyber companies like F5 and Forescout. As a director of pre-sales engineers at Arctic Wolf, Jim educates organizations on new approaches and techniques to mitigate cyber risk. He is passionate about transforming security departments into value centers for their organizations.
Wednesday, October 25
MSC Senate Chambers
11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Todd Vasilou is a Cybersecurity Advisor (CSA), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Region 6, San Antonio, TX, where he’s responsible for securing and defending U.S. critical cybersecurity infrastructure through advising stakeholders on matters of cybersecurity risk, resiliency, and posture via in-depth cybersecurity assessments, workshops, and information sharing. Mr. Vasilou coordinates and provides liaison support to federal partners and senior state and local government officials to create and enhance cybersecurity resiliency. He also participates in cybersecurity partnerships with and across critical infrastructure owners, operators, and state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, promoting collaborative efforts to reduce cybersecurity risks and threats to critical information, enterprise, communications, and control systems.
Wednesday, October 25
MSC Senate Chambers
11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Dr. Chaitanya Belwal is a current Sr.Director of Technical Account Management for Tanium Inc. where he helps large organizations streamline their security and operational workflows using the Tanium XEM Platform. Prior to Tanium, Dr. Belwal has worked at Halliburton and Weatherford as Software Manager for multiple product lines, including Coiled Tubing, Wireline and Artificial Lift. Dr. Belwal has also worked extensively in the downstream industry building simulation software for pipeline hydraulics, thermodynamics, and process modeling. Dr. Belwal holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Houston and was an adjunct professor at the University of Houston – Clear Lake.
Wednesday, October 25
MSC Senate Chambers
11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Kevin Kilgo, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer at Fulcrum Technology Solutions, is a distinguished Enterprise Architect, Strategic Technology Consultant and cybersecurity luminary with a rich professional history spanning over seventeen years. Kevin has continually helped organizations meet and exceed business requirements through his expertise in virtualization, Windows system administration, and the seamless integration of security tools. His career is marked by a commitment to staying at the forefront of technological advancements, a quality that aligns seamlessly with his role as a visionary in the cybersecurity domain. Kevin, a sought-after advisor, has successfully fortified numerous enterprises against evolving cyber threats. He has profound insights into the dynamic landscape of cybersecurity and has a strategic mindset and hands-on proficiency that has solidified his reputation as a beacon of expertise in the intersection of technology and security.
Cybersecurity Awareness Carnival
Join CITE for an afternoon of online safety activities, learning opportunities, and a chances to win prizes.
Wednesday, October 18
MSC Ballroom
11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Special thanks to the student groups assisting with this event. Bakers For A Cause, Psychology Honor Society President (Psi Chi) , The Society of Women Engineers, Ladies Empowering the World, The Michigan Club, The Association of Information Systems, PVAMUCSA, and PVAMUHER.
Tips to remember from this month
Multi-Factor Authentication
- Use Multi-Factor Authentication on accounts where possible.
- Never approve a request for authentication if the attempt was not initiated by your own effort.
- Walking away and leaving your computer unattended is a no-no.
- Make sure your devices and authentication applications are up to date.
Updating Software
- All of your devices should be kept up to date, whether they’re work devices or personal devices. Regularly updating your devices reduces your risk of zero-day vulnerabilities.
- Set it & Forget it! Use the automatic update feature on your device so you never miss an update.
- Turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth when not in use.
Passwords
- If you want to save passwords, use a password manager
- Choose strong passwords – 12 characters or more
- Do not reuse passwords
- Don’t save passwords in your browser.
Recognizing and Reporting Phishing
- Never provide your personal information in response to an unsolicited request, whether it is over the phone or over the Internet.
- If you believe the contact may be legitimate, contact the financial institution yourself.
- Report suspicious emails or calls to informationsecurity@pvamu.edu.