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Issued by: Laura Hunt 414-229-6447 llhunt@uwm.edu Date: July 10, 2002

National Cyber-Security Expert to Speak at UWM

MILWAUKEE -As terrorist activities such as al Qaeda's computer-hacking "academy" illustrate, threats to national security have spread into cyberspace, where U.S. data sources, which operate everything from power plants to police and medical services, could abruptly be shut down without any weapons being fired.

"To protect computer systems controlling the nation's infrastructure, the U.S. must meet a critical need for college graduates skilled in cybersecurity, or "information assurance," says William V. Maconachy, manager of the INFOSEC Education and Training Program for the National Security Association.

Maconachy, the nation's top expert in information assurance training, will speak at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) on Thursday, July 25, during a cyber-security symposium sponsored by the UWM Center for Cryptography, Computer and Network Security in the College of Engineering and Applied Science (CEAS).

Maconachy will discuss "The State of Information Assurance and Current Issues of Cyber-security" beginning at 11:30 a.m. at the UWM School of Continuing Education in the Plankinton Building, 161 W. Wisconsin Ave.

Other speakers at the July 25-26 conference for both corporate trainers and managers, and educators include:

• Cryptographers George Davida, UWM professor of computer science; Eric Bach, professor of computer science at UW-Madison; and Timothy Fossum, professor of computer science at UW-Parkside, who will lead sessions on information assurance, cryptography and network security.
• Col. Robert C. Rego, commandant of Army Reserve Readiness Training at Fort McCoy, which specializes in training the Black Berets for military cyber-security. He will discuss operational security levels for training in both the academic and private sectors.
• Randall Ryder, UWM professor of education, who directs the Center for Education Research, Analysis and Innovation. He will share the latest research in teaching technical material to young adults.

UWM's Center for Cryptography, Computer and Network Security is leading a coalition of UW campuses which, together with government, military, and industry, aims to quadruple the number of students in Wisconsin's cyber-security programs in the next five years.

"After Sept. 11 it became obvious that we're going to need a lot more people in this field - and fast," says Laura Ricci of Graduate Research and Programs at CEAS. "With this coalition of campuses, Wisconsin can create a pipeline for talented students to get into these master's and Ph.D. programs as quickly as possible."

Five UW campuses are involved in the coalition besides UWM: UW-La Crosse, UW-Madison, UW-Parkside, UW-Stevens Point and UW-Superior. The UW coalition will compete for more than a billion dollars in federal grant money that will be available for efforts to increase the number of students pursuing this field.

For more information or to register for the symposium, call 414-227-3200 or 800-222-3623.

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