Cyber South 2020 Summit Comes to Mississippi College

Data breaches that leak extensive personal information are becoming more frequent around the globe. Political interference in USA elections is a hot topic. The importance of cybersecurity is a growing worldwide concern.

Look for national experts on these topics to visit Mississippi College for the 2020 Cyber South summit. Subjects like quantum cryptography and cyber warfare will be addressed during the April 23-24 conference on the Clinton campus.

Last year’s event attracted 300 attendees to MC and about the same number are expected for the latest edition. The sessions open at 8 a.m. that Thursday.

An MC computer science professor and Faculty Senate president Melissa Wiggins is getting the message out. The conference coordinator, she believes the third annual summit will be the best one yet.

Cybersecurity topics are as fresh as today’s headlines. “It is very hot button,” says Bill Cranford, MC’s chief information officer.

The first MC conference in April 2018 drew professionals from insurance companies, banks, schools, law enforcement, the Mississippi National Guard and other sectors of the workforce.

Cybersecurity seems to be a growth industry for new college grads. There should be 1.8 million cyber security jobs by 2022.

Wiggins encourages folks interested in the conference to make plans now.

There is an early bird special that lowers prices with the deadline March 15. The general admission early bird rate is $120. There will also be discounts (the price is $75) for educators, law enforcement officials, and military personnel. Students pay $30.

“We are marketing from Dallas to Atlanta,: Wiggins said. “We have some major new corporations sponsoring.”

There will be new sessions unveiled for educators in K-12 schools. Other conference topics will touch on artificial intelligence, cyber insurance, reputation management, and cybersecurity best practices.

In addition, there will be a pre-conference training session set for April 21-22 from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. on the topic “Application Security for Hackers and Developers.” It will be taught by staffers with VDA Labs.

In Fall 2017, Mississippi College launched a cybersecurity certificate and master’s program. The master’s (10 courses) can be completed in five semesters. Classes are designed to help professionals broaden their understanding of cybersecurity issues.

For additional details, contact Melissa Wiggins at mwiggins@mc.edu or call 601-925-3874.