Data Security − and Job Security − Featured in Classroom Presentations

A mini-conference tied to Penn College's security-related information technology majors provided a forum for students to address relevant issues and for successful alumni to preview the rewarding challenges beyond the classroom. Two students, among those submitting papers in associate professor Sandra Gorka's Advanced Topics class, were chosen to present to a broader audience: Adam C. Swan, of Lititz, who considered whether developers should be held liable for software vulnerabilities, and Paul C. Myers, of Lehighton, who offered a comparative analysis of two intrusion-detection systems. Following their presentations (and pizza provided by the Association for Computing Machinery and Elite Security Alliance organizations), 2008 graduate Paul A. Roma Jr. and 2011 alumnus James C. Walker visited with students. The duo discussed the keys to steady and meaningful employment – a sound work ethic, interpersonal skills and keeping up with the ever-changing security landscape, among them – and talked about the importance of IT security across a workforce of thousands, all charged with maintaining the confidentiality of patients' health records. Joining Gorka for the conference were faculty colleagues Jacob R. Miller, associate professor of computer science, and Kevin R. Derr, professor of legal assistant.