College alum, VP among cyber security panelists at summit

IBM and Penn College partnered to sponsor a half-day Attack Surface Management Summit on Wednesday, assembling a top-notch lineup of cybersecurity speakers who shared their expertise on a number of relevant topics at an outreach program for the campus and local communities.

Among the highlights was a discussion of ASM – the continuous process of identifying, monitoring and managing internet-connected devices for potential attacks and exposure – that involved a Penn College administrator and a graduate.

Serving as panelists were Ryan Monteleone, a 2018 applied technology studies alumnus now employed by Pfizer; Jeff Brown, the college's vice president for information technology/chief information officer; Bruce Potter, chief executive officer of Turngate (and organizer of the ShmooCon hacker convention attended by students); David Wood, protective security adviser for the Department of Homeland Security; and Darrell Hall, cyber engagement specialist for the Department of Health & Human Services' Health Sector Cybersecurity Coordination Center.

The group offered insight on issues from phishing to generative artificial intelligence, including the increasingly sophisticated ways in which those with malicious intent try (and occasionally prevail) to gain access to an organization's assets.

Among other sessions throughout the morning were a networking coffee sponsored by WaveStrong Inc., a data privacy consulting company; and a virtual conversation imparting career tips from industry executives.

A number of IT faculty, students, staff and members of the public attended the event, held in the Thompson Professional Development Center's Mountain Laurel Room.