FBI Director Christopher A. Wray will deliver the keynote address at the fourth annual Boston Conference on Cyber Security, to be held at Boston College on Wednesday, March 4. The daylong conference will focus on the state of the cyber threat at the national and international level, and on efforts to address it.

Christopher A. Wray

FBI Director Christopher A. Wray

BCCS, presented since its inception in 2017 through a partnership between the FBI and the Master of Science in Cybersecurity Policy and Governance program at BC's Woods College of Advancing Studies, provides a forum for leaders across all arenas working to address cyber threats—academia, analysis, operations, research, corporate, law enforcement—to coordinate their efforts toward creating a more secure cyber space.

Cybersecurity specialists slated to speak at BCCS 2020 on March 4 include other FBI representatives as well as experts from the U.S. departments of Defense and Justice, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Bank of America, Cisco Systems, Data Protection Commission-Ireland, Eversource, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, Facebook, FireEye, Google, IBM Security, Jones Day, Microsoft, Liberty Mutual Insurance, Massachusetts Port Authority, Mintz Levin, National Grid, Oracle, Raytheon, and SecureWorks, among others.

BCCS is organized by Kevin R. Powers, founding director of the M.S. in Cybersecurity Policy and Governance program and an assistant professor of the practice at Boston College's Law School and Carroll School of Management, with the FBI Boston Division and its cyber/counterintelligence program.
 



“The cyber threats we face have become much more sophisticated, pervasive, and dangerous as we become increasingly dependent on our digital capabilities, and the FBI is very much aware of the urgency of the task we face in defeating them,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division.  “This conference marks the fourth year  that we’ve joined forces with Boston College to combine the talents, resources, and insights of our partners in academia, law enforcement, and the private sector to share strategies, intelligence, and better ways to lawfully access the evidence and information we need to keep our country and its citizens safe.”

"Boston College's mission is to educate leaders to address the world’s most urgent problems; and that's exactly what we're doing here," added Powers. "We're taking the lead with the FBI by bringing together senior leaders and experts at BC to discuss ways to enhance cyber and national security."

The goal of the conference, said Powers, continues to be the promotion of an all-hands-on-deck approach to preparing for and combating cyber attacks, incorporating the expertise of cybersecurity leaders from academia, industry, and government. This collaborative approach is a hallmark of the Boston College M.S. in Cybersecurity Policy and Governance program, which now, for the first time, offers its full degree curriculum online.

Kevin R. Powers

Kevin R. Powers, founding director of BC's M.S. in Cybersecurity Policy and Governance Program

An approved training provider for the U.S .Department of Homeland Security’s National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies, the M.S. in Cybersecurity Policy and Governance aims to prepare professionals to design, develop, and implement cybersecurity strategies that defend against and ensure recovery from cyberattacks and to bridge the communication gap between information technology security professionals and key business stakeholders.

All M.S. in Cybersecurity Policy and Governance courses are taught by cybersecurity industry leaders and practitioners doing cutting-edge work in the field; the program collaborates with more than 50 private industry and government leaders who serve as visiting professors and guest lecturers, or serve on the program’s advisory council.

Find more information about new online degree program, as well as full-time, part-time, and hybrid (online and on campus) formats at the M.S. in Cybersecurity Policy and Governance website.

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