Cybersecurity panel shares insights, urges caution in navigating a digital world

A journey to a career in cybersecurity, caution about the consequences of neglecting cyber protections and overarching thoughts on securing today’s digital environments were major talking points of a cybersecurity panel hosted on Tuesday, October 8 at Arizona State University (ASU).

A group of five ASU cybersecurity experts presented to the community as part of ASU Enterprise Technology’s ongoing recognition of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month.

Keith Swanson, manager of cybersecurity risk and analysis at ASU, moderated the discussion. He was joined by Melvin Torres Pereira, Ali Abdel-Fattah, Sergio Ortega and Tracy Howell, each of whom plays an integral role in helping the university foster a cyber-safe community.

Swanson, Torres Pereira and Abdel-Fattah described their path to their current positions as non-traditional. Swanson began his career in law enforcement – he worked for the Scottsdale Police Department for 26 years and honed his craft in computer forensics – while Pereira and Abdel-Fattah both have military backgrounds. They each attributed their first step into cybersecurity to “being good with computers” but also stressed that they had to constantly adapt their skills to meet the times.

“One prevalent challenge is keeping up with current information,” said Abdel-Fattah, a senior cybersecurity analyst at ASU. “Tech evolves rapidly, and so do organizations. Being able to understand organizational needs while also protecting the organization is very challenging.”

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the fastest-evolving technology and one that was top of mind for the panelists. The panel acknowledged AI's revolutionary potential for maximizing productivity, creativity and workflow. Still, Torres Pereira, a cybersecurity associate at ASU, conceded that cybercriminals have increasingly used it to steal money and information.

“We have to understand that bad actors have the same tools we have,” he said. “AI has proven to be a big hurdle… The bad actors are trying to exploit that and get to us. The goal for us is to learn it faster than them to be able to protect ourselves.

“The threat is real. You have to respect it to be able to respond to it,” he added.

Ortega and Howell said their routes to their titles – a cybersecurity analyst for Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering and manager of IT support operations for W.P. Carey School of Business, respectively – were more traditional. Ortega specializes in the finances of cybersecurity, presenting cost analyses and risk assessments to companies needing to bolster their defense mechanisms. 

Howell, meanwhile, ensures any vendor that partners with ASU is abiding by strict security standards. She said the cybersecurity landscape has changed drastically over her 20-plus years in the field. Still, techniques like two-factor authentication, password variance and resisting the urge to share personal information on social media remain tried and true.

“We do our best to protect the university,” she said. “We’re cleaning up the living room, but the users are in there making a big mess afterwards. Everyone individually is responsible for securing themselves.”

For more National Cybersecurity Awareness Month coverage, visit our Cybersecurity Awareness Month series, where experts explore top trends and tips for staying safe in today’s complex online ecosystem.