Free Community Forum on Digital Forensics

April 16, 2013 - PRLog -- Digital forensics and the threats of cyber-attacks are growing at alarming rates will be the focus of a free community forum sponsored by the Government Technology Institute at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology in PA. Scheduled for 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., May 16th in the Auditorium at Harrisburg University, the “Digital Forensics” forum will feature nationally-recognized speakers Stephen Howard and William Folson from TechPort Solutions.

There were over 8 million zero-day unique malware attacks on US interests in 2012. That number was exceeded in the first three months of 2013. At the same time, the next five years will see a shortage of 50,000 cyber-security professionals. The target of these cyber-attacks is sensitive data collected and stored as a by-product of our digital world.

This forum addresses what the IT Professional should know about digital forensics and will cover topics such as The Digital Trail; The Role of Digital Forensics in Criminal Investigations; Recovering Evidence, Call Detail Records and Cell Tower Analysis; and IT Security vs Forensics - Unintended Consequences.

Stephen W Howard is Executive Director of Forensics, Cyber Defense and Audit/ Compliance at TechPort Solutions, Inc. (an ANC, US SBA 8(a)/SDB). Mr. Howard has developed these business channels in both the private and government sectors, including the implementation of a digital forensics lab supporting criminal/civil/cyber investigations and cyber malware reverse-engineering efforts. He is a graduate of The Johns Hopkins University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Systems and holds a Master of Science in Forensics from Stevenson University. After serving in the Army for over twelve years, Mr. Howard has held international technology based leadership, Chief Security Officer and audit/ compliance roles in the Biosciences, Bio-Defense, medical research, global telecommunications and with the Maryland state government where he served as Chief Information Officer for the Department of Treasury. Certifications include: CISA, CISM, CRISC and ISO certified auditor and implementer with audit and compliance work in SOX, ISO, HIPAA, PCI/DSS and FISMA. He has been a licensed Private Investigator in Maryland for over twenty years and has conducted domestic and international investigations for governments and private corporations. Mr. Howard presents frequently at national and international events and serves on the advisory boards of several corporations and non-profit institutions.

William E. Folson is the Director and Chief Forensic Examiner at the TechPort Digital Forensics Laboratory (TDFL) located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The TDFL specializes in digital forensics, cell phone forensics, audio and video forensics, cell tower and GPS mapping, incident response and advanced persistent threats for federal, state and local government agencies, corporations, and law firms. William is board certified as a Digital Forensics Certified Practitioner (DFCP) by the Digital Forensics Certification Board and he is a member of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. His experience includes serving as the Chief of Digital Forensics Intelligence for the Defense Cyber Crime Center (DC3) and as the Deputy Chief of Imaging and Extraction for the Defense Computer Forensics Laboratory (DCFL). He also served as a forensic examiner for the DCFL in both the Major Crimes and Counterintelligence/Counterterrorism branches. William has been qualified as: a digital forensics expert, a cell phones expert, and a cell tower/GPS mapping expert in federal, state and military courts. William is a graduate of the University of Maryland Graduate School of Management and Technology, where he earned an M.B.A. and an M.S. in Information Technology/Information Assurance He is currently a doctoral student pursuing a D.Sc. in Information Assurance.

Seating is limited and registrations are taken on a first-come, first-served basis. Please RSVP at www.HarrisburgU.edu/RSVP For additional information, email CONNECT@HarrisburgU.edu

This event is one in a series of Community Technology Forums for the benefit of the region through the Government Technology Institute at HU. The GTI provides education and training for government IT employees through courses, seminars and certification programs, such as the Certified Government Chief Information Officer Program. The University relies on partnerships with companies to develop content for hands-on workshops and courses which focus on innovations, trends, industry best practices and emerging technologies that can aid in developing future service offerings to meet growing citizen demands.

Harrisburg University is significantly supported in these initiatives by CA Technologies, Computer Aid, Inc., Cisco, Microsoft, Unisys, and Deloitte – partners collaborating on a vision of technology for the public good.