Catching spies, counter-intelligence and cyber theft is the focus of this year’s Faculty of Science York Forum, Cybersecurity in the Age of Espionage, at the Toronto Reference Library on April 3 at 7 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.).
Tickets are free but limited and registration is required. If you have tickets already, don’t forget to join us for a riveting talk, followed by a panel discussion and Q-and-A.
Experts predict that the cyber theft of private and confidential information from government agencies, business and private individuals will reach $6 trillion annually by 2021. “There are no hackers, only spies,” says Eric O’Neill, who will deliver the talk.
Formerly an undercover FBI operative, O’Neill helped catch one of the most notorious cyber spies in U.S. history, Robert Hanssen, whose knowledge of computer systems allowed him to protect his identity during a 22-year spy career.
O’Neill will use real-life spy stories and review recent massive cyberattacks to show how careful diligence, counter-espionage techniques, and restraint in social media can help identify the numerous spies, hackers, cyber criminals and trusted insiders that threaten every stroke of your keyboard.
A panel discussion will follow the talk, featuring York mathematics Professor Patrick Ingram and Kristin Ali, an adjunct professor at Osgoode Hall Law School and an associate at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, and moderated by Dan Falk, award-winning science journalist and York science communicator in residence.
For more information about the speaker, panellists and moderator, visit the Faculty of Science website.