White House Cyber Security Coordinator Howard Schmidt Keynote Speaker at Cyber Security Conference in Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS—Howard Schmidt, Special Assistant to the President, Cybersecurity Coordinator, the President’s “Cyber Czar” presented the keynote address today at the Indiana Cyber Security Conference, announced Timothy M. Morrison, U.S. Attorney, Southern District of Indiana, Michael Welch, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation and Joseph E. Wainscott, Executive Director, Indiana Department of Homeland Security. The conference provided interface between federal and state governmental entities and the private sector with a goal to better secure our national security. The two track conference highlighted new technologies, addressed the threat of economic espionage and offered a hands on workshop for small businesses intended to assist in survival in the digital age, among other things.

“As our infrastructures and data are converged and consolidated, we are becoming more vulnerable, not less”, said Morrison. “The Department of Justice recognizes this is an age in which one of our greatest strengths can also be one of our greatest vulnerabilities – but it is acting to ensure it never does.”

“Indiana’s citizens and critical industry are increasingly at risk from cyber-based fraud schemes and attacks. The FBI is working in partnership with federal, state, and local partners on the forefront of combating these threats. The Indianapolis Field Office is proud to co-host this conference. Today's event brings together experts in the field of cyber security for the purpose of sharing best practices to protect Indiana's interests.”

“Advances in technology bring great opportunity and, sometimes, great peril,” said Wainscott. “Without expert collaboration and knowledge sharing in both the government and private sectors, we may lessen our ability to respond to threats, and potentially expose ourselves and our neighbors to greater risks, as perpetrators learn to exploit technological weaknesses. We have a shared responsibility to protect our cyber security and our privacy.”

Conference partners included the United States Attorney’s Office, Anti-Terrorism Advisory Council, the FBI, Indiana Department of Homeland Security, InfraGard Alliance, Information System Security Association (ISSA) and Purdue University – Center for Education and Research in Information Assurance and Security (CERIAS).