IRVING, Texas (Oct. 31, 2024) — This month, the Satish & Yasmin Gupta College of Business (COB) at the University of Dallas hosted its annual Cyber Summit, a forum for cybersecurity students and professionals. This year’s theme, cyber resilience, highlighted ways organizations can plan ahead to swiftly identify and recover from cybersecurity incidents.

Over 60 attendees gathered in SB Hall to share ideas, learn from experts and commemorate UDallas’ longstanding reputation as a nationally recognized institution for outstanding cybersecurity education. The attendees included UDallas students and alumni, as well as industry professionals hailing from companies such as Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Comerica, Lockheed Martin, Humana and many others.

“The UDallas cybersecurity program of study is entering its 21st year as a Center of Academic Excellence as designated by the National Security Agency,” said Cybersecurity Director Sandra Blanke, PhD, CISSP. “Our annual Cyber Summit provides an opportunity to bring together community leaders, alumni, faculty and cybersecurity students, both graduates and undergraduates. Together we celebrate and share our past experiences and build new networking opportunities.”

The event welcomed three presenters, two of which are accomplished COB alumni. Brian Wrozek, MBA ’08, is a principal analyst at global market research company Forrester. Teresa Merklin, MBA ’05, works at Lockheed Martin as a cyber fellow. They were joined by Donovan Farrow, founder and CEO of Alias Cybersecurity.

Wrozek’s presentation, “OT Security: Playing Catch-Up to IT Cybersecurity Maturity,” aimed to address the issue of aging security measures in industrial systems. 

“I chose this topic because cybersecurity in industrial control environments is rapidly growing in importance due to the digital transformation of and hyperconnectivity between cyber and physical systems,” Wrozek said. “A successful attack against these environments can lead to serious consequences to human life, the environment and availability of public services. Due to legacy equipment in OT environments, lack of skilled cybersecurity resources, and increased attacks, this situation will only get worse before it gets any better.”

Merklin gave another perspective in her talk, “Separating the Signal From the Noise: The Superpower of Highly Successful People in Cybersecurity.”

“The cybersecurity industry faces an extreme shortage of skilled workers who can meet the technical demands of the field.” she stated. “We do a pretty good job providing new people with foundational knowledge and skills, but we struggle to teach them advanced techniques that are necessary to truly excel.

“The knowledge and skills necessary for success require continuous personal investment. In many ways, working in cybersecurity is like trying to reach a higher floor of a building using the downward escalator. If a person doesn’t continuously make an effort to improve their knowledge and skills, those will decline and eventually reach the point of irrelevancy. Time and energy is required to simply maintain current competencies, and significantly more is necessary to move higher. Thus, a lifelong habit of continuous learning is essential for people pursuing a career in cybersecurity.”

Farrow gave a live presentation showing cybersecurity tools and their use in situations involving ransomware, digital forensics and penetration testing.

All the presenters are members of the COB’s Cybersecurity Advisory Board and are dedicated to supporting University of Dallas students. 

“Be a cybersecurity champion in any role by practicing and promoting strong data protection measures in your daily activities,” Wrozek advised students. “You don't need to be a member of the cybersecurity department to have a positive impact on the cybersecurity posture of your company. This not only sharpens your cybersecurity skills but also enhances your reputation as a cybersecurity professional, leading to more opportunities for dedicated cybersecurity roles in the future.”

The Master of Science in cybersecurity program is accepting applications for the spring semester.

About the Satish & Yasmin Gupta College of Business

The Satish & Yasmin Gupta College of Business at the University of Dallas has been a pioneer of graduate business education for more than 50 years. Located in Irving, Texas, the college was the first in Texas to offer an AACSB-accredited Doctor of Business Administration. Today, the college offers flexible Master of Business Administration, Master of Science, Master of Leadership, and professional education programs ideal for early to mid-career professionals seeking to advance their careers under the guidance of faculty who are both scholars and accomplished business leaders. SB Hall, which opened in January 2016, houses the college, providing students with state-of-the-art technology and practical tools to prepare them for their future career. For more information, visit udallas.edu/cob.

About the University of Dallas

The University of Dallas strives to be the premier Catholic liberal arts university in the country, known for its rigorous undergraduate Core Curriculum and robust graduate and professional programs in business, ministry, education and the humanities. According to national rankings, the University of Dallas has one of America’s most challenging, comprehensive undergraduate interdisciplinary programs, offered at an excellent value to some of the happiest students in the country. With campuses in Texas and Italy, UDallas stands apart as a thriving community of learners committed to an education that forms students intellectually, socially and spiritually for a life well-lived. For more information, visit udallas.edu.