Chairman DiPalma and former Congressman Langevin to hold 7th annual Cyber Hygiene Event on October 23

 

STATE HOUSE – Senate Finance Committee Chairman Louis P. DiPalma, in conjunction with former Congressman James R. Langevin, now Executive Director of Institute for Cybersecurity and Emerging Technologies at Rhode Island College, will be hosting the seventh annual Cyber Hygiene Event virtually on Monday, October 23 at 7 p.m. The event can be viewed at

on YouTube. 

 

The purpose of the annual event is to provide the public with an increased awareness of the various cyber exploitations and practical steps to protect one’s self, family, identity, and data from cyberattacks. Recent developments in Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) and its implications to our current society will also be discussed. The event is free and open to the public.

 

“The advances we are witnessing in technology, such as A.I. and its applications, continue to evolve at a rapid pace, and with these changes come new and emerging risks to the general public. This event will provide individuals and families with firsthand knowledge from experts in the field on how to best protect themselves against various types cybercrimes. I encourage all to participate,” said Chairman DiPalma (D-Dist. 12, Middletown, Little Compton, Newport, Tiverton).

 

“I’m honored to participate once again in Chairman DiPalma‘s seventh annual cyber hygiene event. I commend him for his passion for promoting cybersecurity issues and his work to educate his constituents about how best to protect themselves from the various cyber threats they could encounter. Practicing good cyber hygiene, such as using strong passwords, multi-factor authentication, and not clicking on attachments sent by unknown individuals or websites, can go a long way toward preventing a successful cyber-attack or intrusion. Chairman DiPalma‘s efforts to educate his constituents on these important issues will go a long way toward making those who receive this information and put it into practice, much more cyber secure,” said Congressman Langevin.

 

Chairman DiPalma and former Congressman Langevin have been leading advocates for cyber defense on the state and federal levels, respectively. Nathan Loura, Chief Information Security Officer of the Rhode Island Division of Information Technology, will speak at the event about safeguarding personal data and Nazanin Ahmadi Daryakenari, a Ph.D. student of Biomedical Engineering at Brown University, will give a presentation about demystifying A.I. and how it can be utilized in society.

 

“In today's digital age, safeguarding our constituent’s information is more crucial than ever. My mission as the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for the State of Rhode Island is to safeguard our community's digital assets and personal information. Together, we'll fortify our digital landscape and champion a culture of cybersecurity through consistent cyber hygiene practices,” said Chief Loura.

 

“In the realm of generative A.I. and its transformative applications, we stand at the crossroads of innovation and responsibility. The power to generate hyper-realistic content, whether in the pursuit of life-saving drug discoveries or the creation of deep fake media, underscores the significance of ethical considerations. Let us explore the potential and navigate the challenges with a collective commitment to harnessing A.I. for the betterment of society while safeguarding against its misuse,” said Nazanin Ahmadi Daryakenari.