The Marshall University Digital Forensics and Information Assurance program will host the 6th annual Cyber Safety Summit for middle-school students and the local community Oct. 23-24 in Huntington.
This year’s event will have two sessions. The first will be tailored for middle-school students and will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday, Oct. 23, at the Big Sandy Superstore Arena. A session for parents and adults will be from 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 24, at Huntington East Middle School. Participants can learn how to prevent cyber bullying, keep themselves and their families safe online, handle the dangers of social media, keep their information and computers safe, and identify scams. They can also find out how and why criminals target them and more.
“We recognize the need for this type of education,” said John Sammons, director of the Digital Forensics and Information Assurance program at Marshall University. “Technology is a huge part of most children’s lives, particularly from middle school going forward. It’s only smart and prudent to give them the awareness and skills to keep themselves safe online.”
“Parents are often far behind the kids when it comes to technology,” Sammons said. “We would like to provide them with as much information as we can to help them protect their children.”
This event is attended by hundreds of students from the Tri-State region each year. It is sponsored by the Digital Forensics and Information Assurance program, the Huntington Police Department, the FBI and the Appalachian Institute of Digital Evidence.
Teachers can register their classes for a field trip to the summit. Reserve seats before Oct. 19 by contacting Sammons at sammons17@marshall.edu or by calling 304-696-7241.