MEDIA, Pa. — More than 150 attendees participated in Penn State Brandywine’s third-annual cybersecurity conference, held on Oct. 24. The conference, which is named after the late Brandywine Associate Teaching Professor of Information Sciences and Technology John A. Landmesser, had an academic focus on cybersecurity workforce skills development.
Brandywine faculty members Pamela King, lecturer of information sciences and technology, and Martin Yeh, associate professor of information sciences and technology, were the conference organizers. The event featured informative presentations from field experts about all aspects of cybersecurity, including threats, breaches, ethical hacking, current trends, investigations and incident response.
Regional Chancellor Marilyn J. Wells gave opening remarks, reflecting on why the conference matters to the Brandywine community.
“We are not simply opening a conference, we are launching a vision: a vision rooted in ambition, collaboration, and impact. We are honoring the legacy of a remarkable colleague, a beloved professor and a pioneer in our field — Dr. John 'Andy' Landmesser — whose passion for cybersecurity, education and student success laid the foundation for this vital gathering,” she said.
“This gathering matters. It matters for our students. It matters for our region. It matters for the future of cybersecurity in our society. From the earliest lecture halls of Andy Landmesser’s classroom to the hands-on labs of today, to the professionals in this room — the journey is alive, and today we deepen it.”
Landmesser’s daughter, Samantha, spoke on behalf of his family at the beginning of the conference. She spoke about how much the conference meant to her father, even when he was ill.
“While sick, he would talk about getting back to teaching next semester, worrying over his classes even as he was undergoing surgery and chemotherapy,” she said.
“He asked my mom countless times about the funding for this conference. He wanted to make sure the conference would run, even if he wasn't. That's why it means so much that not only will this conference continue, but it will continue in his name.”
The opening keynote speaker was Steve Ramsey, chief cybersecurity officer and co-founder of IronGate, a cybersecurity firm that provides services including digital forensics and incident response. He discussed the crossroads in the cybersecurity industry, how the field has developed and how it could look in the future.
Breakout session topics included digital forensics, multi-factor authentication, the evolution of artificial intelligence, breach response, threats to cybersecurity and application program interfaces. Session speakers included cybersecurity professionals from Rowan University, Delaware County District Attorney’s Office, Federal Reserve Bank, CyberArk, Incognito, CounterMeasures, NetDiligence and DFDR Consulting LLC.
Penn State Brandywine is a 1,100-student residential campus. Computer science, cybersecurity analytics and operations, and information technology are among the 14 bachelor’s degrees offered at Brandywine. The campus also offers the first two years of most of Penn State’s more than 275 majors.