Contact: Cesar Canizales
214-378-1859;
ccanizales@dcccd.edu
For immediate release — Sept. 29, 2015
(DALLAS) — Although data breaches at large companies and in the federal government have recently made national headlines, small businesses are just as vulnerable to cyberattacks that can lead to financial and legal claims against them. Small business owners interested in learning how to prepare for and minimize cybercrimes against their computer networks are invited to attend the free 2015 Cyber Security Information Expo Tour offered by the Dallas County Community College District’s
10,000 Small Businesses program.
The expo will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 21, from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Bill J. Priest Institute, a campus of El Centro College, located at 1402 Corinth St. in Dallas. The event is free, but seating is limited; interested participants are asked to
register online through Eventbrite by Oct. 12.
Larry Hall, president and CEO of Qnet Information Services, an IT consulting company, will be one of the featured speakers at the expo. Hall is a graduate of the
10,000 Small Businesses program, a Goldman Sachs national initiative that teaches small business owners how to grow and market their companies, gain access to capital, and develop leadership and financing skills.
“Business owners will learn to identify how to make sure their businesses are protected from cyberattacks, how to be prepared when they occur and how to set up a business so it’s in a preventive, rather than reactive, mode,” Hall said.
Hall added that some small businesses are still using outdated operating systems on their computer networks, which make them susceptible to attacks from cyber criminals. Data breaches expose businesses to lawsuits from clients whose financial information is stolen.
Other panelists include Ieshea Jones, founder and CEO of Direnzic Technology; a representative from the FBI who will share real-life examples of vulnerable businesses; and a representative from the Department of Homeland Security. The panel will discuss computer viruses and solutions, how attacks occur and how to train employees to reduce the risk of an attack; a Q&A session follows.
The expo is offered in partnership with the city of Shreveport, La., WatchGuard, the Louisiana Small Business Development Center and the Minority Supplier Institute.
For more information about the
10,000 Small Businesses program, please contact Sheryl Hardin by email at
Sheryl.hardin@dcccd.edu or by phone at 214-457-8597. To contact Larry Hall at Qnet Information Services, please email him at
lhall@qnetis.com.
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Cyber Security Information Expo Tour flier (PDF - 200KB)