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Clark tackles cybersecurity

Watch this video for highlights from the lecture. Dwight HughesCybercrime cost private companies $1 trillion in 2008 and that’s only what was reported. That stunning statistic was one of the highlights of a presentation on cybersecurity that Clark Professor Dwight Hughes told a standing-room-only crowd on campus in October. His lecture was the culmination of research he had gathered while on sabbatical. Hughes explained that online security is a growing concern worldwide. “One-fourth of cyberattacks happen in the United States,” he said. Through statistics and news reports, Hughes showed how the growing cyber threat is also creating a new class of in-demand careers. He shared his vision for a potential cybersecurity program that could be offered at Clark—one that would involve partnerships with local and national four-year colleges and would require expansion of existing courses and programs Clark currently offers. While Hughes encouraged the Clark community to move quickly to become a leader in this emerging field, he acknowledged that his research was only the beginning in the process of developing a new program. “These are true Vision 2020 jobs, yet they’re needed now,” he said. “But Clark is doing so much that we want to make sure when we do [start this program], we do it well.” Hughes was referring to the college’s strategic plan. Hughes also answered questions from the audience, ranging from what skills employers are looking for in cybersecurity professionals to how to protect personal investments online.

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