UMBC CSEE Seminar Series

Hacking, Security and Technology In Public Consciousness:
The Effects of Myth

Dr. Richard Forno

Assistant Director, UMBC Center for Cybersecurity
Director, UMBC Cybersecurity Graduate Program

1-2pm, Friday, 31 March 2017, ITE 231

Public portrayals of the digital landscape, particularly through the entertainment mass media and product marketing, can have a profound influence on how the general public perceives the strengths and limitations of technology. Over time, these images, stereotypes and dramatized capabilities are replicated across texts and repeated until, rightly or wrongly, they become the default paradigm for mass understanding of the complex and ever-changing modern technological environment.

For example, one only needs to observe legislative bodies or watch mainstream news media trying to come to understand issues such as encryption, cybersecurity, or even pluralistic applications of the term “to hack” to see just how deeply the stereotype of the god-like yet overweight and socially maladjusted (often male) ‘hacker’ have penetrated popular perceptions. Metaphors like this that act as a useful shorthand in fictional storytelling do not make a good reference basis for policy statements or national decision-making — however, when such sensationalized and/or fictional depictions overshadow more sophisticated or nuanced descriptions of those capabilities in actual practice, it is understandable why unrealistic expectations and unworkable proposals for technology – like “good-guys only” encryption backdoors – continue being proposed.

Drawing on examples from the media and politics, this presentation explores the connections between decades-old media tropes around technology/technologists and current technology debates, especially those related to cybersecurity and cyberwarfare. This interpretively analyzed presentation argues that perception is just as important as performance in terms of outcomes and acknowledges that the models used by mass society, including policy makers, to understand early digital innovations are part of a wider set of mass cultural messages have served a purpose — but now need to be either dispelled or updated. Addressing the assumptions and inaccuracies of these shared media-fueled perceptions of the emerging digital society is an important part of understanding and then working to overcome conflicts between technology and policy.

(This presentation, and its related paper, are part of ongoing research collaborations between Dr. Forno (security) at UMBC and Dr. Erika Pearson (media/comms) of Massey University in Wellington, NZ)

Dr. Richard Forno is a Senior Lecturer in the UMBC Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, where he directs the UMBC Graduate Cybersecurity Program and serves as the Assistant Director of UMBC’s Center for Cybersecurity. His twenty-year career spans the government, military, and private sector, including helping to build the first formal cybersecurity program for the U.S. House of Representatives, serving as the first Chief Security Officer for Network Solutions (operator of the InterNIC), and co-founding the CyberMaryland conference. Dr. Forno was also one of the early thought leaders on the subject of “information warfare” and he remains a longtime commentator on the influence of Internet technology upon society.

Organizer: Tulay Adali, Host: Alan Sherman

About the CSEE Seminar Series: The UMBC Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering presents technical talks on current significant research projects of broad interest to the Department and the research community. Each talk is free and open to the public. We welcome your feedback and suggestions for future talks.

The post talk: Hacking, Security, and Technology In Public Consciousness: The Effects of Myth, 1pm 3/31 appeared first on Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering.

Emily Escobedo ’17, psychology, concluded her historic UMBC swimming career by earning a bronze medal in the 200m breaststroke at the NCAA championship in Indianapolis. In addition to earning the eighth best time in the history of the event, Escobedo broke another UMBC record on her path to the podium.

“Emily capped her career off with three career best times at the championships,” said head swimming and diving coach Chad Cradock ’97, psychology, of Escobedo, attributing her success to “her hard work, focus and drive.” He reflected, “Our school, department, and program are so proud of her and her amazing four-year career.”

Escobedo swam her UMBC record-setting time of 2:05.20 in the finals of the 200m, faster even than her time in the same event at the U.S. Swimming Olympic Trials held last year. In the process, she earned All-American Honors.

“I’m so happy I was able to finish my last year with an all-around great season,” says Escobedo. “NCAAs was an incredible experience.”

 
Escobedo is finishing her career in UMBC swimming and diving as one of the most decorated swimmers in the program’s history, as well as in America East. She has been named America East Rookie of the Year, America East Swimmer of the Year four times, and America East All-Academic three times.

In addition to being named an All-American, Escobedo also earned two more Honorable Mention All-American honors this year, in the 200 breaststroke and 200 IM. Based on her swims, UMBC finished 24th in the nation at this year’s NCAAs.

Escobedo has competed in NCAA championships in all four years of her time at UMBC. Her total career honors at NCAA championships now include two bronze medals, two All-Americans, and three Honorable Mention All-Americans.

Following the championship, Escobedo shared her gratitude for her coaches and teammates, reflecting, “I am lucky to have gotten the chance to swim with such an amazing group of girls…I never thought I would be able to achieve so much.”

Cradock also took time to thank coaching staff, families, and alumni for their support and for “setting the groundwork to get us to today,” and UMBC swimming and diving athletes “for believing and trusting us by embracing the process.”

“Today our program finished in the top 25 in the nation,” said Cradock. “This is beyond our wildest dreams.”

See additional coverage from UMBC Athletics, Swimming World Magazine, and America East.

Let us help you fit the pieces of your writing assignment puzzle together.

The Writing Center provides free tutoring in writing to all UMBC students. You can bring in a writing assignment for any UMBC course as well as seek help with application essays and personal writing.

Location: 1st floor of AOK Library

Spring 2017 Hours:

Monday-Thursday 10AM to 7 PM

Fridays 10AM to 2PM

Walk-in or make an appointment here: https://umbc.mywconline.com/.

February 2017 in Baltimore was 8.5 degrees warmer than average, and 1 degree warmer than an average March. The Washington, DC cherry blossoms were forecast to bloom up to two weeks ahead of their average peak before an unusual cold snap sent the region several inches of snow. Are these shifts an impact of climate change? Colin Studds, assistant professor of geography and environmental systems at UMBC, spoke on WYPR’s On the Record about how climate change is affecting phenology—the seasonal rhythms of the natural world—from migration, to hibernation, to blooms.

Studds outlined some of the challenges animals face as a result of changing temperatures and rainfall. For example, migratory birds that winter in the Caribbean have no way of knowing spring has come early in their mid-Atlantic breeding grounds. “By the time they arrive here, they’re really late,” Studds says—the birds have missed the peak availability of food they rely on. “They have to work that much harder to feed their young,” he says, which can result in reduced survival of the offspring.

Drought, another effect of climate change, makes it harder for birds to find enough food to build up the fat stores they need to begin an arduous migration, so they often end up leaving late. As a result, Studds says, “They have to migrate even farther north to find that sweet spot where they can have their young.” And if spring has come early, he says, that results in a “one-two punch” for the birds.

Studds shared several other examples of how climate change is altering seasonal rhythms, from cherry blossoms to pollinators to hibernating bears. Some species, especially those with large geographic ranges who aren’t picky about habitat, will have an easier time adapting to change, he notes. Some birds and insects have already shifted farther north. This adaptability can sometimes have concerning consequences, such as mosquitoes bringing diseases to the U.S. that were once confined to the tropics.

In other cases, animals aren’t able to adapt quickly. “Some species have really particular habitat requirements,” says Studds, “and these are the kind of species that can be marooned as climate change goes forward.”

And what about plants? “There’s a huge question mark,” as to whether plants will be able to shift their ranges, Studds says. “We just don’t know if plants will be able to do that. We’ve built a lot of barriers,” like highways and housing developments, he explains.

“Birds are the proverbial canary in the coal mine,” says Studds, because there’s ample data, mostly collected by citizen scientists.

The Japanese cherry blossoms are another useful indicator, having been tracked since the 11^th century. “It’s not until the beginning of the 20^th century, and the 1950s, where we start to see a big trend for much earlier blooming,” he says.

“In nature, timing is everything,” says Studds. As climate change affects different seasonal processes in different ways, he reflects, “It means everything is out of sync.” One thing is fairly certain, however. “We’re probably headed for a much warmer world.”

Listen to the entire interview, “Out of Sync in a Warming World.”

Image: Cherry blossoms at peak bloom. Photo by Ilsa Borbély, CC license 2.0.