University to Showcase Digital Identity Management at the ITS Event

Penn State will hold a joint technology expo and security conference on Wednesday, October 12, for faculty, staff and students to explore both the responsibilities and benefits of digital identity. The ITS Event, Your Digital Passport - Exploring Boundaries, will feature a variety of interactive exhibits, breakout sessions and high-tech demonstrations, designed to encourage students, faculty and staff to travel the Internet safely. The expo portion of the Event takes place from 10:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Alumni Hall at the HUB-Robeson Center on the University Park campus. In addition, the Event will showcase national security experts in a related security conference next door at the HUB in Heritage Hall beginning at 12:30 p.m. Both the expo and conference are sponsored by Information Technology Services (ITS) and are free to all students, faculty and staff.

Among the highlights of the Event are talks by Dr. Tracy Mitrano director of the Cornell Policy and Law Program; David A. Thomas, chief of the Counterterrorism/Counterintelligence/Criminal Computer Intrusion Section of the FBI; welcoming remarks by Penn State President Graham Spanier; and a variety of digital identity exhibits and breakout sessions on secure wireless networks, copyright, cyber-plagiarism, Napster, password management, Internet fraud, library resources, identity theft and computer security. In addition, the theme of the Event will emphasize a passport travel metaphor to underscore using safe Penn State Access Account conduct for Internet exploration - in addition to personalized security stories that touch upon real-life experiences that students, faculty and staff have each had with Internet fraud, credit card theft, phishing and other digital identity concerns.

"In today's climate of identity theft, computer viruses, and credit card fraud, it's essential to know how to travel the Internet safely," said Gary Augustson, vice provost for Information Technology. "Our digital identities (or Access Accounts) are truly our 'passports' to explore the University community, the Penn State landscape and the world. This event provides an opportunity to learn how we can use the Internet, and its tremendous academic potential, to conduct teaching, learning and research activities securely and safely. I hope that University faculty, IT coordinators, executives, students and staff will take some time out of their day to oin us at the HUB on October 12!"

To learn more about the ITS Event, Your Penn State Digital Passport - Exploring Boundaries visit http://its.psu.edu/theitsEvent/.