Cybersecurity Basics with Consolidated Utility District’s Mike Sumner 

Mike Sumner, the Director of Information Technology for the Consolidated Utility District of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, provides cybersecurity basics and tips. Mike entertains with his description of the Oldsmar, Florida, water utility cyberattack and its context occurring during Super Bowl week.

In this session, you’ll learn about:

• Mike’s background in cybersecurity in the auto and utility industries
• A comparison of cybersecurity issues in the auto and utility sectors
• Password/passphrase basics
• What hackers are after
• Why data security is so important
• Why layers of cybersecurity provide greater protection
• The different types of cyberattacks
• An analysis of the Oldsmar, Florida, cyberattack and its timing vis-à-vis the Super Bowl
• What a honeypot website is
• Why your cybersecurity plan needs to include “people, process, and technology”
• Why cybersecurity testing and auditing is important
• Why a VPN is an important cybersecurity tool
• Why a firewall is important
• Mike’s suggestions for getting a basic cybersecurity plan together

Resources and links mentioned in or relevant to this session include:

• Mike’s LinkedIn profile
• Consolidated Utility District’s website

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