With many employees working from home, cybersecurity has become a growing concern for individuals and organizations looking to protect their computers and networks from malicious attacks.

An upcoming presentation led by Brock University Assistant Professor of Digital Media Aaron Mauro will discuss the vulnerabilities and uncertainties of working on personal computers and smartphones.

“Zero trust and the edge of the network: Cybersecurity and working remotely” will take place Wednesday, Dec. 9 at 11 a.m. as part of the free Business Breathers webinar series facilitated by Goodman Group, the Goodman School of Business’ community-focused learning and development services provider.

Mauro says employees can apply conscious and deliberate remote work practices to prevent cyberattacks from happening.

“Cybersecurity is a human problem as much as it is a technical problem,” he says. “If we have good habits and are taking responsibility for the machines we are using to conduct our work, the networks we’re accessing and the applications we’re using, we could make the mission of the institution and the work of our IT people a lot easier.”

Mauro will also discuss security concerns with edge computing and remote desktops; the benefits of zero trust architecture and multi-factor authentication; and the increasing threat of spear phishing and ransomware.

“Ransomware has become such a prevalent issue that insurance companies are now either cancelling or reducing their ability to offer coverage for ransomware attacks because its’s become so incredibly expensive,” Mauro says. “Not only is the cost going up, but also the range of institutions is increasing. Just last month, the City of Saint John, N.B., was attacked. Ransomware attacks like this can be incredibly costly and disruptive for municipalities and institutions of any size.”

Mauro teaches topics relating to digital culture, natural language processing and app development. He has published articles on U.S. literature and culture, which have appeared in Modern Fiction Studies, Mosaic, and Symploke, among other journals. His forthcoming book is called Human Exploits, Cyberpunk, and the Digital Humanities: Cybersecurity for Humanists (Bloomsbury Publishing).

Everyone is welcome to attend Business Breathers webinars, which feature 30 minutes of industry and faculty expert-led discussions, followed by a 15-minute Q&A period. Topics focus on leadership, management and innovation, as well as the financial and social impacts of trending topics.

Interested participants are asked to register online. A confirmation email will provide a Lifesize link to access the webinar at the date and time it is planned.