Missoula College will be hosting Cyber Security Week from October 23 to 27 at the new facility located on East Broadway.

Information technology professor Tom Gallagher said there will be more than just seminars on protecting computer systems from cyber crime, they will be offering hands-on protection for computer systems.

“October has been Cyber Security Awareness Month since 2003, and we’re trying to raise awareness about the important issue of being safe out in the digital world,” said Gallagher. “We’ve had several local data breaches in western Montana that have impacted all sorts of citizens both in our local community and throughout the state.”

Gallagher is inviting Missoula residents to actually bring their computers to the college for a professional evaluation of possible cyber threats.

“The main event this week is that we’re having out IT students in the foyer of the new Missoula College building available to do diagnostic computer checks just to make sure that people have security taken care of on their own personal computers,” he said. “They’ll make sure operating system files are up to date, antivirus software is active and definition files are up to date and that folks are using some sort of software for their firewall.”

Gallagher said the service is free on a first-come, first-served basis each day, Monday through Thursday, October 23 to 26 from 11 a.m. till 2:00 p.m. He said primarily they will be looking at tablets and laptops, but if people bring their home personal computers, they can be checked as well. The event is sponsored by LMG Security.

 

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