UNCW holds 6th annual cybersecurity conference

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — UNCW started its 6th annual Cybersecurity Conference on Wednesday.

The conference covers several major areas of focus within cybersecurity, from small and medium business protection to its maritime use.

This year’s conference is the largest UNCW has had, with more than 300 people expected to attend.

Ulku Clark is the director of the Center for Cyber Security Education at UNCW.

She said with the longshoremen strike still ongoing, cybersecurity in maritime is more relevant than ever.

“About 90 plus percentage of all US trade is done through maritime routes and about 35% of that is done on the East Coast,” Clark said. “Now, we are going through a strike period at the port and we see how it impacts our economy. And a cyber attack has similar impacts so we kind of are focusing on that.”

The conference continues on Thursday with a seminar on deep fakes, AI, and their potential impact.