First meeting set Feb. 13 for New Idaho Chapter of (ISC) ² an internationally recognized cybersecurity organization

The room number for the meeting will be posted on the college’s entrance doors.

The featured speaker for The Idaho (ISC) ² Chapter is Reed Stone who holds a CISSP Certification from (ISC) ². Stone is an expert in the field of Cyber Security with over a decade of experience. Reed currently manages the Cyber Threat Intelligence program at the Idaho National Laboratory. 

Stone will present his research on a cybersecurity model that improves your ability to understand and communicate threats and risks to your organization.  The model is particularly well suited to the non-experts in the field of cyber security.

This is an opportunity for regional businesses to network with fellow information security professionals in the region and to better understand cybersecurity threats and methods for protecting their critical operations from hackers.

“We are interested in bringing together information technology professionals and the cybersecurity community with a goal to improve Idaho’s e-commerce safety while empowering a progressive digital economy,” said Teresa Westfall the Pocatello Region’s vice president for the Idaho Chapter of  (ISC) ².

“Our goal is to enable strong connections with other cybersecurity professionals across the state, provide educational opportunities for members, and inspire each of us to a new level of excellence,” said Donovan Nichols, the president of the newly formed chapter. 

Nichols is a cybersecurity assessment specialist at the Idaho National Laboratory. Westfall is recently retired from the FBI after 31 years and served as the Information Systems Security Manager at the Pocatello FBI datacenter site.

 Idaho State University’s Corey Schou is facilitating the formation of the new Idaho Chapter of (ISC) ².  Schou is a founding member of the (ISC) ² organization as well as the Director of the National Information Assurance Technology and Education Center located on the ISU campus.

 (ISC) ² is an international nonprofit membership association focused on inspiring a safe and secure cyber world. Best known for the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP®) certification, (ISC)² offers members a portfolio of credentials that are part of a holistic, programmatic approach to security. The Idaho Chapter will provide opportunities for the current and next generation of cybersecurity professions to advance and continue cultivating cyber talent in Idaho.  Annual chapter dues are $20 for professionals and $10 for students.

The Idaho (ISC) ² Chapter provides its members with the opportunity to build an Idaho network of peers to share knowledge, exchange resources and collaborate. This Chapter encompasses the entire state of Idaho and meetings will be held in each region across the state.   This is the first meeting to be held in Pocatello and the chapter kick-off meeting was in Idaho Falls last month. The goal is to meet monthly in each region with periodic statewide meetings annually.

For more information, visit president@isc2chapter-idaho.org or www.isc2chapter-idaho.org.

Photo is of Corey Schou.