Dr. Tessa Cole: The cybercrime link from those behind the door (incarcerated) to those in the free world
Dr. Tessa Cole, Deputy Sheriff on a temporary assignment with the Department of Homeland Security, spoke about cybercrime, related stats & data, and how governmental & financial institutions have been affected. This event occurred from 6:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 20th, through Zoom and was sponsored by Temple University. Dr. Cole started her presentation by distinguishing between a crime and a cybercrime. She stated that cybercrime includes a wide range of criminal activities such as identity theft, data breaches, scams & viruses, fraud, and many more carried out using digital devices. Since cybercrimes are committed over the Internet, the perpetrator could be located anywhere in the world. Moreover, scammers create multiple personas with different names and accounts to build credibility and gain the trust of their victims. The speaker also presented stats to show the increase in cyberattacks in the last few years. The consequences of cyberattacks on governmental & financial institutions include loss of funds or data, data corruption, disrupted operations, and monetary or reputational costs. Dr. Cole concluded the presentation with a Q&A.