College of Business students and faculty gathered in Stark’s lecture hall to engage in a conversation about digital ethics and what to do with your data.
The night started with Dr. Jason Kight, Business Administration Assistant Professor, introducing conversation panelists. Toby Schmidt, Chief Security Officer at Winona State University, talked about the difference between security and privacy. He shared security is making sure that your data is safe, while privacy is the protection of users. He also talked about how Facebook secures their data, but the information that users post is not always private.
The next panelist, Deanna House, has a research and academic perspective on digital ethics. She has done research on free versus paid applications, and found that paid apps were less exploitative. She also focuses on location data and added that she does not download apps.
Hunter Downs III builds systems and prototype devices. He works on medical devices, as well as iWatches and FitBits. He also talked about the ethical challenges that he has encountered while at work. He must protect people in the military and work on devices that protects their health.
Thank you to the College of Business and all of the participating panelists for engaging with students and faculty to share how important it is to keep your data safe and how to protect it.
About the Panelists
Toby Schmidt has an undergraduate focuses on Business Administration and a Masters in educational leadership, with multiple Information Technology (IT) acronyms subsequently earned, his past twenty years have been invested in building enterprise IT infrastructure and securing them from being used inappropriately. He represents higher education and the mass qualities of data that are collected and processed, from admissions to philanthropy, and how we govern each process.
Deanna House, has earned her PhD and is an Assistant Professor of Cybersecurity in the Sykes College of Business and an Associate Director of the University of Tampa’s Center for Ethics. Deanna currently teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in Cybersecurity and previously taught courses in the areas of Operations Management, MIS, and Business Analytics. Deanna worked in Human Resources as a Business Systems Analyst prior to her time in academia. Her research interests are related to the behavioral aspects of cybersecurity and the protective and preventative measures performed by users and organizations. Deanna presents at the regional and national level on topics related to the intersection of technology and ethics.
Hunter Downs III, has a PhD, is a CEO, and has post-doctoral training in Neuroscience, a Doctorate in Medical Physics, and a B.S. in Computer Science, Systems Design, and Mathematics. His research and development experience includes nuclear medicine computer and algorithm development; functional MRI for neurosurgical and brain mapping purposes; functional NIR sensors for communication and real-time control of devices; medical and non-medical robot control; medical visualization; wearable device creation and signal processing; machine learning and intelligent algorithms; and mobile apps for a variety of medical conditions. He is currently a founder and CEO of Area 10 Labs and has developed several additional technology companies with successful exits.