Conference to Explore the Promise Artificial Intelligence Holds for the Cybersecurity Sector

NYU Tandon Future Labs “Focus AI” Series Event Will Highlight Emerging Opportunity for New York’s Entrepreneurs


BROOKLYN, New York, Wednesday, May 30, 2018 – The NYU Tandon School of Engineering’s Future Labs entrepreneurial network will bring together leading cybersecurity practitioners and researchers to explore the rapidly emerging promises and risks that artificial intelligence hold for cybersecurity.

Aimed at helping professionals at established enterprises, startups, and research institutions understand recent advancements in AI technology and how talent challenges play a role in the balance between progress and security, “Focus AI: Cybersecurity” is the latest in the Future Labs’ speaker series for New York City’s entrepreneurial community. It will take place on Monday, June 4, 2018, from
5 to 8 p.m. at the Midtown Manhattan offices of sponsoring partner PwC.

Panelists include:

  • Larry Trittschuh, chief security officer, Americas at Barclays
  • Michael J. Landewe, co-founder of security firm Avanan
  • Carol Lee, partner at PwC and leader of technology-sector initiatives
  • Lucas Nelson, security expert and partner at venture fund Lytical Ventures and Kauffman Fellows
  • Dawud Gordon, Ph.D., founder of behavioral biometrics startup TwoSense
  • Damon McCoy, NYU Tandon assistant professor of computer science and engineering and a member of NYU’s Center for Cybersecurity

McCoy’s research focuses on empirically measuring the security and privacy of technology systems, and he recently received attention for his long-term study of ransomware, a type of malware that encrypts the files of infected hosts and demands payment for their restoration. It is timely work given that the Online Trust Alliance called 2017 "the worst year ever in data breaches and cyber incidents" worldwide, and the global costs of such attacks are expected to reach up to $6 trillion annually by 2021. McCoy has led numerous research investigations into cybercrime using large datasets.

The conference will provide an important forum for discussion about AI technologies, industry needs, and investment opportunities surrounding cyber risk, which Warren Buffett deemed a greater threat to mankind than nuclear weapons. With a recent survey showing that almost 40 percent of enterprise organizations already deploy AI-based security analytics to some extent, and that figure expected to steadily increase, cybersecurity providers are racing to implement advanced AI-driven solutions for their clients.

About the New York University Tandon School of Engineering

The NYU Tandon School of Engineering dates to 1854, the founding date for both the New York University School of Civil Engineering and Architecture and the Brooklyn Collegiate and Polytechnic Institute (widely known as Brooklyn Poly). A January 2014 merger created a comprehensive school of education and research in engineering and applied sciences, rooted in a tradition of invention and entrepreneurship and dedicated to furthering technology in service to society. In addition to its main location in Brooklyn, NYU Tandon collaborates with other schools within NYU, one of the country’s foremost private research universities, and is closely connected to engineering programs at NYU Abu Dhabi and NYU Shanghai. It operates Future Labs focused on start-up businesses in downtown Manhattan and Brooklyn and an award-winning online graduate program. For more information, visit engineering.nyu.edu.