Facebook security director to speak April 23

‌

Jennifer Lesser Henley, director of security operations at Facebook, will explore the state of cybersecurity as part of the Golisano Dean’s Lecture Series April 23 at RIT.

Jennifer Lesser Henley, director of security operations at Facebook, will discuss the state of cybersecurity as part of the B. Thomas Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences’ Dean’s Lecture Series.

Henley will present “Security—Changing the Game” from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. April 23 in RIT’s Golisano Hall auditorium. She will discuss how the use of empathy and protection cannot only combat hackers, but also humanize what security means.

“We are all under constant threats—from advanced persistent threat (APT) attacks to data breaches and vulnerabilities,” said Henley. “Yet together, we play a role in keeping people safe and making the Internet and the world a more secure place.”

Her talk will touch on the delicate balance of maintaining a high level of security without impeding usability. She will also discuss the importance of building a diverse pipeline of talented and skilled security professionals.

At Facebook, Henley is responsible for organizational management, road mapping and budgeting, in addition to program management for major initiatives within Facebook and for the community. She also coordinates awareness campaigns, most notably Facebook’s “Hacktober” events for National Cyber Security Awareness Month in October.

Prior to her employment at Facebook, Henley was chief of staff for the chief information security officer at PayPal. She has more than 15 years of industry experience and is a graduate of St. Mary’s College of California.

Established in 2003, the Dean’s Lecture Series brings some of the leading minds in technology to the Golisano College to share their insights with students, faculty and the community. The lectures are free and open to the public.

This year’s lecture series will also feature John Resig, a 2005 computer science alumnus, creator of jQuery and dean of open source at Khan Academy, from 3 to 4 p.m. April 17.