Talks on social media, mobile apps and more on tap for BarCamp Harrisburg

Last April Chuck Davis checked out BarCamp Harrisburg, not knowing what to expect. Davis, a global security operations manager with IBM and faculty member at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, was delighted by the day-long event where techies got together to collaborate, share their wisdom and give impromptu presentations. So he’s excited about going again this year to get together with other technologically oriented types and see what they can learn from each other.

“What I personally look forward to is hearing all these great innovative ideas from these people,” Davis says.

This year BarCamp Harrisburg, set for April 9 at the university, will feature tracks on smart phone apps and the interaction of education and technology. But given the nature of BarCamp, the exact topics of discussion won’t be set until that day.

Davis is toying around with the idea of giving a talk on the responsible use of social media. Given his job, role as president of the Central PA chapter of the Information Systems Security Association (a BarCamp sponsor) and position teaching college classes on security vulnerabilities, it’s a subject he’s familiar with.

Besides taking care of who can see their posts on Facebook or Twitter, Davis says those who use social media have to keep up-to-date on who can see information on their profiles. Users should also learn how to keep their own Internet connections secure – if you’re using public wi-fi at a coffee shop, he says, it’s shockingly easy for a hacker to use free tools to get into your e-mail and social media pages.

Source: Chuck Davis, Information Systems Security Association
Writer: Rebecca VanderMeulen