CATAP presents
Navigating the Lawless Frontier:
Expert Sessions on the Online Threatscape
March 23 & 24, 2021
Sessions run 0830 – 1330hrs PST each day
The risks borne within or fuelled by today’s vast online environment are myriad. One year into a global pandemic that moved millions more behind a computer screen, the acceleration of harm inherent to this lawless frontier is even more apparent. Professionals working to prevent violence recognize that contemporary threat assessment and management requires consideration of all parties’ online engagement, consumption and related vulnerabilities, as well as familiarity with the wider societal context, beyond borders.
Join us March 23 & 24 to learn from multi-disciplinary experts on the forefront of research and intervention related to this challenging virtual threat environment.
Over 2 half-days, attendees will gain essential knowledge and skills relating to: trends in stalking and harassment activity, assessing risk in cyber and electronic communications, conspiracy theorism and escalations to violence, discreet online, protecting privacy and implementing basic security practices online, countering hate-based violence and the role former extremists play in combating violent extremism, and the current state of internet child exploitation and intervention efforts.
Emerging & Challenging Issues in Electronic Threat Assessment
Presenter: Mario J. Scalora, Ph.D.
About this presentation:
This presentation will address evolving contribution of cyber activity and electronic communications across a range of harassing, threatening, stalking, and violent behavior. Multiple psychological factors (e.g., perceived anonymity and low-risk nature of activity) influence the negative impacts of cyber and electronic activity. It is strongly suggested that the de facto standard of practice emerges in that one cannot perform threat assessment and management without assessing the electronic activity by the subjects of concern. The omnipresence of cyber and electronic communications mandates that threat assessment and management cannot occur without a review of pertinent electronic activity and communications that are reasonably accessible. This presentation will address emerging trends in electronic stalking and harassment activity as well as the relevant literature for assessment of risk. Significant attention will focus upon strategies for assessment and management of problematic situations.
Speaker Bio:
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Dr. Mario Scalora currently serves as Professor of Psychology Director of the University of Nebraska Public Policy Center. He leads the Targeted Violence Research Team supervising research regarding threat assessment and management, counterterrorism, school violence, as well as workplace violence. Dr. Scalora has extensive background as a consultant to various law enforcement agencies at the local, state and federal levels. He currently serves as the consulting psychologist to the Threat Assessment Service of the United States Capitol Police--assisting with case consultation related to threatening activity toward Members of Congress. He also serves as the threat assessment consultant with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Police. Dr. Scalora also serves as a consultant to additional law enforcement agencies as well as corporations regarding threat assessment and management. |
Protecting Families and Identities Online
Presenter: Cynthia Hetherington, MLS, MSM, CFE, CII
About this presentation:
Everyone is at risk for identity theft, online and physical stalking, and harassment. Beyond social media, your public records are for sale, so your home address and assets are easily located through simple online searches. This course provides a through description of how and where your data is stored and how to remove it. In this hands-on class, participants will review a case study detailing how a fraudulent and nefarious actor obtains personal identifying information and how it can be used against you. You will learn “Opt Out” procedures for public service and security personnel and explore the tools and methodologies used to operate discreetly on the Internet. Upon completion of the class, field investigators will be able to identify how private lives and public information are available through websites, social networks, and “Invisible Web” sources; and will have the ability to protect their privacy by implementing basic security practices online, at home, and on social media.
Speaker Bio:
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Cynthia Hetherington, MLS, MSM, CFE, CII is the founder and president of Hetherington Group, a cyber investigations consulting, publishing, and training firm. With over two decades of expertise, Ms. Hetherington is a leader in due diligence, corporate intelligence, and cyber investigations. She is the author of three books on conducting cyber investigations and annually trains over 7,200 investigators, security professionals, attorneys, accountants, auditors, military intelligence professionals, and federal, state, and local agencies on best practices. She shares her expertise in this increasingly data-intensive, cyber focused-world through the publication of an industry newsletter, an online blog, and by hosting the annual OSMOSIS Conference. Ms. Hetherington is a recipient of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners’ James Baker Speaker of the Year Award. In 2019, she was honored with the Enterprising Woman of the Year Award by Enterprising Women Magazine and the CybHER Warrior Award by Dakota State University Madison Cyber Labs. She was shortlisted for the coveted 2019 Women in IT New York’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Ms. Hetherington was named a 2019 finalist in the esteemed Ernst & Young LLP New Jersey Entrepreneur of the Year Awards. |
Current Trends in Preventing Radicalization to Violence
Presenter: Brad J. Galloway
About this presentation:
Bringing invaluable insight routed in research, lived experience and case management work in hate-based ideologies and violence, Mr. Galloway will explore three major questions often left unanswered: What does it look like to work in this space? What are the challenges in this space? What is most effective in this space? Attendees will widen their understanding of the critical roles former extremists may play in combating violent extremism.
Speaker bio:
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Bradley J. Galloway is a Coordinator with the Centre for Hate Bias and Extremism, at Ontario Tech University in Oshawa Ontario. He also works as a Case Manager and Research Analyst, with Life After Hate where he helps others leave violent extremism and works on various research projects. In addition to his work with Life After Hate, Brad is also a Research and Intervention Specialist at the Organization for Prevention of Violence (OPV), and is a fourth-year undergraduate student in Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV). He is a Research Assistant on a number of projects that are funded by Public Safety Canada and the Canadian Network for Research on Terrorism, Security and Society (TSAS). Brad has also served as a consultant for Google, Moonshot CVE, and the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD), among others. His primary research interests include right-wing extremism and terrorism, preventing and countering violent extremism, and the roles of former extremists in combating violent extremism. |
Conspiracy Theorism in the Internet Melting Pot
Presenter: Molly Amman, JD, CTM
About this presentation:
This presentation will delve into the range, spread, and intermingling of the most current conspiracy theorism being observed in 2021 and how it travels online. Case samples involving threats and violence will be offered to demonstrate how a faulty belief system can rapidly escalate to violence. Analysis will be offered for audience consideration regarding the many and varied interrelationships between theories, as well as a presentation of behavioral tendencies of those who seem to be most vulnerable to adopting evidence-free conspiracy theories.
Speaker bio: