work on research and hands-on projects,
and socialize with both peers and faculty
members in the CIS labs.”
Casey fosters a collaborative learning
environment among students, as well.
“It is not unusual to see five to 10
students in the lab socializing and
working together or huddled around
the 3D printer at any given time,” she
said. “This atmosphere of working
together and putting students first is not
limited to the CIS Program, but can be
experienced campus-wide. GMercyU is
student-centric and we believe that the
students’ voice is central in learning.”
More About Cindy Casey
• Member of: Association for
the Advancement of Artificial
Intelligence (AAAI), Association
for Computing Machinery
(ACM), International Consortium
of Minority Cybersecurity
Professionals (ICMCP), Association
of Certified Fraud Examiners
(ACFE), Institute of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers (IEEE), High
Technology Crime Investigation
Association (HTCIA)
• US Cyber Challenge Finalist and
Scholarship Recipient 2013, 2014,
2015
• Philadelphia Area Chapter of the
Association of Certified Fraud
Examiners 2016 Scholarship
Recipient
• Associate of Science in Digital
Forensics, Philadelphia Community
College
• Bachelor of Science in Computer
Security and Technology, Drexel
University (magna cum laude)
• Drexel University 2011 Research
Day Winner, Computation and
Modeling (Non-Bio) Category:
Thinking Outside the Box – A
Practitioner’s Guide to Xbox
Forensics, with Co-Authors Dr.
Ashley Podhradsky, Dr. Rob D’Ovidio
• Masters of Science in Economic
Crime Forensics, LaSalle University
• Graduate Certificate in Digital
Forensics, DeSales University
• Graduate Certificate in
Cybersecurity, La Salle University
*According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics
By: Cindy Casey
7
Ways to Protect
Your Home Security
System from Hackers
Smart security systems provide
consumers with an affordable and
convenient way to secure their homes and
keep an eye on their children, parents,
and pets. However, users need to be
aware that these devices are vulnerable
and need to take some extra security
measures to avoid becoming potential
victims of hacking and other crimes.
In December 2019, a class-action suit
was filed against the parent company of
popular home security devices for alleged
negligence, invasion of privacy, and
failing to correct known vulnerabilities.
The lawsuit was filed after several
hacking incidents involving their
cameras went viral.
In one incident, a family in Mississippi
reported that their camera security
system was hacked by a man who
identified himself as Santa Claus. The
intruder taunted the family’s eight-year-
old daughter, calling her racial slurs and
encouraging her to behave naughtily.
Even more disturbing is that the family
did not know how long the hacker
had access to the camera, which was
installed in their daughter’s bedroom.
In another incident, the home security
camera of a family in Texas was
compromised. The camera was installed
so the parents could keep an eye on their
children after school while they were still
at work. However, a hacker accessed
the device and began threatening the
children’s lives. In yet another security
camera breach, a hacker live-streamed a
child’s bedroom over the Internet.
These incidents are not limited to home
security cameras – any device that
connects to Wi-Fi is at risk of being
exploited by malicious actors. Last
year, a hacker took control of a family’s
digitally controlled thermostat and
camera. The victims of the attack heard
a man’s voice talking to their baby
and discovered it was coming from the
camera. The intruder also turned the
smart thermostat up to 90 degrees.
These types of incidents are not new. In
fact, last spring at GMercyU’s Research
Conference, CIS Student Joshua
Reimel '20 presented research on “Ring
Doorbell Vulnerabilities and Exploits.”
If you own or are considering buying a
smart home security system, here are
some ways to help secure your device:
1. Register your device right out of
the box so you receive security
advisories and update notifications
immediately.
2. Assign your device its own email
account so that if your personal
email account is breached, hackers
do not have access to your security
cameras. Do not name the email
account something that indicates it
is for a home security system!
3. Power down your equipment at least
once a month. When the device turns
back on, it will automatically add
recent security patches and updates.
4. Change default factory passwords
and device names. Hackers can
Google search the name of a device
and easily obtain the device’s default
password.
5. Turn on two-factor authentication
in your device settings. This will
require both a password and a code
sent to your cell phone to access the
device.
6. Never share footage on social media
and delete shared footage regularly
to avoid providing information about
your home and family to strangers.
7. Use a secure password and change
your password regularly. Remember
to treat your password like your
toothbrush. Don’t let anyone use it
and replace it every six months!
TODAY
9