ANN ARBOR ? Security focused students, cyber security professionals, and members of the University of Michigan technology staff gathered earlier this month for the 10th annual Security at University of Michigan IT conference hosted every October during National Cyber Security Awareness Month.

The program seeks to raise awareness of cyber security threats and hosts nationally recognized experts who discuss the latest cyber security trends. Attendees also received pamphlets and information on how to secure their devices and stay safe online.

Topics at this year?s event included shared experiences from a government leader, overview of the cybercrime landscape, connected vehicle security issues, and the latest security research from the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

SUMIT, held on Oct. 14, was kicked off by Sol Bermann, U-M Interim Chief Information Security Officer. He was followed to the podium by Dan Lohrmann, Chief Security Officer & Chief Strategist at Security Mentor, who reviewed seven lessons on the ?people side? of security reminding the audience that ?80 to 90 percent of security issues are people related.? Lohrmann, also spoke to the evolution of wireless and security from his experience as the Chief Information Security Officer at the State of Michigan. His first-hand experience in industry and government made Lohrmann a perfect presenter for SUMIT 14.

Knowledgeable women in the field of security also spoke at the conference, including Lilian Ablon who described her experiences in the darker side of the illegal online marketplace. Ablon paired her personal research experience with explanations of how intellectual property and financial information is traded in underground market around the world. With this information, the audience gained a better understanding of these real security threats.

Donna Dodson, a Chief Cybersecurity Advisor from NIST, discussed the current security threats as well as the current industry standards. She stressed the importance of making security a priority in the rapidly evolving Internet of Things that exponentially has been connecting most digital devices online. Implementing best practices in authentication methods and gathering better metrics are two important steps toward making the ever connected world more secure.

An interesting twist in the agenda was a very technical and informative presentation from Andre Weimerskirch, an Associate Research Scientist at the U-M Transportation Research Institute. He may become a more common name as his work in vehicle security and transportation continues to pave the way for securing wirelessly-connected vehicles. His presentation provided technical details on more secure vehicle-to-vehicle communication with a focus on privacy protection.

All of the presentations and networking among attendees focused on purely security issues. But it is important to note that all organizations and individuals will need to heed the advice gleaned from SUMIT 14 as they continue their personal and professional lives in this digital era.

After ten years, SUMIT continues to make a huge impact both on campus and in the private sector reminding everyone that they need to be better educated to keep current with the major security issues of our time.

Associate Editor Nicole Johnson leads MITechNews.Com?s efforts to foster STEM education, as well as provides coverage for her fellow women in computing. If you have a story idea for Nicole, email [email protected] Follow Nicole on Twitter: @tech_nicole