C Spire Business hosting free Alabama technology, networking event today

HOOVER, Ala., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- C Spire Business is hosting a free, major technology conference and networking event today for Alabama business and tech executives where experts will share the latest industry trends and innovations in information technology and cybersecurity across a wide range of industry sectors.

The 2021 Bytes & Bites conference will feature noted cybersecurity and managed IT strategist Bart McDonough, founder and CEO of Agio, as the event's keynote speaker along with panel discussions, food, refreshments and entertainment.  McDonough's presentation will help firms protect data no matter where it lives against cybersecurity threats.

With more than 20 years of experience in cybersecurity, business development and IT management, McDonough is the author of Cyber Smart: Five Habits to Protect Your Family, Money and Identity from Cyber Criminals.  His cybersecurity strategies have been featured in national and online financial and technology news publications and outlets.

McDonough will share ways to improve poor vendor management, strengthen weak passwords and defend against massive drive-by attacks that exploit software holes during his "Surviving the Public Cloud: Developing a Strong Cyber Culture" 1:15 p.m. keynote speech at the Finley Center event venue, 5508 Stadium Trace Parkway in Hoover, Alabama.

"With recent high-profile cyberattacks on oil pipelines, healthcare and social media firms, business leaders need to proactively protect sensitive company and consumer data and software programs from a variety of cyberattacks and these panels will give them valuable tips on how to learn more about how to manage these threats," said Ashley Phillips, general manager of C Spire Fiber and Business markets.

Hundreds of IT professionals and technology leaders are expected to attend the annual networking event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. that will cover a range of topics that impact various industry sectors, including higher education and healthcare. Cisco Security Architect Joey Muniz will lead a 12:30 p.m. CT cybersecurity breakout.

A separate higher education panel at 10:30 a.m. led by University of Alabama-Birmingham CIO Curt Carver, Auburn University CIO Jim O'Connor and Jacksonville State University IT Vice President and CIO Vinson Houston will focus on IT challenges and opportunities at the state's universities and colleges.

And a healthcare panel at 11:30 a.m. led by Encompass Health CIO Rusty Yeager, University of Alabama-Birmingham Health System CIO Joan Hicks and Charles DeCroes, Vice President of Technology Support for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama, will discuss the emerging role of information technology in the efficient delivery of healthcare services to consumers.

The event is hosted by C Spire Business, a division of C Spire, and includes sponsorships from technology partners Cisco, Dell Technologies, Citrix, Fortinet, Veeam, Zerto and many others.

About C Spire Business
C Spire Business is a division of C Spire, a diversified telecommunications and technology services company that provides world-class, customer-inspired Gigabit consumer Internet access as well as a full suite of dedicated Internet, IP Voice, data, cloud and managed services for businesses.  This news release and other announcements are available at www.cspire.com/news. For more information about C Spire Business, visit www.cspire.com/business or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cspirebusiness or Twitter at www.twitter.com/cspirebusiness.

SOURCE C Spire

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