Cybercrime has affected virtually every sector of the economy that intersects with people’s daily lives, whether it’s banking (JP Morgan Chase), consumer goods (Home Depot, Target, Marshalls) and even food (Jewel/Osco, Jimmy John’s, Dairy Queen).

It has become crucial for businesses to know how to protect themselves and their customers.

On Thursday, October 30, as part of National Cyber Security Awareness Month, Elmhurst College will host a Lunch & Learn event on Cyber Security and Identity Theft.

The speaker is James Dauer, an associate professor in Elmhurst College’s Department of Computer Science & Information Systems and head of the College’s Cyber Security program. This event will be the first in a series of bimonthly Lunch & Learns to be offered through Elmhurst Partners, part of the School for Professional Studies at Elmhurst College.

Illinois Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan recently reported that more than 800 million personal data records across the United States have been illegally accessed or stolen in the past decade. In the state of Illinois alone, the customer data files of more than 2,000 businesses have been compromised by hackers who illegally accessed millions of credit and debit card records.

Professor Dauer will discuss the ever-growing issue of cybercrime—the variety of methods that data thieves use to steal confidential information from businesses, and ways in which businesses can protect themselves. Dauer has been a consultant to the Business Research Department of McDonald’s Corporation, United States Gypsum Research Laboratories and Chicago Opera Theater.

The Lunch & Learn event about Cyber Security and Identity Theft will take place from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Thursday, October 30, at 180 W. Park Ave., Suite 255, in Elmhurst. Admission is $10 per person and includes a box lunch. To reserve your space, contact the School for Professional Studies at (630) 617-3300 or by email.