The Hollywood Section of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers® (SMPTE®), the organization whose standards work has supported a century of technological advances in entertainment technology, today announced that its November meeting will focus on cybersecurity.

Today, Hollywood faces growing and increasingly complex security threats. “New digital workflows and the expanding use of cloud-based storage, mobile devices, and social media have changed the way entertainment industry companies conduct business, and they have also made these companies more vulnerable to cyber-attack, whether for financial gain or political motivations,” said Marty Meyer, chair of the SMPTE Hollywood Section. “It is imperative for engineers to develop and implement effective security strategies proactively.”

During the Nov. 15 meeting, the panel discussion “Hacking Hollywood: How Safe Is Your Data?” will feature experts from law enforcement and private industry. They will discuss the phenomenon of cyber-crime and explain how companies can understand the risk and stay safe. They will also provide an overview of cybersecurity-related educational, certification, and employment opportunities available to engineers. The event is sponsored by Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Services and Verizon Digital Media Services.

Panelists will include:

Sergeant Peter Hish, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Fraud & Cyber Crime Bureau. Sergeant Hish manages the department’s cyber-crime training center and community cyber-crime prevention efforts.

Lieutenant Tony Leon, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Fraud & Cyber Crime Bureau. Lieutenant Leon has managed the department’s data network and deployed several department-wide, mission-critical IT projects.

Supervisory Special Agent (SSA) Michael Sohn, FBI, Los Angeles Field Division. Agent Sohn leads a division responsible for investigating computer and high-technology crimes.   

Philip A. Jones, Security & Privacy Business Leader, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Services. Jones is a senior advisor in risk-based cybersecurity and privacy programs. 

Detective Andrew Kleinick, Los Angeles Police Department, Cyber Crimes. Detective Kleinick is the officer-in-charge of LAPD’s Cyber Crimes Unit, responsible for digital forensics and cyber-crime investigations. 

Mike Petrocelli, Systems Engineer, Verizon Digital Media Services. Petrocelli is an expert in content security with more than a decade of experience in the identification, management, and monetization of digital media.

What: SMPTE Hollywood Section, Monthly Meeting

Topic:  “Hacking Hollywood: How Safe Is Your Data?”

When: Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2016, 6 p.m. Hospitality, Networking, 7:15 p.m. Panel Discussion

Where: DreamWorks Animation, 1000 Flower St., Glendale, CA 91201

Price:  Free for SMPTE Members and non-members

For admittance to this meeting, participants must be registered before midnight on Nov. 11, and must present valid identification, such as a driver’s license, or other government-issued photo identification, in your registered name. 

Info:  www.smpte.org/hollywood

About the SMPTE® Hollywood Section
The Hollywood Section of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers^® (SMPTE^®) was originally organized as the West Coast Section in 1928. Today, it encompasses more than 1,200 SMPTE Members in the Greater Los Angeles area with a common interest in motion-imaging technology and is its own SMPTE Region. The Hollywood Section offers free meetings on a monthly basis that are open to SMPTE Members and non-members alike. Information about meetings is posted on the Section website at www.smpte.org/hollywood.

About the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers® (SMPTE®)
For the past 100 years, the people of the Society of Motion Pictures and Television Engineers (SMPTE, pronounced "simp-tee") have sorted out the details of many significant advances in entertainment technology, from the introduction of "talkies" and color television to HD and UHD (4K, 8K) TV. Since its founding in 1916, the Society has earned an Oscar® and multiple Emmy® Awards for its work in advancing moving-imagery education and engineering across the communications, technology, media, and entertainment industries. The Society has developed thousands of standards, recommended practices, and engineering guidelines, more than 800 of which are currently in force.

SMPTE's global membership today includes 7,000 members, who are motion-imaging executives, engineers, creative and technology professionals, researchers, scientists, educators, and students. A partnership with the Hollywood Professional Association (HPA®) connects SMPTE and its membership with the professional community of businesses and individuals who provide the expertise, support, tools, and infrastructure for the creation and finishing of motion pictures, television programs, commercials, digital media, and other dynamic media content. Information on joining SMPTE is available at www.smpte.org/join.  

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