RICHARDSON, Texas (Aug. 13, 2002) - As part of an effort to keep the corporate community informed about the burgeoning problem of cybercrime, the Digital Forensics and Emergency Preparedness Institute at The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) and the Greater Dallas Crime Commission (GDCC) will host a conference Aug. 23 about ways to identify the problem and effectively combat it.

        Top officials from more than 50 companies in the Telecom Corridor and surrounding areas are expected to attend the meeting, which will include an overview presentation about the institute and its efforts to use digital forensics to help corporations and law enforcement fight cybercrime. Featured speakers will include Dick Johnston, president and CEO of the National White Collar Crime Center in Washington, D.C., and GDCC Executive Director Millie DeAnda.

        The meeting, which is being sponsored by Texas Instruments, a longtime supporter of both UTD and the GDCC, will be held in Room 2.102 of the Engineering South building on the UTD campus from 10 a.m. to noon. There will be a lunch immediately following the meeting.

        "Cybercriminals and cyberterrorists have the potential to paralyze entire corporations as well as our nation's government and economy," said Dr. Doug Harris, associate dean of UTD's Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science and the institute's executive director. "But unlike traditional crooks, those who attack information infrastructures usually leave few, if any, obvious clues. Our goal is to provide the tools to help detect those activities before they start and to help put an end to cybercrime."

        The institute is housed in the Jonsson School at UTD and was created in large part to help deal with the rapidly growing - and often international - problem of cybercrime. It is one of the first institutes of its kind in the United States and eventually will encompass a degree program that offers such courses as understanding security, digital forensics encryption, secure wireless and hardware networks and safety and security within computer or digital networks.

        Company officials interested in attending the meeting should contact Sandy Burdine at sandyb@utdallas.edu.

About NW3C
        
         The NW3C provides nationwide support services for enforcement agencies involved in the prevention, investigation and prosecution of economic and high-tech crime and is funded by the U.S. Justice Department. The NW3C also is a leading source for the design, development and delivery of computer forensic and investigations course materials.

About GDCC

         The Greater Dallas Crime Commission is a nonprofit organization that provides support to law enforcement for advanced training and equipment. The GDCC educates citizens to work together for safer communities by providing crime control programs and bringing important criminal justice issues to the forefront of the state's legislative agenda. The GDCC accomplishes its mission through various committees made up of volunteers from law enforcement, corporations and citizens. Committees include: Anti-Fraud, Auto Theft, Crime Stoppers, Campus Crime Stoppers, Youth Crime Council, Law Enforcement Liaison and Legislative Affairs.

About UTD

        The University of Texas at Dallas, located at the convergence of Richardson, Plano and Dallas in the heart of the complex of major multinational technology corporations known as the Telecom Corridor , enrolls more than 7,000 undergraduate and 5,000 graduate students. The school's freshman class traditionally stands at the forefront of Texas state universities in terms of average SAT scores. The university offers a broad assortment of bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs. For additional information about UTD, please visit the university's Web site at www.utdallas.edu.