Palm Beach Civic Association luncheon to focus on personal safety, cybersecurity

Michael Reiter and Ryan Paradis, experts in personal safety and cybersecurity, will share their knowledge as featured speakers at a Palm Beach Civic Association luncheon.

“Safeguarding You & Your Family” will be presented at noon Monday at the Beach Club, 755 N. County Road.

Reiter, a former Palm Beach police chief and a Civic Association director, is the founder of Michael Reiter and Associates. His company provides security and protection for local families and organizations.

Paradis is a cybersecurity representative based in Los Angeles with First Republic Bank. He has assisted thousands of individuals and corporations in the banking and utility sectors with enhancing their cybersecurity.

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In a release from the association, Reiter noted that Palm Beach is a wealthy community whose residents tend to be older.

“As a result, the target potential is very high in a community such as ours, not just for traditional crime but for cybercrime,” he said. “The audience will learn what they need to know to better understand the changing Palm Beach threat scape and improve their security.”

Reiter, who has more than 30 years of law enforcement experience, is expected to discuss tips for travel security, including how to protect your personal data from hidden risks in airports and how to avoid standing out in a crowd.

“The bad guys know how to identify the most lucrative targets,” Reiter said. “When you travel internationally on a commercial airline, it’s wise to do the exact opposite of what you might do in your hometown.”

He will also point to opportunities for people to better secure themselves at home, such as the Direct Connect alarm system that notifies the Palm Beach Police Department of a possible intrusion, thus reducing the response time.

Paradis, who previously worked as a cybersecurity analyst and security operations center analyst, will explore the latest cybersecurity trends and scams. He will show audience members how to secure their mobile phone, email and banking information while protecting themselves from identity theft.

“Don’t become a statistic in the rising tide of cybercrime,” Paradis said in the release. “Educate yourself on online scams and identity protection to protect yourself and your assets.”

Bob Wright, chairman and CEO of the Civic Association, said technology has made everyone more susceptible to scams through the internet and on mobile phones.

“These guys are very adept at talking about all of that,” Wright said of Reiter and Paradis. “I think it will be very interesting. I look forward to it.”

First Republic Bank is sponsoring the luncheon. For reservations, call Wendy Rutledge at 561-591-3434 or William Kelly at 561-591-3436.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Palm Beach Civic Association luncheon to host experts in cybersecurity, safety