MOSES LAKE — The digital world is sometimes described as being like the Wild West, and like the American frontier of bygone days, it’s filled both with opportunities for a better life and dangers lurking in the dark corners. Avoiding those dangers will be the focus of a free summit at Big Bend Community College Wednesday.

“Everybody’s affected by cybersecurity,” said David Mabee, marketing director for NCW Tech Alliance, which supports technology adoption and education in north central Washington. “It’s not just an IT issue; it’s an everyday issue, with all the different ways people are trying to get your information.”

The Washington Cybersecurity Summit + Tech Trailblazers Wednesday will feature experts in cybersecurity from Microsoft, Oracle, Starbucks, the U.S. Air Force and more, according to an announcement from NCW Tech Alliance. NCW Tech Alliance is partnering with the North Central Educational Service District and Apple STEM Network to explore the challenges of keeping personal data safe, as well as online fraud and misinformation, and offer online safety strategies for businesses, individuals and communities.

“(There are) national leaders all the way down to the local level, experts who are dealing with (cybersecurity),” Mabee said. “From every talk and every session, there’ll be something you could take away from it.”

The keynote speaker is Dr. Joseph Williams, director of cybersecurity programs and associate professor of computer science at Western Washington University, according to the announcement. He’ll discuss artificial intelligence and how its rapid advances are affecting the economy, the workforce and public policy. 

Microsoft veteran Raj Thiagarajan will discuss how large-scale cybersecurity, or enterprise cybersecurity, can show the way to protect organizations of different sizes.

Attendees will get an inside look at how a cyberattack unfolds with Joanna Wiggum, exploring how digital footprints, trusted relationships and human behavior can open the door to fraud and social engineering. 

On the local side, Ash Kunz, digital literacy and learning manager for NCW Libraries, will present “Information Literacy in the Age of AI,” outlining how to evaluate things you encounter online and how to engage with AI safely, without compromising your privacy. Chelan PUD Chief Technology Officer Ian Fitzgerald will join Kunz to break down the process of a cyberattack and look at defense strategies.

For the final part of the presentation, Mabee said, a panel of leaders from nonprofits and community organizations will talk about digital access and how local communities can encourage safer connections.

“Phishing and targeting people (through cyberattacks) is getting more advanced,” Mabee said. “The more you can learn about it and what people are doing to combat it and what to look for, from different sources that are trustworthy, the better it’ll be for you.”

After the summit, the Tech Trailblazers Reception will recognize people and organizations working to advance digital access and inclusion across North Central Washington.

Many people may think of cybersecurity as something that only large corporations need to worry about, but thousands of ordinary individuals are targeted every year, according to the Federal Trade Commission. 

In Washington state, just in April-June 2026, the FTC received more than 8,000 reports of online fraud targeting individual residents. Those people lost more than $34.5 million to online hackers and thieves. 

Those attacks include the well-known viruses and worms that attach themselves to email or computer files and spread, but people have also been victimized by ransomware, which locks up a device until the victim pays the attacker to let it go; spear phishing, where criminals send the victim personalized messages to trick them into revealing sensitive information or transferring money; or watering hole attacks, where the attacker infects a legitimate website with malware that collects the login information from users and then uses it to gain access to other systems, according to the Government Accounting Office. 

The Grant County Sheriff’s Office posts regular warnings on its Facebook page about recent scams targeting local residents.

“Listen to the professionals, take everything with a grain of salt and do your research,” Mabee said. “The information (at the Cyber Summit) will all be information you can use.”

North Central Washington Cybersecurity Summit + Tech Trailblazers

10 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 7

Big Bend Community College

Moses Lake

Free registration: ncwtech.info/CybersecuritySummit26

    Thriving Together NCW Senior Director of Programs Wendy Brzezny, left, and Executive Director John Schapman will be part of a panel that discusses online safety at the local level at the Washington Cybersecurity Summit Wednesday at Big Bend Community College.