Stephen Morreale (Criminal Justice [1]) was among the educators who provided testimony to the Massachusetts Legislature’s House Committee on Technology and Intergovernmental Affairs and the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security.
The May 9 public hearing, which focused on cyber security, was held amid allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and high-profile data breaches.
Morreale offered the committees his insights as a higher education expert with a background in federal law enforcement. In addition to his role as an associate professor of criminal justice and chair of the department at Worcester State University, he serves as an adjunct professor in the Nichols College counterterrorism graduate program. He joined other Nichols faculty in offering expert testimony.
State lawmakers are seeking to collaborate with higher education programs on cyber security, counterterrorism, and violent extremism-related matters.
Morreale served in law enforcement for 30 years, having retired as assistant special agent in charge for U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Investigations, Office of Inspector General.
“The threat of cyber-crime, cyber-fraud, and cyber-terrorism is real and should be a serious concern for all citizens,” Morreale said, in his statement to the legislators. “A concerted effort must be made by government to identify paths to protect citizens from the threats. I applaud the work of your committees and their interest for exploring solutions. These call for opportunities to partner with institutions of higher education, private sector organizations, state agencies, and law enforcement at the local, state, and federal levels.”