Description

With the November 2020 elections are a month away, it is more important than ever to be informed. Society is overloaded with news and information from every direction. With the myriad of sources of allegedly reliable information, fabricated news and unreliable information are becoming more prevalent, making it increasingly difficult to separate fact from fiction. Can we really believe everything we read and see? Photos have historically been proof of an event, but Photoshop and other similar graphic manipulation software have rendered photos unreliable… The same is now true with video sources. Powerful AI and software can alter video so convincingly that viewers can easily be fooled into thinking they are viewing is genuine content. Today’s information consumer needs to be aware of how information can be manipulated and possible ways to spot deceptive content.

Speaker:

Christopher Cassar - Owner, CMC Dataworks, Inc.

Chris started his career in computers at the early age of eleven, when he learned programming and assembly code in 1980. He formed his first consulting company in 1991, which focused on the building and programming of PCs. 

After graduating from the State University of NY in Buffalo (with a Bachelor's in computer science), he started his corporate career as a software engineer. Working in the direct mail industry, he conducted business with companies like FedEx, Avis, American Express, and Alamo Rent-a-car.

In 1997, he became the IT manager for Turtle Beach systems, which specialized in the development of audio and music software and hardware. In 2000, Chris was hired as the global IT Director for a dot com company based in New York, with offices in Germany, Italy, and the UK.

In 2002, with the help of two partners, CMC Dataworks was created. CMC Dataworks was initially focused on developing cloud-based software for the salon and spa industry, and eventually migrated to traditional break/fix and managed IT services.

To help differentiate the company's offerings, Chris pursued a certification in data forensics in 2005, and used his newly acquired skills to investigate and provide expert testimony in divorces, cell phone fraud and wrongful termination cases.

Chris moved to North Carolina with his family in 2017, where he is offering the same services. He is now expanding within the Charlotte area and is providing expert support throughout New York and Charlotte.

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