Economics, PR major is one of the youngest authors at the Fed

Sydney Stone '16, who studied economics and public relations during her time at Baldwin Wallace, used her blended skillset to become one of the youngest people in the federal banking system to produce and publish an in-depth, multimedia article explaining how the Fed helps banks defend against criminal hackers.

Starting out as an intern at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland (FRBC), Stone has been promoted more than once over the last couple of years and now holds the title of communications coordinator. In this position, she is responsible for all communications in the supervision, credit risk and statistics (SCS) department.

Cybersecurity at the Fed

In her new role, Stone was assigned to author a multi-part article titled "The Threats, the Criminals, the Motives - Cybersecurity at the Fed." Complete with photos, videos, infographics, tips and more, the project issued on November 26, 2018.

Stone's work explains the threat hackers pose and what the Federal Reserve is doing to aid in the fight. The reading ends with tips from the experts that can help keep bankers and consumers' information safe.

Tips from the experts

Throughout the article, Stone interviews two cybersecurity experts, a federal reserve policy executive, the chief security officer of PNC bank and an FBI agent who all provide useful tips for everyday cyber users as well as for businesses. For example, if you are a consumer, use two-factor authentication on bank and credit card accounts and, if you are a business, remember to properly encrypt important data and information.

Deborah Guild, chief security officer at PNC, also points out that "the Fed makes sure they have the right talent at the table with the knowledge to understand the balance it takes to simultaneously offer financial services and protect client data." Thanks to the Fed's skilled workers, businesses are being made aware of the cyberattacks they face today and are learning how to prevent them in the future.