To data scientist Angel Durr, fighting cybercrime is not just one of the most urgent issues facing modern society — it’s a matter of equity.

“My mother, like many people, chose a life of crime after being victimized by the systems of power,” Durr said. “She felt like crime was the only way out of poverty.”

After being released from federal prison, Durr’s mother, a Black woman, was victimized one final time when she was murdered as a result of her online criminal activity.

Cybercrime is a complex and rapidly evolving global issue that disproportionately affects women, minoritized individuals and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Dr. Angel Durr earned her Ph.D. in information systems from UNT in 2018. Dr. Durr is a mother of one and the owner of DataReady DFW, a nonprofit organization focused on using strategic data, Artificially Intelligence (AI) and RPA tech to serve the needs of marginalized populations. Angel serves as the senior manager of IAS for Smartbridge. Dr. Durr is a disabled first-generation college student and an Afro-Latina. No stranger to hard work, she has raised most of her siblings while earning her advanced education due to her mother’s frequent incarcerations and subsequent murder. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx