By Kathryn Kelman/editor-in-chief
TCC has partnered with Cisco Systems to host a workshop April 27-28 for students interested in technology and the world of cybersecurity.
This will be TCC’s first Hackathon, according to information security director Paul Trusty, who is the college’s sponsor for the event.
“The idea came from wanting to connect students with an interest in cybersecurity with a learning experience and opportunities to network,” Trusty said. “We are looking to make this an annual event and increase opportunities each year.”
Hackathons are events held all over, Trusty said, and they are generally problem-solving events that have teams work together to tackle challenges.
“This event varies from the normal theme a bit and is focused on cybersecurity and is designed to give students an opportunity to act as a cyber attacker and a defender all at the same time,” he said.
Cybersecurity has been a hot topic around the world, and there is a shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals, he said. Trusty started at TCC in April 2017 as information security director and said part of his desire to join the college was to be a part of the fix for that shortage.
“Our hope is to create an event where students learn more about cybersecurity and have an opportunity to network with companies that employ cybersecurity professionals,” he said. “The event will provide an opportunity to conduct and see cyber attacks happen, learn to identify them and how to defend against them.”
For those with interest in cybersecurity, Trusty said the Hackathon will provide a unique learning opportunity for every skill level.
“Throughout my education in cybersecurity, I had to build networks like this at home to learn and understand how attacks worked and how to defend against them,” he said.
During the networking portion of the event, students can learn about different job roles and what skills companies are looking for, Trusty said.
This year’s event will have two sessions. The first will run 8 a.m.-5 p.m. April 27, and the other will be 8 a.m.-5 p.m. April 28, both in TR’s Connect Room (TRTR 4030). The sessions will feature engineering hacks, defending a network and patching vulnerabilities in a controlled setting.
“This year’s event is being delivered by Cisco, a company that provides network and security solutions,” Trusty said. “They will provide the environment, instruction and guidance for the students.”
Each student will be given a Cisco cloud-based network, he said. The only requirement is that students have an interest in cybersecurity and a desire to learn.
“They will have opportunities to conduct attacks and see what the security tools do when the attack happens,” he said.
Students can only participate in one session, and each has a limit of 30 students because the Cisco cloud can only support a maximum of 30 networks at a time.
Registration is required, and both sessions are full. However, Trusty said they are still accepting registration for alternates.
Registration is free, and lunch will be provided during the event.
Any TCC students interested can register at http://goo.gl/jUL211.
