A group of 16 NDSU students attended a cybersecurity conference and competition in New York.
NDSU cybersecurity students recently visited New York City to attend the BSides NYC cybersecurity conference and competition. While there, the 16 students attended technical sessions, met with potential employers and participated in a cybersecurity competition.
“It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said NDSU graduate student Matthew Tassava. “Exploring the city was a blast. The competition was challenging, which I appreciated.”
The conference, which was hosted by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan, is part of an international collection of community-oriented BSides cybersecurity conferences. It was a one-day event and featured presentations on topics ranging from technology law to ethical hacking to artificial intelligence.
“I learned a lot about some interesting topics I had not previously known about and this has helped me in my subsequent work,” said NDSU graduate student Danielle Hanson. “I also had a great time getting to explore New York and spending time getting to know other students better.”
In addition to five concurrent tracks of talks, the event also featured villages, which provided the opportunity to participate in hands-on activities, and a “capture the flag” cybersecurity competition. The competition featured real-world-relevant problems for students to test their skills.
“Attending BSides NYC was an excellent opportunity for the students,” said Jeremy Straub, director of the NDSU Institute for Cyber Security Education and Research and assistant professor of computer science. “At the event, they attended technical sessions and had the opportunity to meet other students and professionals from New York City and the east coast region with a passion for cybersecurity.”
Undergraduate students Adeline Kelly, Anthony DeFoe, Caden Hocthaus, Cayden Schmandt, Conor Quinn, Dylan Schaefer, Elsa Bernard, Gavin Kestner, Joshua Heeren, Rohan Elvin, Sydney Deaton and Tyler Larson participated in the trip. Graduate students Benjamin Clark, Cameron Kolodjski, Danielle Hanson and Matthew Tassava also attended.
NDSU cybersecurity students participate in multiple cybersecurity conferences and compete in numerous cybersecurity competitions each year. The conferences provide an opportunity for learning beyond the classroom and industry networking. The competitions provide an opportunity for the students to develop and demonstrate their skills in career-relevant areas.
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