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Cybersecurity student hopes to use his powers for good

Shayla Brown — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 15:49:25 +0000

Cybersecurity student hopes to use his powers for good Shayla Brown Fri, 08/29/2025 - 11:49

When �鶹��Ƶ cyber security engineering major Connor Wadlin learned about ransomware attacks on organizations, such as the one on the Health Service Executive in Ireland, in his CYSE 445 System Security and Resilience class, it confirmed his commitment to dedicating his educational and professional career to protecting and preserving human lives.

“There’s nothing more important than protecting and defending others. As an engineer, I’m driven to get important work done by thinking about complex problems and finding suitable solutions,” said Wadlin, who is from Leesburg, Virginia.

Since winter 2024, the Honors College student has been interning at the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI) Northern Virginia Node, George �鶹��Ƶ’s branch of the statewide network dedicated of excellence in cybersecurity research. CCI’s mission includes workforce development through training the next generation of cybersecurity experts.

CEC student and Commonwealth Cyber Initiative intern Connor Wadlin. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding.

“It’s a super exciting job because I get to work with AprilTags, which are on objects that the drone's camera then sees and scans. Instead of sharing data, the tags utilize location information for navigation, tracking objects, or pathing purposes,” he said.

Wadlin is also simulating drone flight with the Microsoft tool Air Sim, a project he presented at the CCI Symposium in April. “I created a model with a 98% accuracy, really high F1 score—higher than what we could find on the market—detecting collisions so the drones would be able to respond to anomalous factors such as objects that get too close, environmental variables, cyber-attacks, and more,” he explained.

Wadlin learned about many of the tools he’s currently using for CCI in his classes with College of Engineering and Computing professors, such as his mentor Mohamed Gebril, an associate professor in the Department of Cyber Security Engineering.

“George �鶹��Ƶ supports people where they are to get them where they want to be,” Wadlin said.

The skills Wadlin has acquired during his time at George �鶹��Ƶ and in his work with CCI have enable him to help other students in their studies.

“Connor is a very skilled student and has been able to develop different programs, as well as 12 labs for sophomore- and freshman-level students at George �鶹��Ƶ. He even assists the students during our workshops,” said Gebril.

Wadlin is participating in George �鶹��Ƶ’s Bachelor’s to Accelerated Master’s Program and will to pursuing a master’s degree also in cyber security. Gebril said he’s looking forward to having Wadlin in his classes again as a graduate student.

“It will be a smooth transition from the undergraduate to the graduate level because the curriculum aligns well with the CCI mission, which is to equip our students with the tools to conduct research activity and develop cutting-edge technology,” said Gebril.

Wadlin’s team is also working to develop a first-of-its-kind cyber drone race that incorporates cybersecurity challenges and artificial intelligence for undergraduate students.

Wadlin was diagnosed with autism at 19 and sees this diagnosis as working to his advantage by allowing him to see things from different perspectives and approach problems with his own unique ideas.

“As an engineer, you have to ask yourself ‘how is this making the world a better place?’ That's always got to be the end goal,” said Wadlin.

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George �鶹��Ƶ and CodeLock work on securing the software supply chain

Nathan Kahl — Thu, 15 May 2025 11:27:25 +0000

George �鶹��Ƶ and CodeLock work on securing the software supply chain Nathan Kahl Thu, 05/15/2025 - 07:27

�鶹��Ƶ Department of Information Sciences and Technology Professor Kun Sun received a grant from the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI) of Northern Virginia to collaborate with CodeLock, Inc., a Virginia-based technology company specializing in software security. The grant totals $75,000 for one year and is part of CCI’s Academic Support for Cybersecurity Entrepreneurship and Next-Gen Development (ASCEND) Fund. 

“The idea for this funding is to partner a startup company with university subject matter experts,” said Sun. “The focus of this grant is to build a platform that connects startups with academic experts to solve technical industry challenges.”  

The project will integrate Sun’s previous research on automated security patching with CodeLock’s technology for secure software supply chain using dynamically generated digital signatures to develop solutions that address vulnerabilities in source code. 

The CCI is Virginia’s main access point for cybersecurity research, innovation, workforce development. Image courtesy CCI.

CodeLock offers a cybersecurity platform designed to secure software development processes by providing real-time monitoring, compliance automation, and protection against insider threats and supply chain attacks. It creates a forensic chain of custody by linking every code change to its developer, ensuring transparency and integrity throughout the software development lifecycle.  
 
“So for software supply chain security we install outside software applications on our smartphones and computers, for example,” said Sun. “That software may rely on  other software and we have this term, SBOM, which means software bill of material. It says that we need to know what other dependent software is used and can we trust that software? If you install software, you need to verify it has not been manipulated or modified by an attacker.” Sun will apply his 10+ years of research on automatic software vulnerability detection and automated program repair. 

“The vast majority of software supply chain attacks begin with compromised credentials—something traditional security tools are ill-equipped to prevent,” said CodeLock CEO Brian Gallagher. “By enforcing zero-trust authentication at the developer level and linking that identity to a tamper-proof chain of custody, CodeLock is fundamentally reshaping the threat landscape. Partnering with George �鶹��Ƶ allows us to build on that foundation by automating vulnerability patching, which not only strengthens security but also delivers measurable cost savings for our customers. This collaboration accelerates our mission to bring transparency, accountability, and efficiency to software development across both government and commercial sectors.”

The project team will get feedback from CodeLock’s existing customers and collaborate with CCI and the Northern Virginia Technology Council to refine the solution for broader commercial adoption. Additional funding will be provided by CodeLock and supplemented through grant opportunities. 

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Nearly 500 high schoolers get expert advice at Virginia CyberSlam 2025

Teresa Donnellan — Mon, 17 Mar 2025 16:20:56 +0000

Nearly 500 high schoolers get expert advice at Virginia CyberSlam 2025 Teresa Donnellan Mon, 03/17/2025 - 12:20

Nearly 500 high school students from across the commonwealth gathered at �鶹��Ƶ for Virginia CyberSlam 2025, where cybersecurity experts from both the public and private sectors shared industry insights during a day of activities aimed at inspiring the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.

Dolores Garza addresses CyberSlam 2025 attendees. Photo by Teresa Donnellan/CEC

“What an event it was March 10, with 475 students representing 22 schools and six school districts from around the commonwealth enjoying hands-on workshops and activities led by cyber experts from industry, government, and higher education,” said CyberSlam founder Chris Starke, a teacher for Loudoun County Public Schools who co-directed the event with the University of Alabama in Huntsville’s Jennifer Marden. “In all, 28 presenters combined to run 12 workshops—6 for each of our novice and advanced students. It was truly rewarding to see students enjoy learning about cybersecurity.”

Students heard from keynote speaker Dolores Garza, Branch Chief of the Technical Operations Group at the United States Marshals Service, among others. Garza oversaw the creation of a cyber investigation unit at the U.S. Marshals and described the evolution of cybersecurity as a professional field. She encouraged attendees to stay open to new technological developments and emphasized the need for a hybrid set of skills that combines criminal investigatory techniques with technical expertise.

“Diversity in technology is not just an asset; it is a necessity,” said Garza. “The more perspectives we bring to problem-solving, the stronger and more effective our solutions become.”

Student navigates drone during CyberSlam 2025. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding.

Throughout the day, professionals led hands-on workshops in various aspects of cybersecurity.

David Raymond from Virginia Cyber Range led a session on advanced Capture the Flag challenges, focusing on Wireshark.

Greg Crabb from 10-8, LLC, conducted a tabletop exercise on incident response and deep fake technology, and Randy Benn from Claroty introduced students to the Internet of Things.

Other experts leading workshops represented Vertex11, OpusType Advisors, the Idaho National Laboratory, the Drug Enforcement Administration, CYBER.ORG, George �鶹��Ƶ, and Shenandoah University, leading workshops on drones, deep fakes, digital forensics, and more.

Students participate in a CyberSlam workshop. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

“I would like to thank our co-hosts, George �鶹��Ƶ’s Department of Cyber Security Engineering and Loudoun County Public Schools, as well as the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative Northern Virginia Node (CCI NoVA Node), Virginia Cyber Range, Vertex11, CACI International Inc., Claroty, CodeHS, Widelity, Inc., and GT Edge AI for sponsoring this wonderful event that in four years has impacted more than 1,600 students,” said Starke. “And, thank you to our exhibitors the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, �鶹��Ƶ Competitive Cyber (MCC), George �鶹��Ƶ’s College of Engineering and Computing, GT Edge AI, and the Virginia National Guard 91^st Cyber Brigade.”

CyberSlam attendees navigate drones in a workshop. Photo by Jennifer Marden

One event highlight was a panel featuring George �鶹��Ƶ students from the MCC club—Dylan Charnick, Dylan Knoff, and Danyaal Shaozab. MCC is known for its inclusivity, welcoming George �鶹��Ƶ students from all majors and levels of experience. The club meets twice weekly, hosting impressive speakers, running workshops on cybersecurity skills, and forming teams to participate successfully in various CTF events throughout the year.

During the panel, the MCC students fielded questions from the audience about degree programs at George �鶹��Ƶ, the benefits of technical certifications, and how to best prepare for a career in cybersecurity. “Most cyber jobs are here in the D.C. area,” noted Knoff, pointing out one benefit of pursuing cybersecurity at George �鶹��Ƶ.

CyberSlam fosters the cultivation of cybersecurity talent in Northern Virginia, where the industry is booming. This year’s event particularly underscored the opportunities in both public and private sectors that are preparing the next generation of cybersecurity professionals, ensuring they are equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in this rapidly growing field.

“I would like to thank CCI NoVA Node, specifically Liza Durant and Jordan �鶹��Ƶ for sponsoring the amazing raffle prizes and their support for the Virginia CyberSlam, and also George �鶹��Ƶ’s Elizabeth Dean for making this event possible,” said Marden. “We could not have done this with the support of George �鶹��Ƶ, CCI, our presenters, sponsors, and of course our wonderful Virginia cybersecurity educators and students.”

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Keeping data safe by keeping it separate

Teresa Donnellan — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 15:35:36 +0000

Keeping data safe by keeping it separate Teresa Donnellan Tue, 02/25/2025 - 10:35

Developing a robust cybersecurity system demands a lot of data, but keeping all that data in a single location introduces the risk of a data breach. Luckily, �鶹��Ƶ researcher Zhuangdi Zhu in the Department of Cyber Security Engineering specializes in federated learning, a method of decentralized machine learning that allows multiple entities to collaboratively train a machine learning model without sharing their raw data.

Zhu is using this expertise to assist Wajih Ul Hassan of the University of Virginia develop scalable host-based intrusion detection systems (HIDS). Together, Zhu and Hassan are leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance a given host’s cybersecurity while ensuring data privacy.

HIDS monitor and analyze the activities within a single host or device. These systems use data, such as system logs, web browsing logs, and process logs, to detect irregularities that may indicate a security threat. For example, Zhu noted, a HIDS might detect malicious software that prompts a browser to download a harmful PDF file. By identifying such irregularities, the HIDS can prevent potential security breaches. Central management of these logs through managed security service providers (MSSPs) on cloud servers, however, could potentially breach user privacy. Enter: federated learning.

Zhuangdi Zhu, photo provided

In a federated learning system, each entity trains a local model on its own data and only shares the model updates with a central server. Local models are trained on individual datasets, and their findings are sent to a central server, Zhu explained. The server then aggregates these parameters to create a global model, which is subsequently sent back to the local models. This iterative process continues until a robust and accurate model is developed. Federated learning thus ensures sensitive data remains within the local models, addressing privacy concerns and complying with data regulations.

The project, funded by the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative, is set to span one year, starting in the summer of 2025. In addition to developing a federated learning framework for HIDS, the team plans to create an open-source dataset for intrusion detection, which will serve as a valuable resource for future research and development in this field.

Zhu's work on decentralized machine learning not only addresses critical privacy concerns but also paves the way for more secure and efficient threat detection systems. Her work on this project represents a significant step forward in the ongoing effort to protect digital environments from evolving cyber threats.

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Cybersecurity faculty teams pitch startup ideas at Commonwealth Cyber Initiative competition

Teresa Donnellan — Fri, 11 Oct 2024 17:11:08 +0000

Cybersecurity faculty teams pitch startup ideas at Commonwealth Cyber Initiative competition Teresa Donnellan Fri, 10/11/2024 - 13:11

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On October 9, 2024, the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative’s Northern Virginia Node accelerator program (CCI+A) culminated in a final pitch competition in front of a panel of cybersecurity industry experts and entrepreneurs at �鶹��Ƶ Square. Program participants, cybersecurity engineering academics from throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, spent the past few months bringing their ideas for businesses to life.

The program helped participants connect with mentors, identify funding and how to obtain it, investigate their target customer, further develop their minimum viable product and hone their elevator pitch. CCI Northern Virginia Node Director Liza Wilson Durant, who welcomed event attendees, encouraged participants to change their perspective from faculty member explaining the technical basis for their idea, to end user who is trying to understand the problem it will solve.

CCI+A 2024 participants and advisors. Photo by Teresa Donnellan.

Each of the eight 2024 faculty teams presented a pitch and received insights on the industry and investment landscapes from the esteemed judging panel. The panel included Jennifer Addie, chief operating officer of Mach37 Cyber Accelerator and VentureScope; Maria Swainson, a managing vice president at Gartner and a member of Citrine Angels, an investment group; Maurice Boissiere, chief customer officer at DataTribe; and, Alicia Lynch, chief information security officer at TD Synnex. Jamil Jaffer, founder and executive director of the National Security Institute at the Antonin Scalia Law School at George �鶹��Ƶ and venture partner with Paladin Capital Group moderated the panel.

Faculty team products included everything from hardware to protect a person’s identity to encryption software. CyberGuard AI, led by Old Dominion University’s Peter Foytick; PrivacyGuard, led by Old Dominion’s Rui Ning; CyberSeQurity, led by �鶹��Ƶ's Weiwen Jiang; EngineeRD Solutions, led by George �鶹��Ƶ’s Brian Ngac; MedChai, led by William & Mary’s Ran Yang; Continuous and Lightweight Authentication for Wearable and Portable Systems (CLAWS), led by George �鶹��Ƶ’s Sai Manoj Pudukotai Dinakarrao; RADAR - Real-time Anomaly Detection with Edge AI Hardware, led by Virginia Commonwealth University’s Jayasimha Atulasimhal; and, Machine Learning Operations Executed in an Encrypted Environment (MOXIE), led by Old Dominion scientists all presented pitches.

Robert Podswadt pitches MOXIE to a panel of cybersecurity industry expert. Photo by Teresa Donnellan.

Robert Podswadt, the development lead for MOXIE, made the winning pitch. His teammates include John Matter and Daniel Takabi. The panel praised Podswadt’s clarity, particularly his use of simple graphics to explain MOXIE, a proposed homomorphic computing encryption service.

“We’re leveraging our vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem, and we’re leveraging our deep pool of cybersecurity talent here in Northern Virginia,” said Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Economic Impact at �鶹��Ƶ Andre Marshall, who spoke at the event. He added that CCI was “a visionary initiative by the state of Virginia” whereby more than 40 academic units are working together to foster cybersecurity research and workforce development in Virginia.

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George �鶹��Ƶ faculty are tackling cybersecurity’s talent pipeline problem

Jennifer Anzaldi — Fri, 10 May 2024 17:01:06 +0000

George �鶹��Ƶ faculty are tackling cybersecurity’s talent pipeline problem Jennifer Anzaldi Fri, 05/10/2024 - 13:01

If you’re a cybercriminal, the latest news on cybersecurity talent shortfalls should put a smile on your face. For example, the majority of cybersecurity leaders report that their teams are understaffed, and they have problems retaining qualified professionals.

But for Nirup Menon, a �鶹��Ƶ professor of information systems and operations management (ISOM), and Brian Ngac, an instructor in the ISOM area, this workforce challenge is a golden career opportunity for the young people of Northern Virginia and the Washington, D.C., area.

Nirup Menon and Brian Ngac

The pair recently won a two-year award from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), an agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce, to create unique experiential learning opportunities and workshops designed to enhance cybersecurity education and workforce development.

Working closely with industry partners Mobius Consulting and Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA), Menon and Ngac will recruit and help select students to work on actual cybersecurity projects. “They need to have taken some fundamental cyber class ahead of time,” Menon clarifies. “We want students with a commitment to the field. It allows you to get experience but it’s also competitive.”

Throughout the 12-week projects, students will receive mentoring both from the industry participant and from business faculty. “We run it in an agile scrum-like manner,” Ngac says. “Every week, we ask ‘What did you do?’ ‘What are you going to do?’ ‘What are the challenges that are impacting your work?’” If students run into trouble, faculty mentors can work with industry managers to help them get back on track.

“We’re trying to build not just the cyber workforce but the skills as well,” Ngac says.

Menon and Ngac have developed a specialty in this type of hands-on learning, which they have dubbed the Professional Readiness Experiential Program (PREP). More than 100 Virginia-based undergraduates and 20 industry participants have participated in PREP, which includes projects funded by two Commonwealth Cybersecurity Initiative Experiential Learning grants in collaboration with Mobius and IDA.

“PREP not only focuses on cybersecurity projects, but also works on many business process improvement projects,” says Ngac. "Honors and high-performing ISOM students work on real-world projects with industry participants on identifying technical solutions to business challenges through rigorous research, modelling, analysis, quantification, risk management, implementation planning, and, at times, execution.”

The NIST award also incorporates workshops for students who are new to cybersecurity but interested in exploring it as a career option. Workshops will be launched in collaboration with Trinity Washington University (TWU), a PBI (predominantly black institution) and HSI (Hispanic-serving institution) whose College of Arts and Sciences is women-only. For a field such as cybersecurity, which continues to face diversity challenges, the participation of organizations such as TWU is essential.

“We want to bring in students who have not thought of cybersecurity as a field, because they think it’s all engineering, hacking and coding,” Menon says. The workshops will emphasize the variety of functions that are integral to the space, such as management and auditing, in addition to engineering.

Students and industry participants in the current CCI Experiential Learning Projects

“It’s not just tech, there may be creativity involved in anticipating scams and threats,” Ngac explains. “These are different things we’ll be bringing up in the workshop in terms of roleplaying what cybercriminals might do, or how someone might try to socially engineer an attack.”

Unlike a standard grant, the NIST award is structured as a cooperative agreement in which the funding agency will collaborate in shaping and delivering programs as they evolve.

“The advantage of working with NIST is that top people work there. They are the standards body, so they have seen and surveyed a lot of industry,” Menon says. He also lauds NIST’s high-level view of cybersecurity and its implications. “They’re not just looking at technology but also public policy, human factors, etc. It’s a holistic approach.”

Organizations interested in being an industry participant (whether they have cybersecurity-focused or business process improvement-focused projects) with PREP are encouraged to contact Brian Ngac.

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�鶹��Ƶ professors are researching hacker psychology to defend against cyberattacks

Colleen Rich — Thu, 02 May 2024 13:39:13 +0000

�鶹��Ƶ professors are researching hacker psychology to defend against cyberattacks Colleen Rich Thu, 05/02/2024 - 09:39

A team of �鶹��Ƶ researchers is probing the psychology behind cyberattacks as part of a U.S. intelligence community program aimed at turning the tables on hackers.

Illustration by Getty Images

As the prevalence and severity of cyberattacks continue to grow, the Intelligence Advanced Research Project Activity (IARPA) has turned its focus on how best to exploit the weakest link in cyberattacks: the human factor.

Under a new IARPA program, researchers hope to better understand cyber attackers’ cognitive vulnerabilities and decision-making biases and use those vulnerabilities to derail future attacks.

Researchers Daniel Barbará, Giuseppe Ateniese, and Gerald Matthews were recently selected as part of a broader team of computer science, cybersecurity, and psychology experts to forge new research pathways and deliver cutting-edge technology as part of IARPA’s Reimagining Security with Cyberpsychology-Informed Network Defense, or ReSCIND, program.

Daniel Barbara. Photo by Office of University Branding

The team of researchers will build defensive tools that first cue in on hackers’ human limitations and use those weaknesses to delay or derail the attack while it is underway.

“You want to make them waste their time,” said Barbará, a computer science professor at George �鶹��Ƶ’s College of Engineering and Computing. “The more they waste their time, the least damage they’re going to do.”

This can be accomplished by luring hackers with decoys such as false networks or documents to distract them.

But the trick is two-fold. The decoys must first and foremost appear to be real. They also need to entice the hackers away from their original aim. The latter is where understanding the psychological factors that influence hackers is essential.

As part of the first phase of the ReSCIND program, researchers will aim to fill gaps that exist in the current understanding of human cognition and decision making that influence cyber attackers’ behavior.

“It’s a challenging topic to address because hackers, of course, tend to be somewhat secretive,” Matthews, a professor of psychology at George �鶹��Ƶ, said. “There aren’t many opportunities to study hacker psychology.”

Giuseppe Ateniese. Photo provided

Matthews said the current understanding of hackers’ behavior that provides the baseline for their research comes from several areas of study in psychology. Key among those areas is human performance and in particular how emotional states might influence performance.

“Hackers themselves are under pressure and potentially anxious about getting caught,” Matthews said. “They’re anxious about looking foolish to the people that they are working with.”

Cultural factors that motivate hackers are also important to consider and may vary greatly among hackers. Thrill-seeking college-age hackers, for example, would have different cultural norms and motives than highly trained professionals acting on behalf of a nation-state adversary, Matthews said.

Researchers hope to further understand the full scope of psychological factors that influence hackers, including how to measure, predict, and induce their cognitive vulnerabilities.

“There’s a certain amount of psychology that allows you to link the emotional reactions that hackers might have to cognitive biases and other vulnerabilities in performance,” Matthews said. “So, in this first part of the research, we’re trying to sketch out what some of those vulnerabilities might be.”

As part of the second phase, researchers will further define when cyberpsychology-informed defenses can best be used and how to determine the success of those defenses. The final phase will focus on modeling, adapting, and automating those defenses.

Ateniese, a computer science professor and eminent scholar in cybersecurity, said the ReSCIND program reflects the growing importance of cyberpsychology research in shaping emerging technology.

Gerald Matthews. Photo provided

“I see a myriad of excellent applications, not just this project,” Ateniese said. “As you can imagine, people today are building AI systems that either mimic or seek to improve upon human behavior. So, the psychology perspective is very intriguing.”

The ReSCIND program will run for nearly four years and is being carried out through research contracts awarded across five teams.

Barbará, Ateniese, and Matthews’ research will contribute to a ReSCIND contract awarded to SRI International, an independent nonprofit research institute headquartered in California.

The George �鶹��Ƶ team will work alongside experts from the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition, Margin Research, Research and Assessment Design: Science Solution, Two Six Technologies, University of Florida, and Virtual Reality Medical Center.

In many ways, the project is a natural progression for the three professors who have worked together on several previous projects requiring a multidisciplinary approach.

They were first introduced in 2021 by Amarda Shehu, a computer science professor and co-director at the time of the George �鶹��Ƶ’s transdisciplinary Center for Advancing Human-Machine Partnerships (CAHMP).

A call for proposals from Virginia’s Commonwealth Cyber Initiative for a project that sought to bridge cybersecurity and human factors research to help users build secure passwords immediately brought to mind Barbará, Ateniese, and Matthews’ expertise.

“I always had the agenda of putting teams together and finding some funding opportunities so that then they could obtain preliminary results through which to demonstrate credibility for larger projects,” Shehu said.

The match has led to a series of successful projects by the team, including the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative password project and a project focused on distinguishing authentic videos from deepfakes.

“The IARPA project is, in some sense, an example of the culmination of an activity, how you put a team together,” Shehu said. “They find some funding so that they can start that relationship and then that kind of blossoms into a larger project. It's really a perfect example of what we want to see in […] in general at �鶹��Ƶ in terms of transdisciplinary research and the fruit of that research.”

Shehu, now associate vice president for research for �鶹��Ƶ’s Institute for Digital Innovation, said bringing teams together with broad collective expertise is critical to solving the most complex impediments to technological progress.

“The most challenging problems nowadays don't reside specifically within one discipline,” she said. “They bridge disciplines.”

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Commonwealth Cyber Initiative’s Cybersecurity Traineeship launches careers in cybersecurity

Teresa Donnellan — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 03:36:28 +0000

Commonwealth Cyber Initiative’s Cybersecurity Traineeship launches careers in cybersecurity Teresa Donnellan Mon, 02/12/2024 - 22:36

The Commonwealth Cyber Initiative Northern Virginia Node (CCI NoVa Node) is preparing for the third iteration of its Cybersecurity Traineeship Program, which offers a seven-week course to Northern Virginia residents interested in pivoting into the cybersecurity sector followed by career support from �鶹��Ƶ and Northern Virginia Community College professionals.

CCI NoVa Node's region is outlined in light blue.

Course Beginnings

The program’s intensive, full-time course curriculum familiarizes trainees with subjects relevant to Information Technology and cybersecurity, such as Python, database design, SPLUNK, and AWS. Trainees attend class all day and complete homework assignments outside of class.

Keyvon Riley, Aaron Hornbuckle, and Walter WIlliams, members of the program’s first cohort, credit the program with launching their careers in tech.

“The course days go by really quickly, so practicing is important,” said Riley. “The workload was very fair and needed in order to learn as much as a person can in the allotted time.”

“Through a fast-paced learning environment, we were introduced to many concepts, processes, and tools that would be useful and relevant to entering this new environment,” said Hornbuckle. “It also prepared me by showing me how much there is to know and learn in this field, which continuously expands the longer I've worked in the industry.”

Williams said the program exceeded his expectations: "Despite my initial nervousness due to a lack of industry understanding, I left feeling equipped with a solid foundation of cybersecurity knowledge."

Scott Wood, the associate director of IT and Business Programs at Northern Virginia Community College, who designs the course curriculum each year, adapts the course to the shifting needs of the tech sector by consulting industry partners. Next year, Wood will also incorporating guidelines set forth in “National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy,” a 2023 report from the White House.

“In addition to assessing technical skills, trainees are evaluated on participation, curiosity, creativity, communication, collaboration, and professionalism,” said Wood. “I’ve been amazed at the level of dedication and commitment from trainees in both iterations of the program. The program runs June through August, when most people are thinking about summer vacations and outdoor activities. The trainees in both programs really put in the work. They didn’t just show up for class. They took an active role in learning the skills and remained engaged throughout the seven-week program.”

Time for Internships

After completing the course, high performers in the program are placed in full-time internship roles with tech companies in Northern Virginia. Riley, Hornbuckle, and Williams each completed internships with Peraton before being offered full-time positions at the company. Riley and Hornbuckle are now cyber security systems engineers, and Williams is a UX/UI designer.

"It was an honor to gain on-the-job cybersecurity experience," Williams said. "My internship provided opportunities to shadow projects, contribute to use case development, and apply my UX/UI design skills in unexpected ways."

Riley noted that behind his success was a significant amount of work. For example, between his internship and starting his formal start date at Peraton, Riley became CompTIA Security+ certified.

“My industry landing did and still does surprise me, because cybersecurity is not for beginners,” Riley explained. “Most cybersecurity [workforce] members have five years or more in the IT field before landing a cyber role. I did not know that when I landed my role and thus had a hard time grasping the level of IT I entered into. Nevertheless, I hit the ground running and would not change it.”

Moving in New Directions

Riley will begin a master’s in information technology in the fall. “I have made the most of every opportunity since the traineeship, and it has led to my success today,” he said. “My future in tech is bright!”

Hornbuckle echoed Riley's sentiments, emphasizing the program's role in facilitating a smooth transition into his role. The program's emphasis on continuous learning resonated strongly with Hornbuckle, who noted the ever-evolving nature of the tech landscape and the importance of staying abreast of emerging trends.

A former fine arts teacher, Williams' transition into a UX/UI designer underscores the program's role as a pathway to career reinvention. "The program has undoubtedly led me to a rewarding career in tech/cybersecurity," he said, adding, "I was surprised by the opportunity to utilize my UX/UI design skills within cybersecurity. This fusion of disciplines reflects the dynamic nature of the field and the endless possibilities for professional growth."

With a curriculum designed in collaboration with industry experts and with a commitment to continuous improvement, CCI NoVa Node’s Cybersecurity Traineeship Program offers individuals seeking to break into the cybersecurity and IT sectors skills, confidence, and resources to embark on rewarding careers in technology.

“CCI created a great way to give new opportunities to those wanting a career change into cybersecurity,” said Riley. “I will always be grateful I was one of the first people to have successfully completed this program."

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