Cyber Center

.-By Dr. G. Roberts

Cybersecurity Club Students Place in Top 5% of Try Hack Me Hackfinity Competition

Try Hack Me, a world-wide cybersecurity learning platform, recently held a Capture the Flag (CTF) competition for students around the world. The competition was from March 17th to March 20th. During that time, 4,280 teams of students competed for scholarships, Try Hack Me subscriptions and more. Members from Valencia College's Cybersecurity Club, Ioannis Xenofontos, Tyree Payne, and Joseph Rodriguez, took part as a group representing the school. At the end of the competition, they placed 179th, which is in the top 5% of the teams in the competition. The group is working towards their next CTF and are working towards helping other students in the club learn more about CTFs and cybersecurity in general.

.-By Dr. J. Chisholm

AWS Guest Speaker Panel at Valencia College: Insights into Cloud Security and Efficiency

On March 3, 2025, the Valencia College Cybersecurity Club hosted an engaging AWS Guest Speaker Panel, bringing students and faculty together to learn about the latest in cloud security and automation. The event featured Sanjeet Singireddy, Senior Solutions Architect, and Timothy Ondrey, Technical Account Manager, both from Amazon Web Services (AWS). Their discussion centered on essential AWS security and efficiency tools, highlighting how organizations can strengthen their cloud environments and streamline operations with AWS services.

Key AWS Tools Discussed

Singireddy and Ondrey provided in-depth insights into several key AWS tools that are critical for maintaining secure and efficient cloud infrastructures:

1. AWS Security Hub

• A central dashboard for monitoring security findings from AWS services and third-party providers.
• Helps organizations identify, prioritize, and respond to potential security threats in a unified view.

2. AWS GuardDuty

• An intelligent threat detection service that continuously monitors AWS environments for suspicious activities.
• Uses machine learning and anomaly detection to alert organizations about potential security risks.

3. Amazon Detective

• Assists security teams in investigating and analyzing security issues with detailed data visualizations.
• Helps pinpoint the root cause of security incidents by automating data aggregation from multiple sources.

4. Amazon EventBridge

• A serverless event bus service that connects different AWS services and applications for event-driven automation.
• Enables organizations to react in real time to events from AWS services, SaaS applications, and custom applications.

Bridging the Gap Between Learning and Industry

The discussion emphasized how these AWS tools work together to enhance security and efficiency in cloud environments. The speakers also shared real-world use cases and best practices, helping students understand how these technologies are applied in industry settings.

Takeaways for Students

• Understanding AWS security tools is critical for future cybersecurity professionals.
• Cloud security involves continuous monitoring, automated threat detection, and incident investigation.
• Event-driven architectures, like those enabled by Amazon EventBridge, play a vital role in modern cloud applications.
• Certifications such as AWS Certified Security – Specialty can help students stand out in the job market.

A Successful Learning Experience

The AWS Guest Speaker Panel provided an excellent opportunity for Valencia College students to gain practical knowledge, career insights, and networking opportunities. Events like these bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world cybersecurity challenges, preparing students for careers in cloud security and architecture. The Valencia College Cybersecurity Club continues to bring valuable learning experiences to its members. Stay tuned for more upcoming events featuring industry leaders and cutting-edge technology discussions!

.-By Dr. J. Chisholm

11th Annual Zora STEM Conference: Inspiring the Next Generation of Cybersecurity Experts.

The 11th Annual Zora STEM Conference, an educational event dedicated to inspiring young minds in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, took place on January 31st at Full Sail University in Orlando, Florida. The event allowed middle school students to engage in hands-on learning experiences, fostering a passion for STEM fields.

Through events like the Zora STEM Conference, created by the Association to Preserve the Eatonville Community Inc., students gain valuable insight into emerging fields, equipping them with the knowledge and inspiration to pursue future careers in STEM. The involvement of Valencia College and its passionate presenters played a crucial role in making the event a success, leaving a lasting impression on the next generation of tech innovators.

.-By Dr. G. Roberts

Valencia College Cybersecurity Club Joins Halloween Festivities at Trick or Treat on Puma Street.

Happy Halloween Pumas!
On Tuesday, October 29, 2024, the Valencia College Cybersecurity Club brought their tech-savvy spirit to Trick or Treat on Puma Street. Alongside candy distribution, club members immersed themselves in the Halloween celebrations with face painting, costume contests, and community education on cybersecurity.
The evening featured several memorable moments, including a prize-winning costume by one member’s child and an impromptu dance session with the DJ. Club members also took the opportunity to expand their skills, learning tips on face painting and Halloween makeup from local artists.
In keeping with their mission, the Cybersecurity Club set up demonstrations showcasing security tools like packet sniffers and penetration-testing devices. These demonstrations sparked interest among community members, adding an educational twist to the fun-filled evening.
The club’s president, Josh—dressed as Darth Maul with a light saber—was a crowd favorite. After the festivities, the group gathered in their meeting room for a well-deserved, relaxed “after-party,” reflecting on the successful event and planning their next community engagement.

-By Dr. J. Chisholm

Javier Colon, Seth Birtch, and Vincent Lindsay, all Information Security Analysts with HD Supply, presented “Life in the SOC”. All three presenters are past students and were active leaders of Valencia College's CNET Cybersecurity Club during their tenure at Valencia College. To give back to their community, they contacted Dr. Jessica Chisholm and CNET Cybersecurity Club to see if they could present what they do daily in a security operations center.

Key presentation points:
HD Supply’s information security analyst's day typically begins with reviewing alerts and incident reports from the previous shift, prioritizing them based on severity and potential impact. They conduct thorough investigations into suspicious activities, analyzing logs, network traffic, and system behavior to identify and assess potential security threats. Throughout the day, they collaborate to coordinate incident response efforts, share threat intelligence, and implement security controls. This sometimes involves working closely with IT teams to patch vulnerabilities, fine-tune security configurations, and deploy new security measures.

Additionally, each team member has to stay updated on the latest cybersecurity trends and emerging threats by continuously monitoring threat intelligence sources and participating in training sessions or workshops. Most importantly, they emphasized the crucial documentation of incidents, investigations, and remediation actions, as well as the regular communication of security status and findings to management and relevant stakeholders.

-By J. Morales, CNET Cybersecurity Club President

Members of the CNET Cybersecurity Club participated in the Cyber Florida Cyber Launch Event geared towards high school seniors. Noah Williams, Vice President of the CNET Cybersecurity Club, and Joshua Morales, President of the CNET Cybersecurity Club, along with Jon Sowell, AS Cybersecurity Program Advisor, and Eric Bobo, Student Success Coach, attended the event to engage with upcoming high school graduates about their post-graduation plans. They introduced the students to the diverse opportunities available at Valencia College. Noah and Joshua shared their firsthand experiences at Valencia College, highlighting their personal growth within the AS/AA Cybersecurity program. They also promoted the Cybersecurity program by emphasizing the collaborative learning environment, hands-on projects, guest speaker sessions, and the weekly labs and Capture The Flag (CTF) challenges.

Presentations about various cybersecurity topics including certifications.

Students gather for a presentation as part of the Cyber Launch event.

Eric Bobo, Joshua Morales, Jon Sowell, Noah Williams

-By J. Alexander

Dr. Wael Yousif, Professor of Cybersecurity and Network Engineering Technology (CyberNET) at Valencia College, had the honor of introducing Valencia College's CyberNET program to a visiting delegation under the Community College Administrator Program (CCAP) representing Mexico.
The CCAP is an initiative supported by the U.S. State Department, with the primary goal of fostering international awareness and understanding of U.S. community colleges and their educational systems. This initiative is particularly directed at administrators of post-secondary vocational and technical institutions, as well as officials responsible for higher education planning, especially those involved in creating their own community college systems.
Among the subjects highlighted by Dr. Yousif, one that particularly captured the interest of the delegation was the recent recognition of CyberNET as a Center for Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) by the National Security Agency. This prestigious designation has been held by both Valencia College and the CyberNET department since 2013.
Impressed by his presentation, the CCAP delegates extended an invitation to Dr. Yousif to speak at future events. He will have the opportunity to share his knowledge and experiences regarding the CyberNET program and its esteemed CAE-CD designation. Dr. Yousif eagerly anticipates these opportunities.

-By Dr. G. Roberts

The CNET Cybersecurity Club recently joined the IEEE Orlando Chapter for an informative session hosted by an FBI agent specializing in cybersecurity matters. During this event, the agent delved into various cybersecurity topics, shedding light on the various issues and trends within the field and the investigative procedures employed. Among the current trends discussed were subjects like Business Email Compromise (BEC) and the use of cryptocurrency by ransomware organizations. The agent also touched on pertinent real-world events, such as the recent casino breach in Las Vegas. He emphasized that these types of investigations are typically managed by the offices where they are initially reported or detected.
Students in attendance expressed keen interest in understanding the inner workings of these offices and how they integrate into the investigative process. The agent provided a concise overview of how these offices contribute to the overall investigative efforts.
Throughout the presentation, the agent illustrated the investigative process through case studies, taking the audience through each stage, from initial alerts to arrests and trials. He delved into critical aspects such as evidence seizure, chain of custody, indicators of compromise, analysis, confirmation, collaboration with local and international entities, the mobilization of authorities, and the role of evidence in legal proceedings.
The session also included a Q&A segment where students inquired about potential careers with the FBI. The agent offered valuable insights, highlighting the many career paths available and directing students to relevant job listings and resources, which can be accessed through this link: https://fbijobs.gov/students-and-graduates This presentation not only provided students with a comprehensive understanding of the cybersecurity threat landscape but also offered them a glimpse of what to anticipate if they choose to pursue a career in cyber investigations.
Following the presentation, students had the opportunity to engage in one-on-one discussions with the agent, further enhancing their insight into the world of cybersecurity and the FBI's role in combating cyber threats.

-By Dr. J. Chisholm

The Valencia College CNET Cybersecurity Club presented a “security” workshop on Aug 2, 2023, for the international students accepted into the Cross-Cultural Initiative program held annually. This program provides a 2-semester program for international students so they can learn skills to take back to their own country. This workshop aimed to educate international students on “How to stay safe - digitally” in the United States.