Category Archives: cybersecurity

CSC Webinars on Cyber Security and Big Data

CSC (Computer Sciences Corporation) is hosting two FREE webinars on the topics of cyber security and Big Data. For those unfamiliar with CSC, the corporation is one of the biggest IT companies in the world. They employ over 72,000 people in over 70 countries across the world and currently have main offices located in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway.

The first online seminar is on Tuesday, March 10th, from 6-7 PM. The presenter of the seminar is Robert J. Carey. Mr. Carey worked for the Department of Defense for over 31 years and recently retired in March, 2014. Mr. Carey championed the ideas of enterprise computing, improved military mobile solutions, and  advanced cyber security while working for the United States Navy. He currently holds the position of Vice President of Cyber Security at Computer Sciences Corporation.

The second online seminar offered is on Thursday, March 26th, from 6-7 PM. The presenter of this seminar is Hank Tseu. Mr. Tseu is the director and general manager of 42six. 42six develops big data and mobility software for CSC’s North American public sector. Mr. Tseu has over 15 years in the field applying cutting edge technology in mission critical environments in the areospace and defense industry.

To register for either (or both) webinars, simply click on the following link and fill in the following information:

  • Name
  • Email address
  • University currently attending/attended
  • Graduation year

Click Here to Register!

Resume Tips for Students Seeking IT Security Jobs or Internships

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On February 6, 2015, the Top Secret Colonials sponsored an IT Resume Writing Lecture.  This lecture was given by Al Wong of The MITRE Corporation.  The talk featured specific tips related to resume writing and interviewing for IT Security positions.  If you are planning to be in the job market for a security-related position, take a few minutes to review the slides from this lecture:

Resumes That Get You in the Door (PDF)

Sponsored by The Top Secret Colonials 

Dr. Karen Paullet Weighs in on Anthem Data Breach

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Dr. Karen Paullet spoke with KDKA news today regarding the recent data breach at Anthem, an Indianapolis-based Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance company.  See the interview here in case you missed it on tonight’s newscast:

Video:  Health Insurers, Hospitals Vulnerable to Cyber Attack, Say Experts

IT Resume Writing Lecture on February 6

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IT Resume Writing Lecture – Al Wong from The MITRE Corporation
Sponsored by The Top Secret Colonials

Friday, February 6th
2:00 pm – 3:30 pm in the Critique Space in Wheatley

Al Wong from The MITRE Corporation will be giving a lecture on how to write a winning IT resume. He will be showcasing before and after resumes from several CIS students. Did you know that when applying for an IT job  they are looking for a minimum of a 3-page resume?  The old 1-page resume standard does not apply to most IT positions. Join us to learn how to write a resume to impress.

Light refreshments will be served. 

Al Wong is a Lead Inter-disciplinary Systems Engineer at The MITRE Corporation, a non-profit organization operating 6 Federally Funded Research and Development Centers for the United States Government. He has 30 years of experience providing strategic guidance to the Federal Government with 10 of these years as a trusted advisor to United States Government Executives.

Mr. Wong holds a BS in Internetworking Technologies with a minor in Information Assurance and a MS in Management of Information Systems. In addition to formal education, Mr. Wong has held the following industry certifications.

  • International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium (ISC)2 – Certified Information Systems Security Professional – CISSP (2003 – 2011),
  • Microsoft Certifies Systems Engineer – MSCE (1999 – 2009), and
  • Cisco Internetworking Expert – CCIE (1995 – 2000).

Mr. Wong is also HR Certification Institute (HRCI) trained and certified (2009 – present) in behavioral interviewing and resume assessment techniques. As one of two certified behavioral interviewers at the MITRE Corporation, he has reviewed thousands of resumes and recommended candidates for hire. Mr. Wong has assessed resumes and interviewed candidates for the following positions:

Software Developers
Network Engineer
SOC Staff
System Administrators
Incident Response Engineers
Enterprise Architects
SOA Engineers
Cyber Security Tech
HIPAA Compliance Auditors
Security Analysts
IDS Engineers
Business Analyst
Forensic Engineer
Program Managers
Hardware Technician
QA Engineers
Technical Trainers

Grant Thornton Professional Information Technology Presentation – January 22

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Reminder:

Grant Thornton will be coming to RMU on Thursday, January 22nd to present on computing trends in their area, internships, and job opportunities.

Grant Thornton is the 5th largest CPA firm in the world, with over 6,000 employees, and has named RMU as an Academic Affiliate.  They are looking for “Competitive Intelligence” interns and new graduates for their Pittsburgh office.  Also, they will be looking for “Information Security” interns and recent grads for their Philadelphia office.  For both areas, they are looking at undergraduates and Masters students.

The Information Technology Presentation will be held at the Wheatley Center Critique Room, and will follow this schedule:

  • 4:15 PM  – Registration and free pizza begins. Students attending will be provided credit towards the Student Engagement Transcript requirements.
  • 4:30 PM- 5:15 PM – Presentation
  • 5:15 PM to 5:45 PM – Q & A session and closing

Please come out to attend — you will not be overwhelmed or bored!

2015 Data Privacy Day sponsored by CMU

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dpdOn Wednesday, January 28, 2015 Carnegie Mellon University is sponsoring an event celebrating National Data Privacy Day.

Data Privacy Day (DPD) is an international effort centered on Respecting Privacy, Safeguarding Data and Enabling Trust. Data Privacy Day is an international effort to empower and educate people to protect their privacy and control their digital footprint. For more information, please visit StaySafeOnline.org

Don’t miss the opportunity to attend an exciting seminar on Data Privacy. An event will take place at the Jared L. Cohon University Center on the Carnegie Mellon campus. For more information, please visit http://cups.cs.cmu.edu/privacy-day/2015/#schedule

P.S. RMU students can always earn SET credit for attending 😉

Spring 2015 CIS Professional Technology Presentations – Save the Dates!

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Each semester, the CIS Department brings a variety of companies and speakers to campus in order to provide Professional Information Technology presentations on computing trends, internships, and job opportunities.  The faculty highly encourage all CIS department students, from freshmen to seniors and grad students, to attend these events.  You will not be overwhelmed or bored.

The following Professional Information Technology Presentations have been scheduled so far for the spring semester:

  • Thursday, January 22, 2015 – Grant Thornton
    Grant Thornton, 5th largest CPA firm in the world with over 6,000 employees, has named RMU as an Academic Affiliate.  They are looking for “Competitive Intelligence” interns and new graduates for their Pittsburgh office.  Also, they will be looking for “Information Security” interns and recent grads for their Philadelphia office.  For both areas, they are looking at undergraduates and Masters students.
  • Thursday, January 29, 2015 – LANtek
    LANtek will discuss who All Lines/LANtek are and their current career opportunities, including a program at PPG.  They will also provide an introduction to “Interview Skill Building” aimed at information technology students.
  • Wednesday, April 8, 2015 – M&K Bank
    Additional details on the topic of the presentation by M&K Bank will be forthcoming soon.

Each Information Technology Presentation will be held at the Wheatley Center Critique Room, and will follow this schedule:

  • 4:15 PM  – Registration and free pizza begins. Students attending will be provided credit towards the Student Engagement Transcript requirements.
  • 4:30 PM- 5:15 PM – Presentation
  • 5:15 PM to 5:45 PM – Q & A session and closing

Save the dates!  These sessions can be truly valuable and eye-opening to students at all levels.

DHS Cyber Student Volunteer Initiative – Deadline extended to January 23rd!

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The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced the launch of the 2015 Secretary’s Honors Program Cyber Student Volunteer Initiative. This program is part of the department’s ongoing effort to develop the next generation of cyber talent, and in the coming months, DHS expects to place approximately 75 undergraduate volunteers in cybersecurity-focused assignments at more than 50 locations across the country.

Volunteers who are selected will have a unique opportunity to learn about the DHS cybersecurity mission and to engage in hands-on cybersecurity work related to digital forensics, network diagnostics, incident response, and a variety of other specialties.

Applications will be accepted until January 9, 2015 via USAJOBS.gov. The deadline for applications has been extended to January 23, 2015!

Information on Stuxnet Virus

Student Editorial

Many of us who study computers whether it be Cyber Forensics, Information Technology, or Computer Information Systems, know that cybercrime is among us. I would like to bring to everyone’s attention a situation recently in the news, and that is a virus called Stuxnet.

Stuxnet, for those who don’t know, is a worm (a type of computer virus) that was developed to attack Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility (Fingas, 2014). The worm is meant to attack PLC which are Programmable Logic Controllers. I hope I grabbed your attention because, yes, this is a very bad infection for controls that can override functions in a nuclear facility. The Natanz nuclear facility has no direct Internet connection, so the virus couldn’t be spread to it via an Internet connection.  It is now known that before the virus reached Natanz, it attacked 5 key vendors that affiliate with Natanz and was brought in by one of the employees, or someone who works in the facility.

I know many people don’t care what is happening hundreds of miles away, but according to Kaspersky Labs, the virus has now spread all over the Internet.  Since the virus is intended for corporations, it is not a major concern for end users, but companies need to ensure that private data stored on their networks is protected.  Many people believe this virus contains American roots. (Fingas, 2014). The Issue I have with claiming that it has come from America is that there is no proof.  Kaspersky apparently can tell you where the rogue code (Stuxnet) has been, but not its origins.

If you would like to read more about Stuxnet, please refer to:

Fingas, J. (2014, November 13). Stuxnet worm entered Irans’s nuclear facilities through hacked suppliers. Retrieved from: http://www.engadget.com/2014/11/13/stuxnet-worm-targeted-companies-first/

http://www.engadget.com/2013/11/30/Recommended-Reading-Stuxnet-fake-memories/

If you would like to discuss this further, please comment below.

Deadline extended for DHS Cyber Student Volunteer Initiative – Apply by January 9th!

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The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced the launch of the 2015 Secretary’s Honors Program Cyber Student Volunteer Initiative. This program is part of the department’s ongoing effort to develop the next generation of cyber talent, and in the coming months, DHS expects to place approximately 75 undergraduate volunteers in cybersecurity-focused assignments at more than 50 locations across the country.

Volunteers who are selected will have a unique opportunity to learn about the DHS cybersecurity mission and to engage in hands-on cybersecurity work related to digital forensics, network diagnostics, incident response, and a variety of other specialties.

Applications will be accepted until December 12, 2014 via USAJOBS.gov. The deadline for applications has been extended to January 9, 2015!