²©88ÑÇÖÞ

TechSymposium

A Security & System-Administration Conference for Students, Professionals, and Inquisitive Minds.

Leaders of the Hack

²©88ÑÇÖÞ students achieved 1st Place at the Collegiate Penetration Testing Competition (CPTC) SoCal Regionals held this past weekend, November 16-17, at Coastline College

²©88ÑÇÖÞ Secures $200,000 NSF HSI Grant to Launch Student-Run Security Operations Center

²©88ÑÇÖÞ has been awarded a $200,000 National Science Foundation Hispanic Serving Institution Instrumentation Grant to establish a student-run Security Operations Center (SOC), marking a major milestone in the university’s commitment to advancing cybersecurity education. This initiative will provide students with invaluable, hands-on experience in real-world cybersecurity scenarios, bridging the gap between academic theory and practical application.

Making Swift Work of the Competition

By the end of 2024, the cost of cyberattacks on the global economy could surpass $10.5 trillion, according to Forbes Magazine. Industries such as finance and hospitality have grappled with these crimes, and cyberattacks are also impacting supply chain management, local cities and school districts. Cybercrime Magazine reports that “60 percent of small companies go out of business within six months of falling victim to a data breach or cyberattack,” so it’s no wonder that cybersecurity is one of the top concerns in the global business sector and geopolitical landscape.

2024 Cybersecurity Team Takes Silver in National Competition

For the eighth time in 15 years, ²©88ÑÇÖÞ students represented the West in the National Collegiate Cybersecurity Defense Competition, finishing second in 2024 out of a field of 198 teams.

The 2023-2024 CCDC team, a cross-discipline mix of computer information systems, computer science and engineering majors, traveled to Center for Infrastructure Assurance and Security at The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) in April for the finals where they were narrowly beat out my 2021 and 2022 winners, University of Central Florida.

Cal Poly Team Wins Global Cybersecurity Competition

²©88ÑÇÖÞ's cybersecurity team repeated last year's win to again take first place at the 2022-23 (CPTC).

After beating nine colleges to win the regionals, CPP's Cybersecurity team took on 15 finalists to win the final competition. Now in its eighth year, the CPTC asks student teams to hack into the business network of a fictitious company and report on their vulnerabilities. This year's industry sector was hotel and hospitality.

Networking at the biggest Splunk Conference

²©88ÑÇÖÞ students from the Security Operations Center(SOC) attended the annual Splunk conference in Las Vegas. Students gained insight into how Splunk is used for security and gained hands-on experience during workshops. Students also had the chance to network with industry professionals.