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Johnny Y., 27, Los Angeles, CA
Johnny attended cyber camp in 2011 and was on the winning Capture the Flag team at the camp. He holds a master's degree in computer science from Cal Poly Pomona.
How was the experience of participating in Cyber Camp?
It was such a memorable experience! It was fantastic to meet likeminded people, to have the chance to learn from instructors who work in the field, and to have access to them for follow-up. The environment is completely immersive. It's a really intensive five days!
What makes the Capture the Flag competition unique or valuable?
You learn so much the competition! You work as part of a team with three or four other people to remotely access networks or machines and steal the sensitive information. We didn't know what we were doing or what we were looking for, but we poked around, saw what looked interesting, and ended up taking first place! The purpose is to show how skilled hackers can circumvent the existing security controls, which helps you learn how to bolster those controls to prevent these breaches.
What's your dream job?
I already have my dream job! I'm employed as a consultant in application security and I love it. Having the camp and the competition on my resume was a big boost in getting the job I wanted. Participation in these kinds of challenges shows the kind of dedication and commitment employers are looking for. As I advance in my career, I'd also like to get into mentoring others in the field.
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Luis M.
Luis participated in Cyber Quests and performed so well that he was invited to the Virginia Cyber Camp in 2011, where he was on the winning Capture the Flag team.
How was the experience of participating in Cyber Camp?
I participated in the Cyber Quest just for the fun of it, so I was really surprised when I did well enough to be invited to Cyber Camp. It was such a great experience, being exposed to experts and getting to spend time with people who share my passion for security. It was a real privilege to spend a week with such bright people and to have access to resources that might be out of reach in the real world.
What makes the Capture the Flag competition unique or valuable?
I've done competitions before, and am part of a group that does online meetings and challenges. But it was amazing to have the opportunity to spend time face to face with peers working on a challenge. Teamwork and communication are the keys to success in the competition, and the challenges that were presented are very much what you see in the real world, so it's a great exercise to raise awareness as well as a chance to practice some really necessary interpersonal skills.
What's your dream job?
I really enjoy my job as a security engineer for a major telecommunications company, but my dream job would be doing security investigations for the FBI.
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Steve B., 31, Smyrna, DE
Steve is a student at Wilmington University. He attended the Delaware Cyber Camp in 2011.
How was the experience of participating in Cyber Camp?
It was fantastic! The lectures were incredible and I was overwhelmed with a wealth of knowledge. I've been a computer and network security professional for about ten years, so I've had access to lots of cool technology, but never have enough time to play with it. The camp is intensive and I was able to get really immersed. The cyber camp experience is great for everyone, even if they don't work as IT security professionals, because it helps you understand the restrictions that are imposed in any organization, whether in the private sector or a government agency. Being smart about security threats and what we need to do to minimize them is important for everyone.
What makes the Capture the Flag competition unique or valuable?
I'd never done a competition before, and quite frankly I was nervous. The other people on my team had done several in the past, but it all worked out fine and I didn't find myself at a disadvantage. The first lecturer at the camp talked about using a slow, methodical approach to pen testing, and I captured two boxes by following that advice. When I was younger, I would have rushed through, but slowing down really paid off.
What's your dream job?
Whether I work in the private or public sector, I want to be working to help prevent malicious activity on networks. As a dad, I'm a big advocate of keeping the Internet as safe as possible. I have a dedicated PC for my kids to play learning games and do research, and they're constantly picking up viruses. I'd like to make the Internet safer for everyone.
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