WEST LAFAYETTE — Purdue University Global will commemorate Cybersecurity Awareness Month with a variety of activities throughout October and is inviting the public to participate and increase cybersecurity awareness personally and professionally.
Purdue Global will host two events as part of its ongoing speaker series. Undergraduate cybersecurity professor Laurent Boucard has reached out to his network and provided Purdue Global with individuals who will share their experience and knowledge to support information technology and cybersecurity students in their educational and professional journeys. These events are open to the first 250 attendees:
* Oct. 12, 7 p.m. ET – George Bailey, assistant director, cyber services, Purdue University cyberTAP. Bailey oversees and implements information security solutions for small- to medium-sized businesses. He is an information technology security professional with over 25 years of experience in systems administration, network security, remote access, wireless security and incident response.
* Oct. 26, 7 p.m. ET – David Cass, vice president, cyber and IT risk, Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Cass boasts extensive experience in cyber security, privacy, risk management, regulatory compliance, business continuity, disaster recovery, cloud and blockchain transformation for financial services. His previous roles include chief information security officer and global partner of Cloud Security Services at IBM, senior vice president, and chief information security officer for Elsevier and vice president of risk management for JPMorgan Chase.
The School of Business and Information Technology will host a “Capture the Flag” (CTF) computer security competition, which is open to the public, beginning at 5 p.m. ET on Oct. 15 and lasting 72 hours, ending at 5 p.m. on Oct. 18. The competition will be a Jeopardy!-style event for single players. Most challenges will be at the beginner level; however, several intermediate and advanced challenges will be included. The security challenges will cover a variety of cybersecurity categories, including general topics, networking, cryptography, and software.
The competition will also be part of a research study. Players must consent to the research study and answer a few demographic questions before competing. After answering the questions, players will receive the URL for the CTF system and a site password. For more information, contact Rhonda Chicone, a member of the Purdue Global information technology faculty, via email.
Purdue Global students participate in a wide range of activities to hone their skills. Those who are newer to the cybersecurity industry enjoy the gamified experience with Project Ares by Circadence. They also participate in the National Cyber League CTF competition every season. More experienced students dig into Hivestorm and the NICE Challenges, as well. While students are completing their undergraduate or graduate programs, they are provided with these opportunities to put their skills to the test.
Purdue Global maintains a robust Cybersecurity Center that provides articles, resources, program information, and more for current and future students, employers, and industry partners, as well as the general public. Individuals or small businesses who seek cybersecurity answers to questions or support can fill out a form to submit such requests.
The Purdue Global Bachelor of Science degree program in cybersecurity has been accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET, the global accreditor of college and university programs in applied and natural science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology. ABET accreditation assures that programs meet standards to produce graduates ready to enter critical technical fields that are leading the way in innovation and emerging technologies, and anticipating the welfare and safety needs of the public.
In addition, Purdue Global has been designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education through the academic year 2025 for its Bachelor of Science degree in cybersecurity. The Department of Homeland Security and the National Security Agency jointly sponsor the National Centers of Academic Excellence program. The goal of the program is to reduce vulnerability in national information infrastructure by promoting higher education and expertise in cyber defense.
About Purdue University Global
Purdue University Global delivers personalized online education tailored to the unique needs of adults who have work or life experience beyond the classroom, enabling them to develop essential academic and professional skills with the support and flexibility they need to achieve their career goals. It offers personalized paths for students to earn an associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree, based on their work experience, desired pace, military service, previous college credits, and other considerations – no matter where they are in their life journey. Purdue Global is a nonprofit, public university accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It is affiliated with Purdue University’s flagship institution, a highly ranked public research university located in West Lafayette, Indiana. Purdue University also operates regional campuses in Fort Wayne and Northwest Indiana, as well as serving science, engineering, and technology students at the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) campus. For more information, visit purdueglobal.edu.
Information: Tom Schott, tschott@purdue.edu
Source: Tina Bruton
