The Cybersecurity department has proven itself as dependable to the University of Detroit Mercy during the modern day as it continues serving the campus community through the academic curriculum it teaches and through the Cybersecurity Club.
Adapting the Cybersecurity Curriculum
Every three years, the department introduces new theoretical and experiential courses so the student body can defend itself against online criminal minds. For instance, Department Chair Gregory Laidlaw taught an Introduction to Computers course which soon expired because many people are more aware about the impact of social media and the fact that law enforcement can use information from there during investigations.
Of course, there are some pieces of the curriculum which will always stand strong, such as the best practices on sharing passwords and the separation of duties that came from the Department of Defense’s “Orange Book.” According to Laidlaw, these are especially important when people disperse money so the checks and balances of the process will be sustained.
Even though Laidlaw continues teaching Ethical Hacking, there were also changes made to mimic cybercrime so the student body can comprehend what they are up against. When the internet first started, and online scams emerged around the same time, Laidlaw described them as “comically bad” to the point where everyone shunned them. Today, these have become more complicated – and everyone should be ready to handle that.
Harrison Haviland Longo, a technician who performs live demonstrations outside of the classroom, has been vocal about using these same ethics when exposing the flaws of a computer system.
“It’s important to figure out what the criminals are doing and how they’re taking advantage,” Longo said. “[But] these things are illegal. You can be arrested for doing this. You’ll be fined. You’ll be thrown in jail.”
Learning More About the Cybersecurity Club
When there was a turnover of instructors from the department, Student Life approached Laidlaw about being an advisor for the Cybersecurity Club. Throughout the early stages of the student group, each meeting was an extension of exercises that people didn’t have time for during class. For example, Ethical Hacking also includes a short wireless hacking lab – but people can explore that more as an extracurricular activity.
The Cybersecurity Club also encourages opportunities where the student body can meet with employers that can help them carve out a career path. Even though they have hosted an alumni panel before, they are hoping to branch out further and plan a table talk where industry professionals can speak on leadership, risk management and job development.
“We do get valuable input from employers on what they’re looking for and why they’re looking for specific skills,” Laidlaw said. “[But] employers sometimes have unreasonable expectations, and so do students. It’s also a part of what we’re trying to do with the Cybersecurity Club to bridge that gap.”
Meanwhile, Cybersecurity Club President Ali Laho will be preparing his peers for a third win against other opponents from the ISACA Scholarship Competition. For the upcoming month, the student group will band together so they can solve a technical prompt over the course of only three days. Once the online challenge concludes, they will be judged on the teamwork, presentation and appearance by the college hosting the event.
“Just like Cybersecurity, we’re always changing and we’re always trying to improve,” Laho said. “We’re an ever-growing club!”
Supporting the Cybersecurity Club
For those who are not a part of the department, one can be sure the Cybersecurity Club does not discriminate, as they have venues which everyone will enjoy – such as the most recent escape room. Spreading clues around the area, there were 35 people from many majors who were all having fun while crunching out the codes, binaries, caesar ciphers and anagrams that they found.
Should the tension of an escape room scare anyone, then one can purchase a pastry from the bake sales of the student group instead. Because the executive board has grown over the course of the year, they have a clearer understanding of who can bring the food, who can manage the transactions and who can advertise the occasion.
“Any student from Detroit Mercy, no matter what discipline or study, can join and they all come together,” Laho said. “It’s a safe space for those who are interested in learning and those who just want to support.”
