Competitions

Saint Vincent College cybersecurity majors have the opportunity to participate in several “Capture The Flag” cybersecurity competitions and National Cyber League competitions in both the Spring and the Fall. Students also have the opportunity to participate in the Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition in the Spring.

For More Information on these opportunities:

National Cyber League
Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition

SVC Cybersecurity Club

Members of the SVC Cyber Security Club are learning how to apply tools and concepts learned in class to compete in local, regional, and national competitions in the Cyber Security circuit. The club offers an opportunity for students to develop their skills among peers with a similar interest in the field of Cyber Security, and provides club members with a chance to share cyber defense tips and procedures through public outreach events.  

National CAE Games

https://www.ncaecybergames.org/

Student Research

Digital Footprint on Mobile Devices: Donate Your Phone, Donate Your Life 
Elizabeth Loftus

The concept of the "digital footprint" - the trailing wake of data that everyday people leave behind in their modem online lives - has been around for as long as the World Wide Web has been public. With the spread of social media and increase in services for education and government agencies online, this footprint has expanded dramatically. 2017 marks a 10 year anniversary of practical smart phones. This past decade has seen rapid advancement of the capabilities in processing power and the capacity of the data streams that feed these devices. They have truly become the primary computing device for the majority of people today. With that use, these devices have also become the epicenter of the digital footprint repository. Through the force of carrier contracts and pace of market/technology development, many people are also cycling through new mobile devices every two years. Many trade in their old device, some donate to a worthy cause, and others simply throw them away. Not many people stop to think - What happens to all of the "you" collected on that old phone once it leaves your hands? This study examines thirty five phones that had been donated to charity to discover how much of the digital life of the previous owner has been left behind.

Identifying the Real Technology Skills Gap: A Qualitative Look Across Disciplines
Evan Schirf 

Every year several survey inventories are performed throughout the IT industry by trade magazines and research groups that attempt to gauge the current state of the industry as it relates to trends. Many of these highlight a technology skills gap between job expectations and potential employees. While many job openings exist and educational programs are adjusting to produce more candidates for these jobs, many employers express dissatisfaction with the talent pool. Many of these surveys do not take into account wide differences in the spectrum of industries that employ technology workers. This study interviewed four "C" level executives from four different industries to discover more specifically which skills they have identified as being most valuable for potential employees. The results show that the "skills" gap is not just technical. The soft skills of communication, problem solving, and interpersonal skills as well as motivation and positive attitude may be more in demand than specific hard skills of programming languages or other CS/IT specific training. This may be even more pronounced in the multifaceted area of Cybersecurity.