August 13, 2010

First Class Graduates from US Cyber Challenge Delaware Camp

Delaware Takes Leading Role to Prepare Cyber-Security Experts to Face Mounting Threats

Governor Jack Markell joined Senator Tom Carper and Delaware’s Chief Information Officer Jim Sills to congratulate the first graduating class of the United States Cyber Challenge Delaware Camp. Delaware is one of only three states chosen to host a cyber-security training camp in 2010, aiming to develop skills and prepare students to protect vital infrastructure in the face of an extreme shortage of qualified personnel.

According to Jim Gosler, founding director of the CIA's Clandestine Information Technology Office: "There are about 1,000 people in the U.S. who have the specialized skills to operate effectively against these criminals at a world-class level in cyberspace. To be effective, we need 10,000 to 30,000."

Cyber threats are increasing in complexity, volume and seriousness, as criminals and terrorists armed with a computer and some knowledge can reach across borders and through walls. Cyber-security experts are needed by state agencies like the Delaware Department of Technology and Information (DTI), as well as the National Security Agency, Central Intelligence Agency, Department of Defense and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Large and small companies nationwide are also facing challenges that put critical infrastructure and services at risk, including the electric grid, our telecommunications network and our financial system.

“We are a society that is increasingly dependent on computers and computer networks to do everything from shopping online and sending text messages to investing for retirement and emergency response,” said Mark Pellegrini, a camp participant who is pursuing a PhD in computer engineering at the University of Delaware. “If we are going to be so dependent on computers for our daily needs, it is critical that we take steps to guarantee that they are reliable and secure.”

Twenty students from the University of Delaware and Wilmington University were chosen to participate in the Cyber Challenge Delaware Camp. The list of students and their profiles are included below.

“I’m very proud of the students who worked hard to earn this opportunity,” said Markell. “This is great job training for the individuals involved, but we all enjoy the benefits. The camp is preparing them to defend our safety and our economic system – our lives and our livelihoods are on the line. Furthermore, this is part of a broader effort to build on Delaware’s legacy of innovation and attract more high-tech employers.”

The week-long camp was hosted at Wilmington University with the support of the University of Delaware, Delaware Technical & Community College, the SANS Institute, and the Delaware Department of Technology and Information. Students attended an intensive schedule of learning sessions each day, met with cyber experts during the evenings, and toured the State Police High Tech Crimes Lab. They faced a series of challenges on hacking, digital forensics, incident handling, and penetration testing, culminating in a fierce “Capture the Flag” competition today.

"As we know in Delaware, its good being first and today is no different. Once again, the First State is leading the way forward for our nation, this time in the critical effort to secure our most important infrastructures from the growing threat of cyber terrorism and cyber crime. These students have had a unique opportunity this week to learn vital skills that will help them secure a high quality job and safeguard some of our country’s most valuable assets. I hope we can look forward to many more of these cyber camp ‘graduations’ in the coming years."

Senator Carper has been a national leader on cyber-security issues. In June, Carper helped lead efforts to secure the passage of comprehensive cyber-security legislation by the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. The Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act of 2010 (S.3480) aims to modernize, strengthen, and coordinate the security of critical federal, civilian and private-sector infrastructure networks. The act is expected to be considered on the floor of the Senate in the fall.

Funding for the Delaware Cyber Camp initiative is provided through the US Cyber Challenge program, with support from the following: the SANS Institute, the Center for Internet Security, Microsoft, Qwest, LogicSecurity, SE Solutions, Juniper Networks, Cisco, The Pink Orange, and VMware.

List of Participating Students:

Ashley Jensen
Ashley lives in Dover and works for a retail company. He is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Computer and Network Security at Wilmington University, plans to continue his education by earning a Master’s Degree in Information Assurance.

Ashley got his first computer in third grade, a Commodore 64, but it was not until entering high school that he got serious about computing. He built his own 386 PC and helped the computer science teacher set up a computer network with 300 PC’s to exchange out-dated typewriters.

A few years ago, he decided to focus on his passion for computer security, so he enrolled in college and hopes to break into the information security field after graduation.

Mark Pellegrini
Mark lives in Delaware and is a graduate student at the University of Delaware, where he is pursuing a PhD in Computer Engineering.

Mark got his first computer when he was five years old, an Apple II GS. In high school he began to learn programming languages, and upon entering college he decided to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering with a minor in Computer Science

Mark previously worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, measuring the performance of nuclear simulations running on supercomputers. He has always found computer security interesting and believes that a computer engineer can benefit from having knowledge of security.

When asked why cyber security is so important, he answered:

“We are a society that is increasingly dependent on computers and computer networks to do everything from shopping online and sending text messages to investing for retirement and emergency response. If we are going to be so dependent on computers for our daily needs, it is critical that we take steps to guarantee that they are reliable and secure.”

Balla Barro
Balla lives in Philadelphia and is a student at Wilmington University, where he is pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer and Network Security. He got interested in computers when he was seven and learned the basics of computing and PC tools. Upon entering high school, he began to learn programming languages such as C, C++ and Visual Basics. Computers are his passion, particularly the field of computer security. After graduation, he hopes to find a position where he can work with computer forensics and network security.

Stephen Janansky
Stephen recently graduated from the University of Delaware, where he earned a degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering. Stephen was introduced to computers at the age of four when his father brought home an IBM PC. His father worked as an electrical engineer for IBM and was a great mentor to Stephen. He learned the basics of computing early and explored commands in DOS and different operating systems.

When asked why cyber security is so important, he answered:

“Cyber security is a critical issue that we all face. With everyone putting more and more of their private information online, it becomes an increasingly larger issue that this information is not secure. Cyber security is needed just like every other security is needed - because there are bad people out there looking to do bad things.”

Robert Wallace
Robert lives in Smyrna and is a sophomore at Wilmington University, where he is pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer and Network Security. Robert started learning programming in Python, by writing random programs and learning the language used. He became interested in computer security after watching a few hacker movies and wanted to learn how security worked. He began to research cyber-security topics such as penetration testing, web application security and buffer overflows, and has since been very passionate about related issues.

After graduation, he hopes to find a position with a small or medium-sized company where he can work as a security engineer. His long-term goal is to find a position where he will get to work as a penetration tester.

“Cyber security is not just important it is essential in our lives,” Said Robert, “We live our lives on the Internet, with all our information stored in potentially dangerous environments. Without security our information would be a sitting duck in a pond filled with sharks.”

Enjolokee Jones
Enjolokee Jones lives in New Castle and is a graduate student at Wilmington University, where he is pursuing a Master’s Degree in Information Assurance. He was also member of Team WILMU01 that won the Undergraduate Category of the DC3 Digital Forensic Challenge in 2009.

He was first introduced to computers around the age of 19, but did not really experiment with them at that time. He joined the Marine Corps in 2002 and was assigned to an infantry battalion until 2006. After leaving the Marine Corps he entered college to pursue an education focusing on cyber security. His biggest passion is penetration testing and ethical hacking.

When asked why cyber security is so important, he answered:

“Much of our daily activities depend on the use of computers. Over the past years, there have been many incidents involving the use of computer to commit crime. Cyber security is important because it helps to prevent, protect, detect, and respond to malicious cyber acts.”

Ryan Van Antwerp
Ryan is student at the University of Delaware, where he is pursuing a PhD in Computer Networking.

Ryan was introduced to computers when he was eight years old with an Apple II and a book on BASIC programming from his parents. He began learning programming languages such as Visual Basic and HTML, and when entering high school, he explored Linux and other systems. He decided to learn as many programming languages as he could, using the school library extensively and buying many other books on programming. Ryan learned much on his own by taking them apart and rebuilding them. Ryan’s brothers, who also were into computers, were great mentors to him in his younger years. His interest for programming has led him to explore the field of information security, including binary analysis, computer forensics and hardware hacking.

When asked why cyber security is so important, he answered:

“Cyber security is important not only because it is fundamental to the stability of nearly every computer system, but also because it is one of the few scientific fields that encourages and rewards creativity, persistence, and the ability to view difficult problems with a different perspective.”

Glen Saunders
Glen recently graduated from the University of Delaware with a double major in Finance and Management Information Systems.

Glen was introduced to computers when he was five years old. He learned how to play games, use basic tools, and was writing HTML by age seven. However, it was not until he entered his senior year in high school that he got serious about computing, learning Visual Basic and delving into networking. In his freshman year in college, he learned SQL and really hit his stride when he was introduced to computer security and the programming language Scheme.

Glen is mostly self-taught; when he finds a subject particularly interesting, he researches it on his own and experiments with it to learn more. Glen plans to go to graduate school to pursue a Master’s Degree in Computer Security, but he wants to work for a few years first. He has previously interned with DuPont Capital Management, assisting in building a new in-house Fund Tracking System, and at Exelon touching on all aspects of network management in their real-time energy trading server room.