AIS students attend RDU event

On Friday, September 22, students from the AIS (Association of Information Systems, formally AITP) attended a conference for Security BSides-RDU’s 10th anniversary. 

Security BSides is a community-driven framework for building events for and by cyber security community members. The goal is to expand the spectrum of conversation beyond the traditional confines of space and time. It creates opportunities for individuals to both present and participate in an intimate atmosphere that encourages collaboration. It is an intense event with discussions, demos, and interaction from participants. It is where conversations for the next-big-thing are happening.

The students met representatives from (and connected with) several companies in the RDU area, including two that provide services to ECU and ECU-Health.  The students heard several presentations from cybersecurity professionals about careers and were able to learn more about the cybersecurity field in general.  Lastly, the event was featured in the AIS ‘take-over’ of the COB’s Instagram page.

Fiona Freyholtz is a senior marketing major who is also pursuing certificates in professional selling and data analytics. She attended the event and admitted she had doubts about attending the event as a marketing major. “However, I was pleasantly surprised by the valuable insights I gained. I even connected with someone in sales, which aligns more with my interests than coding. The hands-on lockpicking activity and finding stickers for the Instagram takeover were my favorite parts.”

Craig Geter is a MIS major and currently is VP of AIS. He says the BSides event allowed him to “explore various pathways within information security. I’m particularly pleased with the wealth of information on pursuing certifications and engaging in projects for the e-portfolio, as these are some of the most daunting aspects of embarking on an IT journey.”