Last week, anchor tenant Knowmadics, an Arlington, Va.-based cybersecurity firm that offers end-to-end solutions for complete security awareness, hosted a group of specialized cybersecurity students from USD 265’s Eisenhower High School in Goddard, Kan. The daylong event was coordinated by Knowmadics CyberLab Director Clint Stevens, who orchestrated the tour and speakers.
Cybersecurity Class
Eisenhower High School’s cybersecurity class, taught by USD 265’s Damien Hays, is designed to empower students with advanced skill sets to provide an advantage for high school graduates entering post-secondary two or four-year tech programs. The students gain in-demand skills, explore careers, and dive deeply into the ethical and unethical implications of wide-ranging cybersecurity environments.
Groover Labs Tours
The day began with a tour of Groover Labs, where the students learned how shared workspaces and coworking foster collaboration and innovation - hallmarks of startup culture and new product development. Maker Labs lead Jeremiah Burian walked the students through each of Groover Labs’ five Maker Labs while discussing the value of affordable rapid product prototyping facilities and the importance of product iteration.
Activities in the CyberLab
The students were exposed to security topics in both the physical and cyber domains to include offensive and defensive concepts; higher education and job opportunities; and a discussion on real world experiences from the experts. The event culminated in a hands-on team vs team exercise where the students had to identify a “rogue” Wi-Fi network and associated devices, work through remotely accessing the network by executing a de-auth attack, and physically acquire the “rogue” devices that were hidden in locked rooms, without having keys.
Guest Speakers
Guest speakers included Jared Dible of Millenium Corporation; Anthony George, GCE (and Groover Labs member); Jeremiah Rempel of the 184th Wing of the Kansas Air National Guard; and Molly Brown of FlagshipKansas.Tech. The speakers covered a wide range of topics, including recent trends in cybersecurity, and answered students’ questions about the future of the industry.