Blog iconCarolina Advanced Digital Hosts 2nd Annual Cyber Security Student Track at 2016 IT Hot Topics Conference on May 5th to Support & Educate North Carolina High School Students in the National CyberPatriot Challenge Competition

Carolina Advanced Digital, Inc. > Blog > Company Update > Carolina Advanced Digital Hosts 2nd Annual Cyber Security Student Track at 2016 IT Hot Topics Conference on May 5th to Support & Educate North Carolina High School Students in the National CyberPatriot Challenge Competition

Carolina Advanced Digital Hosts 2nd Annual Cyber Security Student Track at 2016 IT Hot Topics Conference on May 5th to Support & Educate North Carolina High School Students in the National CyberPatriot Challenge Competition

The 2015 pilot program was a massive success and Carolina Advanced Digital is stepping forward again to sponsor an intensive free program that includes a full day of cyber security focused activities for students. This year’s event is expanding to include larger student attendance, more professional outreach, and added emphasis on STEM career opportunities.

[2/29/2016 – Cary, North Carolina]

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2015 Cyber Security Student Track pilot

Local high school teams competing in the Air Force Association’s upcoming CyberPatriot Challenge again have the opportunity for intensive event preparation at the upcoming 2nd Annual Cyber Security Student Track, hosted by Carolina Advanced Digital as part of the 2016 IT Hot Topics Conference May 4-6th, 2016 in Durham, NC.

Building on the success of last year’s debut event, the 2016 edition of the Cyber Security Student Track will include a host of planned activities designed to support local students and teams:

  • Keynotes on leadership and the future of technology
  • Student reception with industry professionals mixer
  • Participation in conference activities
  • Breakout sessions on social media and operating system security, wireless technologies, and physical security
  • Peer CyberPatriot round table sessions to discuss challenges and strategies
  • STEM and IT industry mentoring sessions with local professionals
  • Breakfast, lunch and exclusive meet-and-greets with invited guests and speakers

The first event, which included a keynote speech by Dr. Uma Gupta of STEM-SMART, earned an enthusiastic response from the community. “Last year was tremendously fun and rewarding and we were immensely gratified at the community’s response,” said John Jabbusch, President and Chief Engineer at Carolina Advanced Digital. “The North Carolina students and schools, along with the supporting technology organizations involved were extremely appreciative and our next opportunity to sponsor this event is something we’ve looked forward to and enjoyed planning ever since.”

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Dr. Uma Gupta addressing the 2015 attendees

“Creating formalized opportunities to educate and encourage students toward STEM and IT disciplines is still an intensive need, nationally and locally, and Cyber Security Student Track has proven to be a very successful means toward accomplishing those goals,” said Mr. Jabbusch.

The community has also taken notice and participation in this year’s event is expected to increase substantially. Carolina Advanced Digital is matching the swell in interest with an expanded program of events and an enhanced roster of participating supporters drawn from local North Carolina tech companies.

“We have been active in directly mentoring local students and teams, but the Cyber Security Student Track has really blossomed into an event that connects local tech professionals and the student community in a substantial way,” said Jennifer Minella, Vice President of Engineering at Carolina Advanced Digital and a lead CyberPatriot mentor. “We all recognize that these students are our future industry innovators and leaders and this is a unique chance to engage them, inspire them, and show them that STEM careers offer a world of opportunity.”

“The first Cyber Security Student Track was a proof of concept in some ways,” said Ms. Minella. “Now that we’ve demonstrated how rewarding it is to engage students, we’re really seeing enthusiastic buy-in from local companies and organizations, including Raleigh ISSA and NCTA. We’ve got the ball rolling on an event that will be an industry calendar highlight for years to come.”

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Exploring the Tech Museum at Cyber Security Student Track

The AFA CyberPatriot Challenge is open to teams of middle and high school students from around the nation. Teams compete within the context of being newly hired IT professionals tasked with managing the network of a small company. Challenge rounds include a variety of IT tasks, including service maintenance and cyber security vulnerability detection and remediation.

Tops teams from each state and region are invited to the National Finals Competition held in Washington, DC. At stake are national recognition, scholarship monies, and a chance to hobnob with leading professionals in the industry. CyberPatriot Challenge is sponsored by the Air Force Association through its CyberPatriot National Youth Cyber Education Program, an organization created to inspire high school students toward careers in cyber security or other STEM disciplines.

Cyber Security Student Track @ 2016 IT Hot Topics Conference
Thursday, May 5th, 2016
Sheraton Imperial, Durham, NC
FREE for CyberPatriot student teams, mentors, and coaches

Contact Us at https://cadinc.com/about/contact or visit
http://hottopicsconference.com/

Sponsors please contact Julie Allen at julie @ cadinc.com for more information.

 

About Carolina Advanced Digital, Inc.

Carolina Advanced Digital, Inc. is a nationally-recognized leader in technology infrastructure and security solutions. Family owned and operated since 1985, the company provides exceptional engineering services and products to government, education, healthcare, and commercial clients across the United States, including Fortune 100 and 500 companies, the Department of Defense, and civilian agencies. Headquartered in Cary, North Carolina, Carolina Advanced Digital has offices and resources in North Carolina, Florida and Texas.

 

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