ISC2 New Jersey Chapter Newsletter

Editor-in-Chief: Tran Cheung

Welcome to the (ISC)² New Jersey Chapter's July 2023 issue!

Our goal is to provide the cybersecurity community with monthly New Jersey Chapter news, upcoming events and initiatives, and timely and relevant articles from our dedicated member volunteers.

We invite you to send any comments or suggestions to communications@isc2chapternj.org.

Ken's Korner

Message from the President

Hello Everyone!

I hope you all are enjoying your summer!

With so many well attended events and programs going on right now or are being planned, it is an exciting time to become an active member of our community.

This last month alone, we had a Happy Hour and a Senior Outreach event, as well as our monthly meeting and public speaking workshop. We are currently planning for our upcoming Picnic, Community Service Day (ISC2-gether) and outreach programs with local universities and high schools.

We are also able to attend several upcoming InfraGard NJ events this year, so there are plenty of opportunities to learn more about FBI initiatives that protect services that comprise our nation's Critical Infrastructure.

Hope to see you at one of our upcoming events!

Ken

Welcome Aboard!

Welcome New Chapter Members!

Asim Masood, Kelvin Hamlett, Ayih Kouevi, Muhammad Usman Siddiqui, Devrim Ozgur, Burcin Tuncalp, Gausnary Decius, Michael Immordino, John Peoples, Alexander Kohanik, Anand Tiwari, Gregg Persky, Iqra Hina, Paul Kaffenberger, and Blaine Shaw.

Note for all potential members: Click here to watch a special video from our Welcoming Committee. In this video, they discuss why they love being a member of our chapter. Special thanks to Sammi Fishkin for producing this video!

Event Recap

Senior Center Outreach Recap

In partnership with InfraGard NJ, we recently went to a senior center in Rutherford NJ, to teach the residents about the latest phone and Internet scams that are directed towards them.

If you want to participate in a future outreach event, click here to be on our volunteer list.

Click here to see some of the photos from this event.

Happy Hour - July

We had an amazing time at our last happy hour at the Stagehouse Tavern in Somerset!

Over 70 people attended and we owe it all to our partners, FormatCyber and Votiro!

In case you missed it, click here to see photos of the event. We'll try to arrange another one soon.

Upcoming Events

August 2023 Monthly Meeting

There will be no chapter meeting and no public speaking workshop for the month of August.

InfraGard - September 2023 General Meeting

Geo-Political Climate: Navigating a Changing World

Explore the ever-shifting landscape of geo-politics, where power, strategy, and diplomacy shape our world.

Date: Tuesday, September 12, 2023
Time: 4:30 p.m.
Location: Lowenstein and Sandler - 1 Lowenstein Dr Roseland, NJ 07068

Register here.

Public Speaking Workshop - September 2023

All (ISC)² New Jersey Chapter members are welcome to join us for this free public speaking program that will be held on a monthly basis.

Date: Thursday, September 14th, 2023
Time: 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Location: Virtual Event

Register here.

2023 Fall Picnic

Register now and join the fun for our fall picnic! A free lunch will be provided.

Date: Saturday, September 23rd, 2023
Time: 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Location: Roosevelt Park - 151 Parsonage Rd. Edison, NJ 08837

Register here.

September Monthly Meeting

Date: Thursday, September 28th, 2023
Time: 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Location: Virtual Event

Click here to register for this event.

Our speakers will be Michael Melore, who will be discussing the latest Verizon Data Breach Report. He will be followed by Adnan Rafique who will review the latest security tools from Microsoft's M365 suite.

InfraGard - October 2023 Monthly Meeting

Ensuring Resilience: Mastering Business Continuity

Date: Tuesday, October 17th, 2023
Time: 4:30 p.m.
Location: TBD

Register here.

Call For Papers and Sponsors - NY Metro Joint Cyber Security Conference

The 2023 NY Metro Joint Cyber Security Conference and Workshop will be held in-person on October 19th and 20th, celebrating their 10th anniversary. Featuring a keynote by Lisa Plaggemier, Executive Director of the National Cybersecurity Alliance. Our chapter is a community partner for this event and we are expecting 300-400 attendees.

If you are interested in giving a talk at this event, please submit it here. Deadline is September 1st.

Click here if you would like to be a sponsor the event.

Dirt Cheap CISSP Bootcamp!

Register for our dirt cheap 5-day bootcamp to prepare yourself for the CISSP exam. This bootcamp is only available to (ISC)² New Jersey Chapter members.

Dates: October 21st, October 28th, November 4th, November 11th, and November 18th, 2023
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Location: Virtual

The course textbook is not included, but it is less than $100.

Register here.

InfraGard End of the Year Symposium

Date: Thursday, November 9th, 2023
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Location: Kean University - 1075 Morris Avenue NJCSTM/STEM Building (STEM Auditorium) Union, NJ 07083

Register here.

FREE Certified in Cybersecurity (CC) Bootcamp!

Are you new to cybersecurity or haven't gotten your first cybersecurity certification yet? Look no further and register for this FREE 2-day bootcamp to prepare you for the new (ISC)² "Certified in Cybersecurity" (CC) exam.

Dates: December 2nd and December 9th, 2023
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Location: Virtual

It's the first (ISC)² certification that doesn't require previous experience. This course is only available to (ISC)² New Jersey Chapter members.

Register here.

SECON International - Call for Papers and Save the Date

We are announcing a Call for Papers for our 2nd Annual (ISC)² International Chapter Conference, SECON International, to be held virtually on December 6th, 2023 from 11:00am - 2:00pm ET.

Submission Process: The submission deadline is 11:59pm ET on October 31st, 2023. Chapter members are highly encouraged to present at this conference and will be given preference over non-members.

Notification of Acceptance: Submitters will receive a response from the committee by November 15th, 2023.

Format: Speakers will have 15 minute talks and no time for Q&A. If needed, we will provide coaching assistance to help you condense your presentation.

Click here for the Call For Papers Submission Form.

Partial list of participating (ISC)² chapters: New Jersey, Israel, Poland, Brussels, Netherlands, Uganda and Greece.

Volunteer Opportunities

We Need Your Help!

We are pleased to announce another new event that we will be running this year, called "Ask Me Anything". We are looking for mentors (technical and administrative) and coordinators to make this new event a success. Click here to volunteer.

We are starting to plan our Fall Picnic and need volunteers to help make it another fantastic event. Sign up here to be on our picnic committee.

Member Bios

Member Spotlight

This month's (ISC)² New Jersey Chapter member spotlight goes to our new board member, Marie Ivanov.

Marie has been an amazing volunteer, ever since she donned her (ISC)² sash at our first picnic! We are lucky to have her as a member and wish her nothing but success in her new role.

In the picture of her above, she helped Ken virtually join our picnic when he got COVID last year.

Current Initiatives

Join Our Discord Server!

We now have over 300 members on our Discord Server!

By adding a Discord server to the mix of our communication tools, we now have real-time collaboration between our members 24/7.

For those members that want to communicate on a variety of topics between meetings using Discord, just send Ken an email at president@isc2chapternj.org to get the link.

We are always looking for ideas and volunteers to help make Discord a better and fun place. Please reach out to bryon@isc2chapternj.org with ideas or ping him on Discord !

The members of the Discord Committee are Bryon Singh, Tran Cheung, Giovanni Mercado, John Linkowsky , Krishna Nekkalapudi, Matthew Lang, Michael LeBlanc, Nikunj Shah, Brett Smith and Saurabh Sagdeo.

Interview with Annie Zheng, Derek Andrade, and Yash Kothiya (student members of (ISC)² New Jersey Chapter) by Jose Rodriguez

Jose: Can you share any specific experiences or events from the chapter that have significantly contributed to your understanding of cybersecurity?

Annie: While at SECON NJ, the interviewing/resume review and the demystifying cyber panel. I learned what it takes to break into the industry and took notes on terminology.

Jose: Have you participated in the JuMPstart Mentorship Program or any other events the chapter offers? If so, could you share your experience?

Derek: At SECON NJ, I was drawn to the cybersecurity career path and the networking workshop. Thanks to Grace Chi and her organization, I could attend for free and connect with her and Stan Mierzwa, who introduced me to several chapter members.

Jose: How did you first learn about the (ISC)² New Jersey Chapter, and what motivated you to get involved?

Yash: During my research paper discussion with Professor Suman Kalia, he encouraged me to take the CISSP exam and attend the SECON NJ conference.

Jose: Are there any particular resources or initiatives provided by the chapter that you've found especially beneficial?

Yash: The Discord Server by (ISC)² New Jersey Chapter is the most beneficial to me right now because I can post on a channel if I need help on a particular subject.

Jose: How has your involvement with the chapter influenced your studies or career aspirations in cyber security?

Derek: The chapter helped me realize the wide scope of cybersecurity roles available, this allowed me to narrow down the cyber jobs I am going to pursue.

Jose: How do you think the (ISC)² New Jersey Chapter could further support students like yourself in their journey into the cybersecurity field?

Annie: Two things: 1. Please have more sponsored student tickets to events. This is how I was introduced to the chapter. 2. Perhaps more partnerships/advertisement with universities to advertise either digitally or through posters on the campus. I had no idea this existed and wouldn’t have had the opportunity to attend SECON NJ 2023 if I wasn’t invited with a pre-paid ticket.

Message from the JuMPstart Mentorship Program (JuMP) Committee - August Update

We hope this newsletter finds you in good health and enjoying the summer so far. Everything has been moving forward excellently in the mentorship program this month.

Thank you, as always to the mentors and mentees for their engagement and dedication. It takes effort to connect with people after hours to help and learn. Without this effort our community wouldn’t be the same. Thank you again.

Our program combined July and August into a single session to accommodate people taking vacation time. This has worked out really well for everyone involved and allowed everyone some time to connect with each other.

Once again thank you for your support of the chapter and contributing to our continued success. Enjoy the rest of the summer! Feedback continues to help us improve and make sure the program is meeting the adapting needs of everyone. If there are any questions, comments or feedback please email mentoring@isc2chapternj.org

Educational Training

NYU and (ISC)² New Jersey Chapter

The (ISC)² New Jersey Chapter and the New York University Tandon School of Engineering have formed a partnership to further educational and credentialing opportunities for students and the cybersecurity community.

In addition to participating in NYU Tandon events, lectures, career fairs, and other professional development activities, (ISC)² will offer students a full membership completely free, giving them access to a network of local industry leaders. As part of the agreement, (ISC)² members can sign up for The NYU Center for Cybersecurity (CCS) mailing list to stay current with research and events featuring leading faculty and industry partners at www.cyber.nyu.edu.

To learn more about this program, click here.

Grand Canyon University and (ISC)² New Jersey Chapter Partnership

We are proud to present to our fellow chapter members a new partnership we formed with Grand Canyon University!

Grand Canyon University’s Educational Alliance Participant (EAP) program provides a no-cost, non-exclusive opportunity to support your valued employees’ growth by helping them earn a degree, certificate or take a single course with scholarship benefits.

EAP partnership benefits:

10% off tuition scholarship on the degree or single course
Attend class 100% online with over 250 programs from which to choose
Ongoing support from a local counselor, plus free online tutoring, technical support and more

If you’re interested in learning more about this program, you can reach out directly to Lara Bogner by email lara.bogner@gcu.edu or call 602-247-4608.

https://www.gcu.edu/counselor/lara.bogner

Board of Directors

(ISC)² New Jersey Chapter 2023 Board of Directors

President:
Ken Fishkin - President@isc2chapternj.org

Secretary:
Mallik Prasad - Secretary@isc2chapternj.org

Treasurer:
Priyanka De Abrew - Treasurer@isc2chapternj.org

Education Director:
Jose Lagdameo - Director@isc2chapternj.org

Membership Chair:
John Manley - Membership@isc2chapternj.org

Communications Chair:
Tran Cheung - Communications@isc2chapternj.org

Co-Communications Chair:
Marie Ivanov - Marie@isc2chapternj.org

Co-Communications Chair:
Bryon Singh - Bryon@isc2chapternj.org

Mentorship Chair:
Matthew Lang - Mentoring@isc2chapternj.org

Co- Mentorship Chair:
Adam Shuren - Adam@isc2chapternj.org