ISC2 New Jersey Chapter Newsletter

Editor-in-Chief: Tran Cheung

Welcome to the ISC2 New Jersey Chapter's September 2024 Issue!

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

Special thanks to Patricia Guroff and Sharon Kelley for supporting this month's publication!

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

Ken's Korner

Message from the President

It's been four years since I've been President of this awesome organization and I am still astounded by the passion that our volunteers continue to have for this chapter! We are growing in so many new directions, it' isn't hard to see why we just won the two new awards (show above) from ISC2! Congrats to everyone who helped make this possible!

I implore you to get active in one of the myriad of programs that we now offer. Volunteering the best way to give back to our community so we can continue making our chapter a world-class organization.

Chapter News

Welcome Aboard, New Chapter Members!

This month we welcomed 15 new members! The chapter continues to expand its reach to security practitioners across the country and around the world.

Great to meet you all and glad you joined us!

Nirad Shah, Janet Nieto, Danny Baez, Sanjeev Gupta, Alexander Stubbs, Maciej Gajda, Robert Fernandes, Myriam Ibrahim, Aaron Behrens, Jason Palmer, Craig Clark, Regina Hargrove, Darryl Carpenter, Dan Varughese, and Mohammed Aamiri.

New Initiatives

Our Chapter Has Gone Social!

Thanks to super volunteer Alex Velez's hard work, we are now up on most of the social media platforms! Click here to check us out on Instagram, YouTube, X, Facebook and more!

Unencrypted Chatter, the ISC2 New Jersey Chapter Podcast!

Our "Unencrypted Chatter" Podcast is now on Spotify, Apple, Amazon Music and YouTube!

Our first podcast series, Jersey Girls in Cyber, is live for this month with our hosts Marie Wang, Claudia Hernandez and Aneta Klepacka and our special guest, Michael Redmond, former Deputy CISO of a large municipality!

We also launched our Volunteer Chatter podcast series with our host Marie Wang and her guest, chapter member Alex Velez.

Check out these video episodes on Spotify, YouTube or Apple or Amazon.

Introducing Our New Internship Program: ISC2 New Jersey Cyber Guardians!

Congrats to our two new interns for our NJ Cyber Guardians program: Christopher Bennett and Fatima Williams!

The ISC2 New Jersey Chapter has identified the need to address cyber threats as a major concern for non-profit groups that often lack necessary resources to combat cyber risks.

In response to this need, we have established ISC2 New Jersey Cyber Guardians, a high-level program designed to provide cybersecurity assessment services to the 501(c)(3) (nonprofit) community while empowering and advancing the next generation of cybersecurity professionals through internship opportunities.

We intend to launch the initiative this year with the assistance of the Center for Cyber Safety and Education.

**If you know of any non-profit, NJ-based organizations that might be in need of this service, please reach out to Ken Fishkin at president@isc2chapternj.org.

Special thanks to Grace Chi for creating our logo!

Going For Your Certified in Cybersecurity Certification?

ISC2 New Jersey Chapter is proud to be actively involved in the ISC2 1MCC Partner Program! We provide a pathway for potential candidates from our thriving network and help support individuals through training, exam pass and to becoming a CC holder.

To help you on your journey to achieve the CC, please click here to register for it. After registering, we'll be able to see your progress and be able to provide guidance and encouragement if you need it.

Event Recap

Cloud Risk Management Training

Adnan Rafique, MS Cyber Security, led a highly anticipated Cloud Risk Management Seminar to a sold-out, in-person crowd (plus online attendees)! Participants gained practical knowledge and insights to enhance their cloud management capabilities. The event's Happy Hour was a great way for attendees to share ideas and network.

Thank you Adnan for sharing your expertise and to Cipher for sponsoring this event!

ISC2 New Jersey Chapter Fall Picnic

ISC2 New Jersey's Fall Picnic was held September 14, 2024. We had a great turnout and enjoyed spending time with our ISC2 friends and family.

Special thanks to our picnic committee volunteers who made this happen! Sharon, Marie, Ed, Jose, Tran, Jon, Alex V., Sanina, Krishna, Muthukumar and Mallik!

This year was also the first time we had a sponsor. Thank you so much Enzo for having IBM sponsor the food. It was delicious!

To see all the pics, click here.

Recap of September Monthly Meeting

Last month, Charlene Deaver-Vazquez gave an informative talk on Cybersecurity Risk Quantification. You can watch the recording of her presentation here and download her slides here.

Also, Matt Lang and the rest of the Mentorship Committee introduced members to our highly successful Mentorship Program.

You can check out their presentation here.

NY Metro Joint Cyber Security Conference

Various security-related chapters get together annually to pull of this annual conference. It was packed with dozens of dynamic speakers from all over the tri-state area.

Roughly 200 people attended this event and it was great to catch up with old friends and meet so many new ones.

Senior Scam and Fraud Awareness Committee Update

Last month, Anicee Monfleury had the pleasure of presenting at the Closter Senior Citizens Club in Closter, NJ, alongside her dedicated team members, Sammy Cordero and Ime Iyonsi. We are proud members of the Senior Scam and Fraud Awareness Committee of the ISC2 New Jersey Chapter committed to protecting and educating our senior community. They were honored to be invited by former FBI Special Agent, Cochi Ho, who also shared his invaluable insights during the presentation.

Upcoming Events

The Monthly CMMC Roundtable - October 09, 2024

Cybersecurity attacks are on the rise and as such poses an existential threat to organizations regardless of size, industry or geographic footprint. Due to the sophistication of today’s cybersecurity attacks, governments around the world are also vulnerable to security breaches. To protect American intellectual property and national security information, the Department of Defense (DoD) developed the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program to reinforce the importance of the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) cybersecurity for safeguarding the information that supports and enables our defense forces.

The CMMC Roundtable meets monthly to have meaningful and inclusive interactions, where participants have an opportunity to contribute their insights and engage in conversations on a variety of relevant CMMC topics. We invite you to join us as having insights provided by someone who has faced a particular CMMC related issue(s) can be more useful than just reading about it. The Round Table not only provides a platform to share ideas, but it also provides opportunities for networking, skill development and potential marketing opportunities.

Date: October 09, 2024
Time: 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Location:‬‭ Virtual

Agenda focus: A brief introduction to the CMMC Ecosystem and a Recap of the September Cyber-AB Town Hall. There will also be a presentation of the MSP perspective by SVAM International and the C3PAO perspective by DataSoft Now.

Register here.

New Member Welcome Meeting, October 10, 2024

Are you a new or nearly new NJ Chapter member? If so, join one of our upcoming orientation (welcome) meetings, where you can learn about all the chapter benefits and ask questions about membership.

Our membership co-chairs, Sharon and Sam run this virtual welcome meeting on the third Thursday of each month. Click here to register for our next welcome meeting on Thursday, October 10th at 6pm. The meeting will last approximately 20 minutes and will be recorded and sent to new members who weren't able to join.

Public Speaking Workshop - October 10, 2024

Date: Thursday, October 10, 2024
Time: 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET.
Location: Virtual Event

Register here.

NJ BIZCON Cybersecurity, October 16, 2024

Please consider joining the cybersecurity and information security community to focus on the CMMC framework on Oct. 16, 2024, at Kean STEM. Free parking, admission, and food/refreshments will be available.

The goal of this gathering is to place specific emphasis on CMMC and the implications for DoD consultants and contractors. For more information, please refer to the event link.

Register here.

Monthly Chapter Meeting - October 24, 2024

For our October meeting, we'll hear from former FBI special agent, Cochi Ho and SAP security expert, Gaurav Singh.

Date: Thursday, October 24, 2024
Time: 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Location: Virtual

Register here.

Capture the Flag Event - October 27, 2024

The ISC2 New Jersey Chapter will be holding its first Capture the Flag for Novices event at St. Peter's University, in conjunction with Pace University. This is an entry-level event, so everyone can join the fun. If you've ever wanted to participate in Capture the Flag, but weren't sure what to expect, don't miss this opportunity to participate in this classic security event! This is an in-person event.

Date: Sunday, October 27, 2024
Time: 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. ET
Location: MacMahon Student Center, 47 Glenwood Avenue, Jersey City, NJ 07306

Register here.

Cyber Pathways is Back! Save the Date - October 28th - November 14th

We are bringing back our Cyber Pathways program, which was a big success this past Spring. This initiative aims to help students and career transitioners who are looking to break into the cybersecurity industry and learn more about the various roles and opportunities within it.

November Monthly Meeting, November 21, 2024

For our November Monthly Meeting, we'll hear from Jeff Tomkiewicz and Shekar Gadekar

Date: Thursday, November 21, 2024
Time: 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Location: Virtual

3rd Annual SECON International Conference - December 4, 2024

Date: Wednesday, December 4, 2024
Time: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. ET
Location: Virtual

Register here.

Holiday Dinner - December 10, 2024

Join us on December 10th for a fun filled evening! We had such a wonderful time at the Armory that we're doing it again! Tickets will be $30 for chapter members and $60 for guests. Tickets can be purchased here!

Date: Tuesday, December 10, 2024
Time: 6 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Location: The Armory, Perth Amboy

Volunteer Opportunities

Our Cyber Pathways Event Needs Volunteers!

The Ask: We are looking for experienced professionals who are interested in talking about their area(s) of expertise, specifically in the following domains:

Application Security, Digital Forensics / Incident Response, Cryptography, Threat Intelligence, GRC, Malware Research, SOC Analyst and Sales Engineer

Format: A 30 minute virtual Q&A session on Discord (similar experience as Zoom) with an intro about yourself and the domain you chose to speak about.

Date/Time: This event will run October 28th through November 14th (Mondays-Thursdays from 6-8:30pm)

If you are interested in volunteering for this event, please sign up here for a 30-minute slot by using this link below. Please choose as many dates and times you can dedicate, we will use this as backup.

Current Initiatives

JuMPstart Mentorship Program

Dear Members,

As we move further into autumn, we wanted to give you an update on our mentorship program's progress and our committee's ongoing efforts.

Progress Update on Qooper Integration
Last month, we shared our excitement about engaging Qooper to enhance our mentorship program. While the platform's launch is taking a bit longer than expected, we are now targeting a November go-live. This extra time will ensure a smooth transition with all necessary tools, integrations, and training in place.

Qooper will bring substantial improvements, including auto-matching, availability management, and easier CPE tracking—all designed to enhance your mentor-mentee experience. We appreciate your patience and are excited about the positive changes ahead.

Committee Update
Despite our focus on Qooper, the committee continues to perform excellently, keeping all activities on track and constantly improving the mentorship experience.

Thank You for Your Support
Thank you to all mentors, mentees, and participants for your dedication and enthusiasm. Your energy makes our community flourish, and we look forward to the positive impact Qooper will bring. If you have any questions or need help, please reach out to mentoring@isc2chapternj.org.

Warm regards, Matthew Lang and The Mentorship Committee

Senior Scam and Fraud Awareness: Strengthening Our Community

Since our formation, the Senior Scam and Fraud Awareness Committee has been dedicated to educating and empowering senior citizens against the growing threats of scams and fraud.

In just a few months, our committee has made significant strides by conducting numerous presentations and workshops at local senior centers. These efforts are focused on providing our community with the knowledge and tools they need to recognize and avoid common scams, ensuring the protection of their personal information and financial well-being.

We hold our committee meetings once a month on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. and would love for interested members to join us. Your participation can make a significant difference in our efforts.

We encourage ISC2 NJ Chapter members to help us spread the word about helping our seniors stay cybersafe. If you know of any senior communities or organizations that could benefit from our presentations, we would love to hear from you.

Thank you for your continued support, and stay tuned for more updates and tips from our committee. Together, we can help protect our seniors from scams and fraud.

If you have any questions or would like to get involved, please contact Anicee Monfleury or Sammy Acordero.

Join Our Discord Server!

We now have roughly 500 members on our Discord Server!

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

By adding a Discord server to the mix of our communication tools, we now have real-time collaboration between our members 24/7. Looking for a job or for some advice on bettering yourself on the job? Find it here!

Our Discord Server is a dynamic hub for job seekers, offering firsthand job opportunities in various IT and Cyber positions from chapter members. It's also a resource for members seeking internships, aiming to enhance their skill sets, or wanting to share resumes for reviews and feedback (including interview skills assistance). In addition to our website and newsletter, we announce upcoming events through Discord Server notifications. You'll receive regular reminders, so you won’t miss out on our engaging events! Moreover, our mentorship program is hosted on Discord, facilitating interaction with mentors during your cohort.

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.

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.

Educational Training

NYU and ISC2 New Jersey Chapter

The ISC2 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, ISC2 will offer students a full membership for $10, giving them access to a network of local industry leaders. As part of the agreement, ISC2 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 cyber.nyu.edu.

To learn more about this program, click here.

Board of Directors

ISC2 New Jersey Chapter 2024 Board of Directors

President: Ken Fishkin - President@isc2chapternj.org

Secretary: Mallik Prasad - Secretary@isc2chapternj.org

Treasurer: Priyanka De Abrew - Treasurer@isc2chapternj.org

Education Chair: John Linkowsky - Education@isc2chapternj.org

Co-Membership Chair: Sharon Kelley - Sharon@isc2chapternj.org

Co-Membership Chair: Samantha Snellen - Samantha@isc2chapternj.org

Co-Communications Chair: Tran Cheung - Communications@isc2chapternj.org

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

Co-Mentorship Chair: Matthew Lang - Mentoring@isc2chapternj.org

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

Events Planner: Marie Ivanov - marie@isc2chapternj.org