UAB Students Win First Place in Cybersecurity Division of Summer Open Hackathon

Strategic Insights -

Students Hunter Forsythe and Williams Beaumont, both from the University of Alabama at Birmingham's (UAB) Department of Computer Science, successfully competed against hundreds of participants in the cybersecurity division of the Summer Open Hackathon, securing the first place spot. The team was comprised of Forsythe, Beaumont, and Mallory Hamilton, an undergraduate cybersecurity student at the University of Alabama. Forsythe and Beaumont are students in UAB's Master of Science in Cybersecurity program and members of the CyberCorps Scholarship for Service program, funded by the National Science Foundation.

Key Takeaways:

  • The team of students, consisting of Forsythe, Beaumont, and Hamilton, designed a security dashboard to test the cybersecurity knowledge of employees and provide training when necessary.
  • The assignment focused on presenting a prototype and describing its integration, allowing the students to differentiate themselves creatively during the pitch.
  • Forsythe and Beaumont credited their success to the faculty and staff at UAB, noting that the skills they gained in the Computer Science department prepared them to demonstrate their value to future employers.
  • The team's success is a testament to their dedication and the strength of UAB's cybersecurity curriculum, as well as the resources provided through the CyberCorps Scholarship for Service program.
  • The CyberCorps Scholarship for Service program is designed to create a qualified cybersecurity workforce for the nation.
  • Forsythe and Beaumont won their second time competing in a hackathon, highlighting their teamwork and communication skills.
  • The students' achievement showcases the real-world impact of the skills gained from UAB's Computer Science department.

Statistics:

  • The CyberCorps Scholarship for Service program is funded by the National Science Foundation.
  • The team of students consisted of 3 members: Forsythe, Beaumont, and Hamilton.
  • The students won their second time competing in a hackathon.
  • The team designed a security dashboard that allows companies to test the cybersecurity knowledge of their employees and provide training when necessary.
  • The dashboard included features such as a website tracking training status, phishing scam test emails, and training documents for employees.

Sources:

  • The CyberCorps Scholarship for Service program, funded by the National Science Foundation.
  • The University of Alabama at Birmingham's Department of Computer Science.
  • Yuliang Zheng, Ph.D., chair of the UAB College of Arts and Sciences' Department of Computer Science.
  • Ragib Hasan, Ph.D., professor of computer science and director of the UAB Center for Cybersecurity.