CSNP's June Newsletter
Pride Month, Computing Pioneer Turing, and CSNP's Commitment to Growing Diversity in Cybersecurity
Celebrating Pride Month means more than helping amplify voices and asserting the importance of embracing diversity and inclusion for people of all walks of life. For CSNP, we’re actively working to spread awareness of cybersecurity amongst all people—especially amongst those underrepresented in the industry—with the hope and recognition that helping to grow a more diverse, equal, and inclusive cybersecurity field means a stronger, more innovative, and robust field. It’s difficult to overstate the importance of being adaptable and creative in addressing the challenges that emerge in information security at a pace unlike we’ve ever seen.
In this issue, please take a look at the upcoming education sessions from CSNP and venture into the archive of events past.
This month we also celebrate the contribution of Alan Turing who was the father of modern computer science and artificial intelligence. He was also a gay man who was persecuted—and even prosecuted—because of that fact, a reminder that an intolerant, non-inclusive past is never too far behind us, and still carries echoes in modern society.
We all can play a role in bringing others into the field and helping them feel welcome and valued. We’re always looking to reach new people, so please spread the word about CSNP with those for whom cybersecurity might be a new world, and even as a potential career path.
How One Man Paved the Way for Modern Day Cybersecurity
Alan Turing is considered the father of modern computer science and artificial intelligence. Turing's work has had a profound impact on the field of cybersecurity. His contributions have helped to make it possible to protect our critical infrastructure and systems from cyberattacks. He made significant contributions to the field of cybersecurity, including:
The Turing Test – Turing developed the Turing Test, a test of a machine's ability to exhibit intelligent behavior equivalent to, or indistinguishable from, that of a human. The Turing Test is still used today as a benchmark for artificial intelligence.
The Enigma Machine – During World War II, Turing led a team of codebreakers at Bletchley Park who were able to crack the Enigma machine, a German cipher machine that was used to encrypt military communications. This was a major turning point in the war, and it is estimated that it shortened the war by several years.
CAPTCHA – CAPTCHAs, or Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart, are used to prevent automated bots from accessing websites and services. CAPTCHAs are based on the Turing Test, and they require users to solve a challenge that is easy for humans but difficult for computers.
In addition to his work on cybersecurity, Turing also made significant contributions to the fields of mathematics, logic, and artificial intelligence. He is considered one of the most important figures in the history of computing, and his work continues to inspire and influence researchers today.
Sadly, his life ended at age 41 from cyanide poisoning. Turing was prosecuted under laws that prohibited homosexual acts and he only avoided prison by agreeing to chemical castration, which has since compelled a formal apology from the British government and resulted in the Alan Turing Law, a 2017 correction in UK law which struck down convictions of anyone who had been convicted of related acts.
Source: Historical compilation aided by Bard AI
Leveraging ChatGPT for Resume Optimization and CV Writing: A Comprehensive Guide
By Nathali Cano
In today's competitive job market, crafting an outstanding resume or curriculum vitae (CV) is essential for grabbing the attention of potential employers. With the advent of advanced language models like ChatGPT, you now have a powerful tool at your disposal to optimize and enhance your resume or CV. In this guide, we will explore how to effectively utilize ChatGPT to refine your professional document and increase your chances of landing your dream job. Read more here.
Brace for Impacket! Detecting a Red Team (and Threat Actor) Favorite
By Micah Babinski
The mighty Impacket, an open-source Python library for conducting network-based attacks, was the second most prevalent threat that RedCanary observed last year, affecting more than one in twenty of their customers! Impacket is popular with both legitimate penetration testers and Red Teamers, as well as cybercriminals and their counterparts in foreign adversary government hacking teams. In this piece, Micah Babinski shares Impacket basics, explains how Impacket tools are used by malign actors, shows examples of Impacket tools in action, explores how to detect some of the lesser-known tools, and documents sharable Sigma rules to try on your own.Read more here.
Visit the CSNP blog page to review all past articles, including a number of compelling topics during the month of May:
Securing Minds, Safeguarding Data: The Intersection of Mental Health Awareness and Cybersecurity
The Defender’s Guide to Windows Services - By Luke Paine & Jonathan Johnson
The Ransomware Control Matrix: Introducing a New Framework - By Ed Rojas
The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence - By Jonathan Gonzalez
Missed the May Webinar? (One of our most popular yet!) Check it out on the CSNP YouTube Channel
May 25, 2023 - Attracting Recruiters: An Efficient Method to Land Jobs Faster by Nathali Cano
Cybersecurity Engineer Nathali Cano shares her experience on the effectiveness of attracting recruiters to land jobs faster and more effectively! In this webinar, she explored the benefits of understanding the processes of recruiters, strategies for attracting their attention, the critical importance of developing industry relevant video projects and how to build lasting relationships with them. Check out this opportunity to learn from an expert and take your tech career to the next level! Click here to watch on YouTube.
Coming soon!
Watch for announcements about a Cyber Security Virtual Trivia Night in August and a Backdoors and Breaches Night in September!
Catch up on previous webinars here.
Sponsor an Event, Share Experience, Get Involved and Help CSNP Broaden its Reach
CSNP's efforts only happen because of the dedication of our committed volunteers and contributions from sponsors. And the reason we're here for you is to make sure the content and resources we're providing further the CSNP mission and meet the needs of those rely on us. If you're interested in getting involved, please reach out to us and share how you'd like to help. If you, your organization, or an organization you know of is able to sponsor an event please contact us through our sponsors link on CSNP.org.
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