Cyber networks – from students for students
Cybersecurity is important in our increasingly digitised society. Cyber Group ETH Student Initiative, a student-founded organisation, works to educate and inspire students about cybersecurity, for instance by hosting events such as the virtual Meet & Greet.
Cyber Group ETH Student Initiative aims to increase students' enthusiasm for and awareness of cybersecurity challenges. Brought to life and run by students, many of them from the Department of Computer Science, it organises events such as the virtual Meet & Greet to create a network between students from various courses and real-life cybersecurity experts and decision-makers.
"I have to admit, we were at first disheartened when COVID forced our hand to organise this event virtually," says Cyber Group co-founder Karin Holzhauser. "But we sat down and put a lot of effort into creating a virtual format that allows for active engagements between participants from different backgrounds." And that effort did not go unnoticed: more than 130 cyber enthusiasts took up the invitation from Cyber Group ETH Student Initiative to join the virtual event on October 28 in order to establish a network with and among ETH students. Students from all departments at ETH Zurich and cyber experts from public institutions, research, and industry, including many CEOs, CTOs, and CISOs, tackled various challenges together. "The participants truly brought the event to life with their curiosity and openness," says Karin Holzhauser. "We are very grateful for their engagement in this virtual format."
Real-life experts share their experience
The Meet & Greet started off with three introductory keynotes, which prepared the ground for the interaction in smaller groups. Florian Schütz, Federal Cyber Security Delegate, encouraged all present, regardless of whether they envision or already pursue a cybersecurity career, to "be responsible for the systems they build" and put safety first.
Professor Sarah Springman, Rector of ETH Zurich, highlighted the many opportunities available to students at ETH to become cyber-savvy. Citing Florian Schütz, himself an ETH alumnus, as an example of a successful career, she underlined the importance of the triad of academia, public institutions, and industry. She also mentioned the success of the Cyber Group's competition teams at the Cyber 09/12 Strategy Challenge in Geneva, where the ETH teams took the first five places as well as all the special awards. According to the Rector, this success is a perfect showcase of how rewarding students' engagement with experts can be.
Ralf Weissbeck, the CIO of the Adecco Group, used his personal experience with the NotPetya attack as an example that being a cybersecurity enthusiast is a lifelong race that demands constant engagement. He also used his keynote to remind everyone that being involved in cybersecurity not only requires technical skill but can become a question of ethics.
To showcase where the challenges of the field lie, the experts were asked about their biggest cybersecurity nightmare. Ralf Weissbeck mentioned budget discussions as one of the daunting real-life challenges. He encouraged the participants to not only celebrate those that handled a cyber crisis but also those that never allowed it to happen. Sarah Springman spoke about the value of an ETH degree and highlighted the importance of the measures taken to protect ETH student records from a cyberattack. All three highlighted the importance of a trusted network between academia, industry, and public institutions in tackling cybersecurity issues growing both in scale and complexity.
Challenging scenarios
Inspired by the keynotes, the evening changed pace and format. The audience celebrated the ETH competition teams' success at the Cyber 09/12 Strategy Challenge in Geneva and the hidden figures involved in the intense training process: the experts from ETH, industry, and public institutions that gave their time and knowledge and inspired a new generation of cybersecurity enthusiasts.
All participants had received a kit containing three cyber challenges and some energisers. Now, they engaged in break-out sessions, swapping teams and tackling a different challenge each time. "We want to let you experience the energy we felt when competing at the 09/12 challenge in Geneva", said Kyveli Mavromati, a member of one of ETH Zurich's winning competition teams and of the Meet & Greet organisation committee. "Just like our competition teams, you'll have to use everyone's perspective to find a satisfying result."
To simulate the competition experience, the break-out groups, while randomly assigned, always contained a mixture of students and experts. Together, they were thrown into a fictional but realistic scenario and had to choose the best way forward. "Creating these challenges was fascinating for us," recalls Cyber Group member Gabriela Krasnopolska. "We had to devise fictional cyber incidents that were plausible, needed immediate attention and allowed for a choice of equally plausible options."
The teams had to respond to an e-voting cyber incident, the dilemma of a pacemaker company threatened by cybercriminals demanding ransom, and lastly, a cyber incident concerning the European Energy Network. A quick vote followed each of the three rounds. "It was interesting to see how some teams and cyber experts chose an option that other teams had discredited rather quickly," recalls Cyber Group co-founder Robin Staab. "It shows the importance of communication and different perspectives for modern-day cybersecurity."
Tips for pursuing a career in cybersecurity
Lastly, the organisers invited all participants to a final round of discussions. Students had the chance to talk to real-world penetration testers, heads of government agencies, company CIOs and CISOs. They were able to gain insights into the daily life of a cybersecurity professional and even pick up a few personal tips for their future cyber career. This was much appreciated by student participants, like Data Science Master's student Claudio Ferrari. "I had incredible discussions with people I would not have met otherwise," he says.
"Judging from the many happy faces, this event was a success," says Kari Kostiainen, Senior Scientist at ETH Zurich and Director of Zurich Information Security Center (ZISC). The Cyber Group ETH Student Initiative shares that feeling and looks forward to creating more encounters. For example, it organises monthly Open Port events that offer deep-dives into cyber subjects or specific cyber careers. Students are also warmly invited to join one of the 2021 competition teams for the Cyber 09/12 Strategy Challenge or to become active in the Cyber Group itself.