A College of Education Technology and Distance Programʻs (TDP) donation to The Grey Hats, a prominent student-led cybersecurity organization, has been put to good use. On September 17, 2023, the group successfully hosted a hands-on training event in preparation for the 2024 National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (CCDC). The training was conducted on server equipment donated by TDP to facilitate virtual machines.
“In late 2022, we were looking to retire these old servers, so I got in touch with the UH Association of Computing Machinery (ACM) Student Chapter to see if they could make any use of them,” COE Programmer Patrick Karjala said. “They were all still perfectly serviceable and could be used by students for practicing their technical skills on real world applications and with real hardware.”
Spearheaded entirely by students, this comprehensive training session included students and alumni of the Information and Computer Sciences (ICS) Department. Virtual platforms provided participants with a realistic environment to test and hone their cybersecurity skills. Each student faced a series of defensive cybersecurity challenges while their progress was tracked and updated in real-time on a scoreboard.
Kanaʻi Gooding, who is the Association for Computing Machinery President, said, “While the event was rich in student initiative and alumni involvement, there was a noticeable absence of faculty involvement. Grey Hats recognizes the immense value that expert coaching can bring to its members. Therefore, the group is actively seeking a dedicated cybersecurity coach to further enhance their preparations for the CCDC and other future endeavors.”
About Grey Hats
Grey Hats is a passionate, student-led extracurricular organization with a vision for real-world cyber defense training. Their activities range from interactive sessions, discussions to intensive Capture the Flags (CTFs) & Cybersecurity-centric competitions like the National Cyber League and the National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition. The group promotes an inclusive environment where everyone, irrespective of skill level, can join and benefit.
Join the Movement
The Grey Hats welcomes all. Meetings are held in the ICSpace (POST 318B) and over Zoom on Tuesdays from 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm. To get involved and stay updated, prospective members are encouraged to join the Grey Hats Discord. Details can be found via the provided link: Grey Hats Discord. Contact: Mahie K Crabbe, (808) 386-4263.
