There’s no debate: cybersecurity is becoming an increasingly relevant topic. With risk rising due to AI-enabled adversaries, how can cybersecurity professionals continue to keep pace? It is more crucial now than ever that the industry makes space at the table for everyone to contribute to the conversation: how do we protect ourselves and our digital infrastructure?
This is why events like the Champlain College Women in Cyber Summit are important foundations for advancing cybersecurity. The annual event brings high school students, advisors, college students, and cybersecurity professionals together to discuss recent cybersecurity frameworks, careers, and ways to make the industry more accessible.
I had the opportunity to attend the event this year. Here is an inside look at the conversations, speeches, and workshops we covered.
Empowering The Next Generation of Cybersecurity Leaders
The Women in Cyber Summit is built for a wide audience. Whether you’re a professional or a high school student wanting to see what a cybersecurity career might look like, you’re bound to leave having learned something new. A lively Q&A followed each session, with professionals and students contributing to discussions about the cybersecurity profession, where it is going, and how AI is impacting it.
Digital Forensics major Mila Delmas ’27 helped run the event this year as a member of Champlain’s Women in Cybersecurity (WiCys) student chapter. Mentoring and helping other young adults, especially underrepresented populations in the industry, isn’t new to Delmas. Before starting college, she attended our Cybersecurity & Digital Forensics pre-college summer program. Fast forward a couple of years, and she served as a student mentor for the program, introducing high school students to the world of cybersecurity.
“Everyone should have a good baseline of cybersecurity,” Delmas said. “Whether that’s just knowing not to put your password out in the open or use your birthday for it. Simple things like that go a long way.”
Vermont high school student Ana-Marie Salisbury also attended the event. She’s been part of Champlain’s Cyber Start program, a dual-enrollment initiative that allows students to take cybersecurity courses while still in high school. “I think [cybersecurity] is really interesting, and a good way to help out,” she stated. “I’m excited to be here and learn more about joining cybersecurity.”
The event was also attended by several Champlain College faculty and alumni.
“We need people who aren’t afraid to ask their questions,” stated Jessica Turner ‘22, G’24, in her opening speech. “Ask questions, be curious, and don’t be afraid to take up space.” Turner is a member of the Champlain College Women in Cybersecurity Leadership Council.
The day’s keynote speaker was Stephanie Gass, Senior Director of Information Security at the Center of Internet Security (CIS). Her talk showed her non-linear career path from financial security to cybersecurity.
“Cybersecurity is a part of our everyday lives, but we don’t treat it that way. We need to understand that we’re advocates, we need to tell people [it’s important],” Gass said. “It is not in our [early ed] curriculums, but we need to understand that this is protecting the future.”
Hands-On Learning
Attendees were invited to join hands-on workshops throughout the day, ranging from breaking down and repairing laptops or phones to finding Bitcoin wallets in a Capture The Flag scenario. These workshops were led by Champlain student club leaders, The Leahy Center, and Champlain College faculty.
During the event, I had the opportunity to try the Tear IT Apart! workshop, led by Cyber Tech, a team from The Leahy Center that specializes in high school outreach and provides a cybersecurity curriculum.
I took on the task of taking apart a laptop, and despite it taking a while to find the right screwdriver head, I eventually was able to see directly into the back of the laptop. From there, I could theoretically swap out parts, add a new battery, or replace other aspects of the laptop myself without hiring a repairman.
These hands-on workshops provide the opportunity to learn something new about cybersecurity without prior knowledge.
Digital Forensics major Benjamin McKeever ‘27 is a Team Lead for Cyber Tech and ran the workshop.
“A lot of people are learning new things, like disassembling electronics. They’re finding out it’s easier than it looks,” McKeever stated. “It’s awesome having discussions with the students. I think it’s so important for high school students to participate in events like these.”
Additional workshops included Fingerprinting the Scam Factory: Catching Crypto Investment Fraud, where students competed to find the most cryptocurrency scams in a game of Capture The Flag, and From Phone to Courtroom: Mobile Forensics in Digital Justice, where students learned what it’s like to forensically investigate a phone through case studies and hands-on investigations.
Build A Bigger Table
nuHarbor employee Finn Rhoads emphasized during the Decoding Cyber Careers panel: “Don’t build walls, build a bigger table. Spend that time dedicated to inclusion. It is hard to be a woman in cyber or anything outside of the norm. I have a lot to bring to the table, so I make sure to carve out space.”
“There’s a lot of feeling like you might not be for this field,” said Computer Networking & Cybersecurity major Rune Seregina ‘27, a member of Champlain’s WiCyS chapter. It’s important to build this community and understand there are people out there who have similar experiences and who are really successful.”
The Women in Cyber Summit is one way Champlain is building pathways for women in the field and helping this community flourish. From high school students to industry professionals, we’re expanding our table and inviting you to the conversation.
Stay tuned for the dates and registration for our October 2027 Women in Cyber Summit.
Interested in learning more about Champlain?
Fill out this form!
Author
