Sincethestartoftheschoolyear,LBCSIhaskeptbusy.Weʼvewelcomednew students,competedinthefirsttworoundsofCyberPatriot,andcompetedintheCyber BattleoftheNordic-BalticsinEstoniaforthethirdyear.Fromparticipatinginthe NationalCryptologicFoundationʼsCyberFeud,co-hostedbytheMarylandSTEM Festival,tohostinganewroundofguestspeakers,wearethrilledtoshowyouwhat weʼvebeenuptolately!
FromOctober29thtoNovember3rd,membersofLBCSIwereinTartu,Estoniaforthe CyberBattleofNordicBalticsforthe3rdconsecutiveyear.ThisyearʼsteamUSAwas composedofCaseyNazelrodʻ25,EmmettOmronʻ25,MatthewKocorowskiʻ26,RyanWachter ʻ26,andConnorCounselmanʻ26.ThetripstartedwitheveryoneflyingintoFrankfurt,then Tallinn,withatraintoTartutofinishthelongjourney.Thenextday,LBCSImetupwith Andreas,ourEstonianexchangestudentfromMarchofthisyear,whohelpedusexploreTartu duringourdowntime.
Onthethirdday,theteamheadedovertotheUniversityofTartufortheCyberBattle ofTheNordicBaltics.Thecompetitionbeganpromptlyat10amandranuntil5pm.Estonian singerandtelevisionhostKarl-ErikTaukarbeganthenationallytelevisedeventwithPhase1 ofthechallenge.Eachphasegave120or90minutestosolvethechallenges,growingmore difficultandcomplexthanthelast.A erthecompetition,LBCSImetwithSethWyngowski,a diplomatfortheUSEmbassyinTallinn,todiscussavarietyoftopicsrelatedtocybersecurity andcareerpaths.ThankyoutoSethWyngowskiandtheUSEmbassyinEstoniaforsupporting usduringourtimeinTallinn.
OnNovember14th,tenmembersofLBCSIsplitintotwo teamstocompeteintheMarylandStemfestivalʼsCyberFeud, runbytheNationalCryptologicFoundationandMaryland StemFestival,hostedatLoyolaBlakefield.Thecompetition sawschoolsfrom8countiesandBaltimoreCityanswer cybersecurity-relatedtriviainaFamilyFeudformat.
CongratulationstotheCareerandTechnologyAcademyfromCalvertCountryforwinning, andaspecialthankstoPhilRogosky,Dr.AlishaJordan,ChristineHarding,RebeccaDiamond, LauraNelson,JamesWalsh,KennedyTaylor,andDarnellWashingtonformakingtheevent happen.
InOctober,membersoftheleadershipteamandotherspresentedatLoyola Blakefieldʼsopenhouse,showingoffarevampedInternetofThings(IoT)City.Memberstalked toprospectiveparentsandstudentsaboutLoyolaBlakefieldʼscybersecurityclub,andthe schoolasawhole.ThankyoutoeveryonewhocametoOpenHouse,andwelookforwardto nextyear.
OnSeptember30th,WillCoyneʻ25 andNathanPorterʻ27wenttoSacredHeart ofGlyndonSchooltogiveapresentationto theirmiddleschooloninternetsafety, reputation,andfindingcommonground.We wouldliketothankSacredHeartofGlyndon forinvitingus,andprovidingsuchan attentiveaudience.Ifyourmiddle/high schooloroneyouknowwouldlikeLBCSI memberstogiveadigitalawareness/safetypresentation,pleasecontactWillCoyneʻ25 (wccoyne2025@loyolablakefield.org)orSteveMorrill(smorrill@loyolablakefield.org).
OnOctober15th,beginnerandreturner membersofLBCSIjoinedtogetherforthe InsignisRetreat.TheInsignisRetreatisan a erschoolexperiencethatreflectsonthe yearsofarandtheyearahead.Theprimary goaloftheretreatencompassedthe overarchingthemesofhowmembersare joiningsomethinggreaterthanthemselves, andwhy.Duringtheretreat,students participatedineventssuchasacampus-widescavengerhunt,dinner,andgroupdiscussions. Theeventallowedtheclubtoformaclose-knitcommunity,withnewandreturningmembers meetingeachotherforo enthefirsttime.
OnOctober25-27thandNovember 14-17th,teamsfromaroundtheworldcompeted intheAirForceAssociationʼs(AFA)competition, CyberPatriot.Teamsfromaroundtheworld competeforatopprizeof$50,000.Teamswork overafourhourperiodtosecureWindows,Linux, andCiscosystemswithateamof4-6people.The top12teamsfromaroundtheworldgetanall expensespaidtriptoBethesda,MDforachanceat $50,000.LBCSIhas12highschooland3 middleschoolteamscompetingin CyberPatriot,withteamsleadingthe Marylandrankings.
OnOctober9th,WillCoyneʻ25,EmmettOmronʻ25,James Ballardʻ26,WillBallardʻ26.KaiCookeʻ26,ChristianTonyʻ26,and ConnorCounselmanʻ26wenttoSt.IgnatiusAcademytohelpset uptheirnewcomputersforstudentuse.ThankyoutoSt.Ignatius AcademyforgivingLBCSItheopportunitytohelp.
JackWachter,afreshmanattheGeorgiaInstituteofTechnology,recently competedinHackGT11,aflagshiphackathonwithover1,500competitors.Heand twootherGeorgiaTechstudentscreatedaso warecalledAerLockthatsecuresallof apersonʼsdeviceswiththeclickofabutton.Theteamwonfirstplaceinthe AnalyticsArcadetrackofthecompetitionthatfocusesoninnovationthrough data-drivensolutions.“Wearecontinuingtheprojectandhopingtodevelopitinto anEDRplatformasapartoftheCreateXthatweentereda erthecompletionofthe competition.”Youcanreadmoreabouttheprojectathttps://www.aerlock.co/.
AnshulChelapurath,asophomoreattheGeorgiaInstituteofTechnology,recentlybecamea teacherassistantforCS1332DataStructuresandAlgorithms,facilitatingtheteachingto1000+ students.Overthesummer,healsodidnetworkemulationworkatSandiaNationalLaboratoriesʼ Minimega,anuclearresearchlab.
SawyerJones,asenioratUniversityofMarylandCollegePark,recentlyhadaso ware engineeringinternshipatTRowePriceoverthesummer,andwillbestartingfulltimea erhis graduation.
OnNovember11th,LBCSIwelcomedformermember CharlieHaleʻ23backtocampustotalktomembersabout hisexperienceinLBCSI,andthelessonsheʼslearnedinhis timeattheNavalAcademy.Charlieiscurrentlya Midshipman3rdclassintheU.S.NavalAcademy,witha focusoncyberintelligence.Charliewasalsoafiveyear memberofLBCSI,aswellasamemberoftheleadershipteam,servingasFieldOperations LeadduringhissenioryearatLoyola.ThankyoutoCharlieforreturningtoLBCSIandtalking tomembersaboutyouradventures!
OnNovember13th,LBCSIhostedmembersofConstellationEnergyʼsseniorcyber leadership.BillEdwards,KathyBosse,andDanielBarttalkedtomembersabouttheircareers andhowcybersecurityisavastfieldthatmultiplecareersrelyuponittodotheirjobs,and openedupforquestionsattheend.ThankyoutoMr.Edwards,Ms.Bosse,andMr.Bartfor comingtocampusandpresentingtoourmembers.
The8theditionofLBC2willbecomingtoLoyola BlakefieldonMarch29,2025,from9AM-3PM.LBC2isa CapturetheFlag(CTF)-styleeventbuiltcompletelyby studentmembersofLBCSI.Theentiredayisfreeforallcompetitors,withacomplimentary breakfastandlunchbeingserved.LBC2hastwodivisions:beginner,adivisionforthosenew toCTFcompetitions,andadvanced,adivisionforthemoreexperiencedcompetitors.LBC2 willfeaturethereturnofIoTCity,atownbuiltbyEmmettOmronʻ25andCaseyNazelrodʻ25 thatisdesignedtoreplicaterealworldcybersecuritydevicesinasafe-to-useenvironment.If youorsomeoneyouknowisinterestedincompetinginLBC2,visithttps://lbc2.org/formore infoaboutthecompetition.Pleasereachouttolbc2staff@gmail.comwithanyquestions.
ManyLBCSImembershaveindustrystandardcertificationsthathavepreparedthemin thefieldofcybersecurityandcomputerscience.WeʼreproudofourDons,andwelook forwardtowhattheyʼlldo!
AcontinuedthankyougoestotheEdwardSt.JohnFoundationPresident, Ms.SharonAkers.Weappreciatethecontinuedinterestinthedevelopmentof ourcyberstudents,andwelookforwardtocontinuingourworkwiththese sponsorsinthefuture.
Thankyouallfortakingthetimetoreadthisyearʼs 2024FallNewsletter!Yourcontinuedinterestand supportiswhatmakesoureffortspossible.As always,RollDonsRoll!
Thanksagain, WillCoyneʻ25, RyanWachterʻ26, NathanPorterʻ27, Mr.StephenMorrill, TheentiretyofLoyolaBlakefieldʼsCyberScienceInitiative