From taking notes in class to applying what they’ve learned to real world scenarios, seven student employees joined UNLV’s Information Security Office (ISO) this past summer to refine what they’ve been learning in their master’s program and continue adding on skills needed for their future careers. The students joined the team starting this May as graduate students pursuing their master’s degree in management information systems (MIS) or computer science and economics.

“This summer was the first time we’ve added a large group of students onto our team,” said Senior Information Security Analyst Jason Griffin. “I think it was really successful, with a couple of our student workers now in cybersecurity positions across various industries.”  

Carlos Barreras and Lashawn Tith were two students who joined the ISO throughout the summer, graduating this past spring with their masters of science in cybersecurity. Tith now works as a cybersecurity analyst for Home Depot, gathering and analyzing data to identify and fix security vulnerabilities. Simultaneously, Barreras is currently a cybersecurity coordinator under the Office of the Military for the State of Nevada where he develops and maintains technical documents, manages budgets for equipment and training, and facilitates communication with various Nevada state offices. 

“Being a part of the ISO exposed me to real world security challenges, allowing me to gain hands-on experience in policy development, technical documents, and incident response,” says Barreras. “The ISO team was always supportive, and simple mistakes were seen as learning opportunities, helping me better understand the tasks and their purpose. This positive and growth-oriented atmosphere made the experience particularly rewarding.”

Throughout the summer, the student’s main focus was vulnerability remediation with a goal to efficiently enhance the university’s cybersecurity.

“I have been working on a tool that can identify vulnerabilities, which can then be used to collaborate with different departments and resolve the vulnerabilities they may have,” says Sri Sowmya Nemani. “Since joining the team, I’ve gotten to learn from amazing staff members and have enjoyed solving the interesting tasks I’ve been given.”

Nemani graduated over the summer with a master’s degree in MIS with a focus in cybersecurity and is one of the many students who has now become a permanent member of the team. Students who joined the ISO not only were able to help the university’s cybersecurity advance with their work, but also got the opportunity to use tools commonly used in the industry such as Splunk.

“Working hands-on with these tools has allowed me to improve my skills in detecting vulnerabilities and communicating with necessary departments on how to address them,” said second-year MIS cybersecurity student Magdalene Tamakloe. “This experience has given me a solid foundation of technical abilities and practical knowledge, which I am eager to apply in my future profession.”

Apart from seeing how these tools and systems are used at UNLV, some students also had opportunities outside the university to see how cybersecurity is being applied to a wide range of industries. With this, a few of them got to attend some of the largest cybersecurity conventions nationwide, including Black Hat USA and DEF CON 32. Tamakloe, along with second-year MIS cybersecurity student Victoria Kirchenberger, attended this year’s Black Hat USA as conference associates which allowed them to make connections with professionals in their desired careers.

“I’ve enjoyed building relationships with people in the industry, including at UNLV IT and from other outside opportunities I have gotten from joining the team,” Kirchenberger said. “Besides the opportunity to meet a variety of others in the field and beyond, being a part of UNLV IT has  given me a real-world environment to apply my knowledge from the classroom and has given me hope that I can do well in this industry since I am just starting my journey.”

Many of the student employees who joined the team this summer have now become graduate assistants with their hard work and dedication in making UNLV a more cybersecure university. As they continue to help the ISO with their projects throughout the semester, many hope to keep learning new skills and gain important experience that will help them progress in their careers.

“As the fall semester begins, the team and I will continue building out better processes for more efficient information security services,” Kirchenberger said. “Through my work as a graduate assistant and with the help of workshops from various student organizations, I also hope to continue building my technical acumen and skills to have a stronger technical background.”