Presenter: Adam Pond
Mentors: Jun Li and Kathleen Freeman, Computer Science
Poster: 52
Major: Computer Science
Computer security, otherwise known as cyber security, is a broad and dynamic subfield of computer science. It
is concerned with protecting computing systems, embedded devices, networks, and data from unintended or unauthorized access. While computer security was not one of the fundamental ideas at the beginning of computing, it’s now one of the most interesting fields of computer science, especially the arms race between computer security defense personnel and hackers. One of the most important ways we can learn to defend against adversaries such
as hackers is by learning how to think like them. An effective way of thinking like your adversary is by performing penetration tests against the computing system you’re trying to protect. These penetration tests require a unique skill set that is best acquired through trials and tribulations (commonly called capture the flag events). During a capture- the-flag event, you simulate an adversary trying to gain access, or change data on a computing system that you should not be able to. Since this type of studying was not an option through standard academic courses, I set out to create a group environment in which to study and apply offensive security techniques. I will present the curriculum that I created and used during our weekly meetings of UO Security Club and the results and suggested changes from this experience.