This applied cybersecurity experience connects your organization with senior undergraduate students specializing in network security. Students work in small, self-directed teams to tackle real-world security challenges using professional-grade tools and techniques. Whether you're seeking to test system vulnerabilities, evaluate risks, or improve team awareness, these students will deliver practical, actionable insights—backed by current security best practices.

Working under the guidance of a faculty member, each team will take ownership of a scoped project aligned with your organization’s needs, and report back with clear technical findings and strategic recommendations.

How Students Will Support Your Organization

Students will:

• Conduct security assessments to identify potential threats or weaknesses in your network or processes
• Simulate phishing attacks or evaluate employee response protocols to raise cybersecurity awareness
• Review and improve your organization’s monitoring or incident response setup
• Develop custom security training resources tailored to your team’s specific needs
• Provide technical recommendations based on current industry frameworks (e.g., NIST, CIS, ISO/IEC)

Time Commitment

• 20 hours per student (approx. 80 hours per team of 4)
• Minimal time required from your team:
• 1 initial briefing call
• Optional mid-project check-in
• Final presentation and Q&A

Student Capabilities

Technical Expertise:

• Familiarity with industry tools such as Wireshark, Metasploit, Nmap, Nessus, and others
• Experience writing custom scripts and code to simulate attacks or analyze data
• Deep understanding of network protocols, encryption, and security standards

Professional Skills:

• Project scoping, planning, and execution
• Team collaboration and stakeholder engagement
• Communicating technical risks and solutions to non-technical audiences

The emphasis of these projects is for students to experience how network security principles are applied within workplace settings and to address real-world challenges.

Example deliverables include:

Network Security Audit Report with identified risks, proposed mitigations, and severity ratings

Executive Summary or Slide Deck outlining key findings in a clear, non-technical format

Optional deliverables depending on project scope:

• Custom phishing simulation design and report
• Security awareness campaign materials (posters, training slides, email templates)
• Code samples or scripts used for vulnerability scans or simulations