Name: Sushmitha Macheri

Internship, Co-op or Research Site: The Hilltop Institute

Position Title: Graduate Student Intern

Major(s)/Minor(s): Information Systems

Current Class Level: Graduate Student

Work Term: Summer 2019

Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.

I was hired to assist the Hilltop Institute with tasks that involved databases. My mornings involved analyzing our security logs to look out for any suspicious activity in our network. I was also assigned to automate this process so that in the future we can look at the visualizations and not a csv file. I also worked with other programmers and assisted them with any SQL related tasks. Additionally, I was assigned to analyze SAS programs and create documents and Data Flow Diagrams that would help non-programmers and our client to understand how the data has been segregated and stored in our databases. My internship was extended and I am now working as a Graduate Research Assistant for the same organization. 

Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?

I applied for the position online. In my first interview, I was asked about almost every detail from my resume. Then, I had an interview with the Executive Director and the Chief of Staff. After this, I had a test for a programming language, SQL. I prepared for this by using HackerRank, a website that lets you practice for coding interviews, and my lecture notes. I was extended an offer after I cleared these rounds.

What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization? 

For most of my internship, I was the only one working on the project; this responsibility gave me the opportunity to grow as a programmer and expand my skills, while also giving me the freedom to use my creativity. Later on, I transitioned to a team and had to collaborate with others. During these experiences, I learned a lot about how to efficiently perform an assigned task and work with a group to create a cohesive project!

How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?

I had a lot of responsibility since most of the time I was the sole contributor, with of course guidance from my supervisor who was always pushing me to achieve more. Because of this, I was able to improve with every deliverable and secure my new assistantship!

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Name: Shrijana Khanal

Internship, Co-op or Research Site: Brookings Institution

Position Title: Intern

Major(s)/Minor(s): Economics

Current Class Level: Junior

Work Term: Summer 2019

Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.

This summer, I interned at The Brookings Institution, a think-tank in Washington, D.C. that conducts research in the social science field focusing on economics, foreign policy, governance, metropolitan policy, and the global economy. I was part of the Global Economy and Development program at Brookings. I worked as an intern under Senior Fellow John McArthur to conduct research, collect and analyze data regarding how powerful Canada is, in eight categories (Economic resources, Military capability, Resilience, Future resources, Diplomatic influence, Economic relationships, Defence networks, and Cultural influence) through the published work of the Lowy Institute Asia Power Index. I was able to replicate the Lowy Institute Asia’s methodology to calculate Canada's power score and finished a 10-page report, which detailed my research and the data mining process. At the internship, I also collected data for the Southeast Asia Korea US Aid Project. Lastly, I helped organize and plan the Brookings Blum Roundtable, an annual forum for global leaders such as John Allen and Madeleine Albright to explore various facets of global poverty with a focus on how technology and innovation promotes economic growth. 

Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?

I heard about the position through different outlets: the Sondheim Scholars Program, Dr. Mitch (the department chair of the Economics Department at UMBC), and the Career Center. I applied through myUMBC, submitting my resume, transcript, cover letter, and writing sample around March. Afterwards, I completed a phone call interview with Brookings, which went well. Weeks later, I received an email instructing me to complete a background check and submit two letters of recommendation. Then, I finally got the offer letter!

What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization? 

This internship has a very special place in my heart because it revealed the power of data and ignited my passion for data science and statistics. I became exposed to the power of big data and how I can combine my interest in economics and math. On a personal note, the other thing I enjoyed the most about my internship was the connections I made with my supervisor and my fellow interns. My supervisor was a great mentor who helped me become a better writer, a better researcher, and a better learner. He gave me a lot of insight into the directions that I could take my career. The friends that I made at the internship will remain in my life forever because we all learned a lot from each other and supported each other’s goals. And finally, living in the heart of our nation’s capital was a life-changing experience. D.C. is so diverse and I hope to work there one day!

How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?

At the beginning of my internship, I was feeling somewhat discouraged because I could not see the big picture of my project. However, through the amazing mentorship of my supervisor and the connections I fostered with the other interns, I was able to see the impact of my work by talking more about my research with others and seeing other indexes like the Global Hunger Index or the Human Development Index, which portrayed similar work. Through my research about Canada, my supervisor will be able to see the strengths and weaknesses in Canada's power, which will help dissect Canada's role in the US-China Trade war. 

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience? 

I would tell everyone to network, no matter how uncomfortable it may make you feel. 

And to remember that the 9AM-5PM lifestyle might take you a while to adjust to; therefore, prioritizing self-care is just as important as focusing on your professional growth. 

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Information security firms, LogRhythm and Jazz Networks, in conjunction with ISSA Central Maryland are hosting an event at the National Electronic Museum (1745 W Nursery Rd, Linthicum Heights, MD 21090) to celebrate National Cybersecurity Month with two speaking series and private tours of the Electronic Museum. 

This event will take place on Wednesday October 16th at 5 pm. Registration is required. See description below for more details on the guest speakers and the topics they will be presenting.

Please Note:

• Deadline to register is October 14th at 5 PM via EventBrite link below:

• https://www.eventbrite.com/e/issa-central-md-meeting-october-16th-tickets-71162128843?ref=elink

• Guest tickets: No charge for guests for this meeting

Presentation One Brought to You by LogRhythm

Topic: Security Operations Maturity Model (SOMM)

SOMM explores how to assess and evolve the principle programs of the security operations center (SOC): threat monitoring, threat hunting, threat investigation, and incident response. LogRhythm developed the Threat Lifecycle Management (TLM) framework to help organizations ideally align technology, people, and process in support of these programs. The TLM framework defines the critical security operations technological capabilities and workflow processes that are vital to realize an efficient and effective SOC. LogRhythm’s SOMM helps organizations measure the effectiveness of their security operations, and to mature their security operations capabilities. Using our TLM framework, the SOMM provides a practical guide for organizations that wish to optimally reduce their mean time to detect (MTTD) and mean time to respond (MTTR) — thereby dramatically improving their resilience to cyberthreats.

Speaker: Darren Cathey, Sr. Systems Engineer, LogRhythm

Darren Cathey has several decades of experience in programming, operating systems, and applications security. His multi-functional experience in engineering, marketing and sales lends itself well to supporting both SMB and Enterprise customers in the Mid-Atlantic territory as a Sr. Systems Engineer. Past experience includes positions with HP, Wind River Systems, Arxan, Vormetric and Varonis.

Presentation Two Brought to You by Jazz Networks

Topic: Taking a holistic approach to an insider threat program

This presentation will provide insider threat mitigation strategies for every phase of the employment life cycle, including pre-employment screening; ongoing insider threat and security training; leveraging tools like Jazz Networks for user activity monitoring, and finally what to watch out for when an employee is leaving the organization. We will share anecdotes from public and private sector service experience, highlighting vulnerable areas of the employee life cycle where an insider can become an active threat. We will also provide a brief demonstration of the Jazz Networks insider threat and detection platform.

Speaker: Charles Finfrock, Senior Threat Investigator, Tesla

Charles Finfrock is a Senior Threat Investigator in Tesla’s Security Intelligence Department, the team responsible for protecting Tesla’s Intellectual Property and confidential business information from internal and external threats. Prior to joining Tesla, Charles spent 18 years as an operations officer in the Central Intelligence Agency. Charles is also the head of Insider Threat at the Washington DC based, Cyber Intelligent Partners, a training and education company focused on helping companies develop programs to counter cyber threats, regional threats, and insider threats.

Speaker: Alex Price, Account Executive for Jazz Networks.

At Jazz Networks, Alex focuses on educating organizations on the risks associated with insider threat, helps them deploy solutions which will increase visibility and control, and finally, works on operationalizing insider threat programs so that the entire organization helps form a human perimeter

Name: Rusif Eyvazli

Internship, Co-op or Research Site: Food and Drug Administration

Position Title: Student Trainee (Administrative Support)

Major(s)/Minor(s): Computer Science, Mathematics Minor

Current Class Level: Junior

Work Term: Summer 2019

Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.

This summer, I started my internship with the Pathways Program at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is an administration that is responsible for protecting public health. It is still an ongoing opportunity. My day-to-day responsibilities are to make sure that my learning objectives are met by completing the given tasks by my mentors. Those tasks include scaling applications that are written in Java and C++ on HPC clusters, understanding and analyzing the given data and creating a sample of it, and generating comprehensive performance graphs with non-trivial plots using given data on Python to analyze HPC Cluster systems that help applications run faster. 

I also have to regularly share my progress with my mentors, get feedback on projects, and update the FDA Wiki page to make it accessible for others.

Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?

I discovered this position through USAJOBS. I had previously received a lot of interview and resume training through workshops and professional development sessions. I had my resume reviewed by Jennifer Heilman from the Career Center and worked on a 30-second elevator pitch with her as well. 

What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization? 

I have enjoyed being able to learn more about the computer science industry and develop new skills throughout my day-to-day work. I have also enjoyed meeting people who have helped me foster these skills and be successful throughout the internship. 

What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience? 

I would advise students seeking employment to network! Be sure to make those connections and gain knowledge by communicating with other people. Sometimes the best way to get a foot in the door is to sneak in with someone else. Also, the Career Center is a great tool to help jump start your career, so take advantage of those resources!

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Connect with Rusif:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rusifeyvazli

Personal Website: https://eyvazlirusif.wixsite.com/portfolio

Instagram: @rusif.e99