Members of the CS 404 club on the Cabrillo Campus today will be the cybersecurity professionals of tomorrow, and you could be, too.
The CS 404 club is a group of students working together to turn their interest in cybersecurity into a career while also welcoming aspiring hackers to the tech world.
The name CS 404 is a reference to the HTML code 404, which means web page not found. When some students at Cabrillo looked to see if there was a cyber security club on campus and one was not found and that birthed CS 404.
Currently, the club is looking for more members to join, with the club founder, Benito Sauceda, stating:
“CS 404 is a come-as-you-are group, and we want the club to meet people where they are to elevate their skills and fuel their curiosity,” said Sauceda, who is majoring in computer networking systems.
“We want to give people access to the toolset, which is free, and show people how to get started, then we want them to come back and teach us what they have learned,” he added.
The club hopes to attend hacker and infosec-focused professional conferences, reveal vulnerable computer systems and services in the wild, participate in cyber security sporting events and help people learn the nuts and bolts of how computers work.
But what is cybersecurity? It turns out the field of cybersecurity is quite large and it includes penetration testing of computer systems and physical security systems, social engineering which is a type of social hacking, Open Source Intelligence (OSINT), of course computer networking, and more. Every one of these skills can be an area of specialization with corresponding careers that each highly value these skill sets.
“Cyber security is everywhere. We use computers to stay in contact with each other, and everyone needs to understand how to protect themselves,” said Elizabeth Shaw, CS 404 faculty advisor. “We all need to know how to keep our online experiences safe.”
“Every single industry is touched by technology, and knowing how to keep computer systems protected is valuable to everyone looking to enter the job market,” she said.
The club hosts hands-on sessions with the tools used in penetration testing, a type of security test where security professionals are contracted to gain access to an organization’s network, office sites and data centers and then report on all vulnerabilities they find that would let attackers gain access.
“Jeremy has done a really good job of demonstrating a man-in-the-middle attack,” said Lupe Perez of a fellow club member.
A man-in-the-middle attack is when a hacker gains access to key network elements and intercepts data, then changes the data in flight or captures user credentials, banking information, or other valuable data.
“Jeremy also built a Wi-Fi deauther and kicked computers off Wi-Fi during a live demo,” said Perez, who is majoring in Computer Information Systems. He further complimented the members for their work building a WiFi deauther, which is a specially created device that maliciously disconnects WiFi clients from their networks. It can sabotage corporate or personal networks that do not use modern authentication standards.
Shaw said creative thinkers and problem solvers typically make for strong cyber security engineers, among other qualities.
“Regular people need to consider security and how to make more people like them secure. You don’t need to be a math or computer science major to take part in cyber security,” Shaw said.
CS 404’s interest in cybersecurity isn’t all serious business. Cybersecurity sporting events may not be something you have seen on the Ocho or any other one of the many sports channels. Still, there are cybersecurity teams like the Maple Mallard Magistrates, 3-time winners of the Defcon Capture the Flag contest.
“I was part of the CS 404 team that competed in the National Cyber League (or NCL). That was really fun for me, and it was my first competitive experience in hacking and cybersecurity. Other teams were giving it their all, which was really motivating,” said Zamira, a current student with an undeclared major.
“I am a very competitive person, and the NCL gets me into that competitive zone. I also get to work on a team with folks around me, which drives me,” she said.
CS 404 is not just looking for new members but also for the next generation of club leaders to carry the club forward after the current batch officers graduate from Cabrillo.
“Teaching people how to lead helps make sure continuity between years and club staff keeps things going,” Shaw said. “We hope to create a framework that can be carried forward by generations of Cabrillo Students to keep the cybersecurity club going,” Shaw added.
Club founder Sauceda is now contemplating life after Cabrillo, with hopes to continue in the cybersecurity field.
“We want the club to align with the interests of the people in the club and help make Cabrillo known as a great school to go to for cybersecurity,” Sauceda said.
If you are looking for a safe place to try out the latest hack or looking to learn where to develop skills to bootstrap your budding career in cybersecurity, CS 404 is the place for you.
CS 404 meets every Monday at 3 p.m. at the Computer Technology Center (CTC) at the Aptos Campus, and events are added to their web page daily.
