Inaugural Hack the Port Cybersecurity Conference Held in March

Students and faculty members from the Naval Postgraduate School attended the inaugural Hack the Port 22 Maritime and Control Systems Cybersecurity Conference, which took place on March 21 to 25.

Participants took part in a virtual cyber exercise competition where they tested the security of a fictional port. The competition also gave students insights into the real-world impact of systems that lack security measures.

Students also listened to speeches and attended lectures and panel discussions from government industry leaders, including Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Jen Easterly, the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Both speakers are winners of the Wash100 award.

The students were supported by the NPS Center for Cyber Warfare and the National Security Agency’s National Centers of Academic Excellence program, DVIDS reported.

U.S. Navy Lt. Seth Kyler, an intelligence officer in the NPS Cyber Systems and Operations Program, said the conference allowed participants to learn more about the challenges that the cyber community is facing and allowed students to focus on the overall cyber picture. U.S. Army Capt. Paul Baker, a cyber warfare officer in the CSO program, added that Hack the Port 22 gave a broader framework for cyber-related thesis research topics.

Hack the Port 22 was designed to highlight the connection between the cyberspace domain and port security. The event was attended by representatives from the military, the government, academia and industry members.

The Maryland Innovation and Security Institute and cyber innovation facility DreamPort conducted the event.