by Nathaniel Wong
We wrote earlier about the team of interns working on the Port of Virginia’s new cybersecurity lab. Dr. Sachin Shetty, professor and Executive Director of the Center for Secure and Intelligent Critical Systems at Old Dominion University (ODU), has been working with students from ODU, Longwood, and Virginia State University (VSU) along with faculty from Longwood University, VSU, the University of Virginia and Virginia International Terminals, LLC, in a project funded by the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative. Meet three of these outstanding interns, below; we hope to feature the remaining two, Timothy Holcey and Armel Houndoh, in a future article.
AJ Emmanuel Simon
University Affiliation: Virginia State University
Role in internship: To help construct a Security Operation Centre at the Port of Virginia and learn about cybersecurity activities at the port.
Fun fact: Something fun about myself is that I grew up in London, United Kingdom. I also know how to play the piano.
AJ and Cybersecurity
What are your comments on the internship?
I graduated with a major in Information Logistics Technology, May 2022. Since the Port of Virginia is a company that deals with logistics, it is interesting seeing how cybersecurity can assist many logistical issues.
What is the most challenging aspect about the internship?
Cybersecurity is brand new to me; I didn’t go to school for the topic so understanding codes and cyber language was difficult for me initially. However, my knowledge has improved since the beginning of the internship.
What is the most fulfilling aspect of the internship?
Expanding my knowledge of cybersecurity, a topic I knew almost nothing about, is most fulfilling. I know I can use the knowledge I have acquired for either myself or a company I am working with.
Elaine Clifford
University Affiliation: Longwood University
Role in internship: I am contributing to the Port of Virginia by offering my business expertise as well as my background with economics. I am helping to prevent cyber attacks and minimize the damage caused by these incidents.
Fun fact: I have an emotional support animal named Goose who attends Longwood University with me and he is spoiled rotten.
Elaine and Cybersecurity
What are your comments on the internship?
I am incredibly grateful to work with highly educated and inspiring individuals who mentor me and treat me as their equal.
What is the most challenging aspect about the internship?
The most challenging aspect was overcoming the hurdle of learning new topics about cyber security and computer science.
What is the most fulfilling aspect of the internship?
I have yet to reach the peak of fulfillment, but I am confident that once I am able to present my ideas to the Port of Virginia, then I will see my hard work pay off.
Mikayla Simons
University Affiliation: Virginia State University
Role in internship: I am assisting the Virginia PORT by researching information about building and running a Security Operations Center. We are tasked with creating a PowerPoint of all the information we find.
Fun fact: My team won Virginia State University’s first Hackathon!
Mikayla and Cybersecurity
What are your comments on the internship?
It was interesting learning about the Port’s infrastructure.
What is the most challenging aspect about the internship?
The most challenging aspect of this internship has been coordinating with my group members on our group assignment.
What is the most fulfilling aspect of the internship?
The most fulfilling aspect of this experience was visiting the port and learning about the technology it uses.