Issue 7

Announcements

Message from the Chapter President

We are off to a great start for the year with our virtual events and we are excited to bring members additional opportunities for engagement across Louisiana and the Mississippi Gulf Coast. For example, chapter volunteers hosted discussion with high school students about various cybersecurity roles and career opportunities. These interactions are helping promote interest in the field and inspiring the future generation of professionals.
We’ve been working to gain corporate sponsorship to help host in-person dinner events. We look forward to having our Annual Membership meeting coming up this spring. This will be an important meeting as we will elect or re-elect several leadership positions. We are also looking to finalize proposed updates to the Chapter bylaws. The three main goals of the updates are to: * a) to better support members and chapter growth
* b) remove “hard-coded” limitation (e.g., four named chapter officers that no longer serve on the leadership team)
* c) establish continuity of leadership roles and responsibilities by staggering election terms.

Let us know If you are interested in serving on the Chapter leadership team as an officer, director, or volunteer by sending an email to Chapter President

For presenter opportunities or to sponsor a Chapter event email Events.

Events

March Chapter Event

Are We Teaching Cybersecurity Wrong?
When: Mar 14 @ 12:00pm
Where: Virtual
Cost: Free to Chapter Members
Registration Link (Register by Mar 12, 5:00pm)

Gabriel Friedlander | Wizer- Free Security Awareness Training
Gabriel is the founder and CEO of Wizer Security Awareness Training. Prior to founding Wizer, he co-founded ObserveIT (acquired by ProofPoint), a company specializing in the detection and prevention of insider threats. For more than a decade he has studied human behavior and researched insider threat with the goal to train organizations on how to avoid and mitigate the risk it poses.

April Chapter Event

It's All Greek to Me: Volunteerism, Challenges and Benefits
When: April 18, 12:00pm
Where: Virtual
Cost: Free to Chapter Members
Registration Link (Register by Apr 16, 5:00pm)

Panagiotis Soulos, MSc InfoSec, CISSP, CCSP, CIPS, ITILv4 Found

ISC2 Global Achievement Award Winner
2023 Center Outstanding Volunteer Award
ISC2 Hellenic Chapter

Panagiotis is a Global Information Security Manager at Intrum. This year, he has contributed significant time and effort reviewing, translating and presenting Safe and Secure Online, as well as inspiring a solid base of cybersecurity professionals to volunteer with public outreach efforts. He has been leading public awareness activities for the Center for Cyber Safety and Education and serving in discussion panels and as a mentor for Women4Cyber Greece. Panagiotis is also an active leader in the ISC2 Hellenic Chapter and has been instrumental in the chapter’s success in receiving a recognition award in 2022.

Bayou Hackathon

When: April 19
Where: LTRi, 6250 E Texas St, Bossier City, LA 71111
Cost: Free to Chapter Members
Registration

Whether you're a cybersecurity professional aiming to refine your skills, a business owner on the lookout for talent, or a college student eager to showcase your capabilities, the games await your participation! It's an inclusive gathering where professionals and students converge to engage, learn, and thrive in the dynamic realm of cybersecurity. THIS IS YOUR CHANCE to delve into the critical aspects of cyber awareness and education by utilizing a unique platform that is sure to showcase your talents while elevating your cybersecurity expertise. Join us for a day that promises not only valuable insights but also a blend of fun, learning, and networking opportunities.

BSidesNOLA

When: May 1
Location: Le Méridien Hotel, 333 Poydras Street, New Orleans, LA, 70130
Cost: Student Admission $20, Regular Admission $40
Website

BSides is a community-driven framework for building events for and by information security community members. The goal is to expand the spectrum of conversation beyond the traditional confines of space and time. It creates opportunities for individuals to both present and participate in an intimate atmosphere that encourages collaboration. It is an intense event with discussions, demos, and interaction from participants. It is where conversations for the next-big-thing are happening.

Regional Events

The following are associated groups that meet in major cities across the Central Gulf Coast and have support from ISC2 CGC Chapter Members.

New Orleans Area:
NOLASec LinkedIn Group site
2nd Wednesday of each month Subject to Change
Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux (1009 Poydras Street New Orleans, LA 70112)
Networking from 5:00pm-6:00pm with the presentation running from 6:00pm-7:00pm
Lafayette Area:
DEFCON Acadiana LinkedIn Group site
2nd Wednesday of each month 5:30pm-7:30pm may change for Feb as it falls on VDay, check linkedin for updates.
The Ruins (1919 Kaliste Saloom Rd Suite 303, Lafayette, LA 70508)
Baton Rouge Area:
BRSec LinkedIn Group site 3rd Wednesday of each month 6:00pm-7:30pm
Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux (3838 Burbank Dr Baton Rouge, LA 70808)
Lake Charles Area:
SWLA Cyber Club
last Wed every month 6:00pm-7:30pm Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux (5313 Common St, Lake Charles, LA 70607)
Monroe Area:
NELATEK Website
Wednesday, February 21, 2024 6:00pm
Tower Place, 1500 N 19th St

Online Cybersecurity/Technology communities

Virtual Study Groups

Vicious Vineyards - A small and helpful Cybersecurity and Advanced Tech focused Community geared towards growing the next generation of Tech Talent. Study with an Embedded AI companion trained specifically for Cybersecurity and ISC2 material. Group Server for ISC2 CGC, WCHI, CTS, Q2 Discord site
Simply Cyber - A large community founded by Dr. Gerald Auger, host of the youtube channel Simply Cyber. Cybersecurity focused with topics commonly found in ISC2 exam material. Discord site
Professor Roger's Cyber Lounge - A mid sized and very active community, boasting a wide range of content and ISC2 Specific Study groups that meet weekly. Discord site

Send requests to have your community posted.

Introduction to CMMC 2.0

March 4th @10:30 AM CST Location: Virtual - Register here

"Join our webinar to grasp the fundamentals of the updated CMMC 2.0 framework and understand its significance for your organization. We will take a deep dive into CMMC Level 1 compliance, exploring what it takes to meet these requirements. Level 1 is the foundation for protecting Federal Contract Information (FCI) an sets the stage for achieving higher levels of cybersecurity maturity. Additionally, we will provide an overview of what is needed for Level 2 and 3 compliance."

Spotlight

Tech Group of the Month: Acadiana DEFCON

Acadiana may not be the most notable tech hotspots in Louisiana, but it is home to some heavy hitters in the tech community. Once a month 30-50 folks gather at a watering hole in Lafayette called The Ruins. The environment is relaxing with live music outside of the conference room, and parking is usually not an issue. DGC337 is a group that spans the experience spectrum from College Students to Seasoned Veterans, from IT Helpdesk Maestro, to Operational Technology gurus. Heavy on Oil Field companies and thick with medical facilities, there are plenty of opportunities to expand your horizon, or even explore satellite networking in Hub City! Easy to access from East (Lake Charles), West (Baton Rouge), North (Alexandria) and even South (Morgan City). "Our goal is to get to know our fellow nerds and share our InfoSec experiences to ultimately make Acadiana a hard target for cyber criminals."

Q2 Opinion Topic

Malicious Steganography

What is Steganography?

Imagine you have a secret message that you want to keep secret from everyone else. You could write it down on a piece of paper and hide it under your bed, but what if someone finds it? Instead, you could use steganography to hide your message inside a picture or a song. That way, even if someone finds the picture or song, they won't be able to see your secret message unless they know the secret code. On the more technical side, a common method of doing this is to use the Least Significant Bit (LSB) to stuff additional bits into a file. For example, if the original pixel value is 11111111, changing the least significant bit to 0 would result in a new pixel value of 11111110. This change is imperceptible to the human eye, but it can be detected by a computer program that knows the secret key.
Usually imperceptible, if you pay close attention and have the original file, you can find pixels out of place.

Malicious Steganography: The Bad Side

Now, let's talk about the bad side of steganography. Some people use steganography to hide malicious code, like viruses or spyware, inside pictures or songs. This code can then infect your computer or steal your personal information without you even knowing it. That's why it's important to be careful when opening attachments from unknown senders or downloading files from untrustworthy websites.

What hidden messages may be on your computer? Can you hide messages/code in a logo? How do I know what to look for?

You may not have asked any of those, but if you are curious about steganography, check out the security awareness episode this month, as there is an image to find and decode, as well as the tool to use.

Q2 Cybersecurity Adventures

Q2 - Free Incident Response Adventure

Join us as a tale is woven about an incident response mystery. Can you solve the mystery? Share your thoughts, or help with the investigation One new page will be released monthly, concluding on December 1st 2024. You can access additional content, by following the clues. Clues may be buried deep (hidden in an image) or very obvious. Every episode holds something new to use and explore.
Remember this is an early access benefit to ISC2 CGC members Direct Link to this publication

About

ISC2 CGC Chapter

The ISC2 Central Gulf Coast Chapter, a 501(c)(3) non-profit based out of the Greater New Orleans area. It was chartered by ISC2 in January 2021 to serve the Central Gulf Coast region - Louisiana and Mississippi.

Connect with us on LinkedIn
- LinkedIn https://linkedin.com/company/isc2-cgcchapter

You do NOT need to be ISC2 certified to join the chapter - part of our Chapter's Mission is to support those interested in earning certification. Minimum age: 16
Contact president@isc2-cgcchapter.org to get involved with Chapter leadership meetings or to help support events/activities.