This is no internship. Though the SE Academy provides us with learning opportunities, we are full-time, professional systems engineers who are given the latitude to learn in hands-on fashion — by doing the work.

For those who might be considering a career in cybersecurity, it’s clear that participating in the Secure the Future Academic Competition can provide you with an edge by honing crucial skills and introducing you to potential employers and experts in the field. For these reasons, it’s a worthwhile investment in your future.

Though our in-person conference is held each spring and has proven a nice venue for networking and professional development, there was a need for an event that could connect companies with intern candidates during the fall when college students are seeking internship opportunities.

My main take-away in this competition regarding the security of the financial sector is that we must continue to insist that financial institutions invest even more in their security and strengthen intelligence sharing (given that most financial institutions are linked through systems like Swift — the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) because the threat is growing and the techniques are becoming more and more sophisticated.