ThinkCyber Foundation

Cyber Quest has officially started!! Inviting you all from today until next Tuesday to play these games, learn and get your certificates. There is something for everyone regardless of how much you know in cyber security! Thank you so much GitHub Security Lab, KC7: The Cyber Detective Game Security Innovation for providing these games for our #thinkcyberfoundation squad. Links to the games: Threat Hunting, KC7: The Cyber Detective Game : Capture the Flag Security Innovation: https://lnkd.in/dxJBh7Fm (password: XjPLzY5c) Software Security Game GitHub Security Lab Because we have the in person competition tomorrow, we can't share it in social media yet. Please register at ThinkCyber Link and you will receive the links to Software Security Game: https://lnkd.in/dxMXRdYM. Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS) Chicago ISSA Rainier Chapter Women CyberGuardians WISP Chicago Region Local Group Blacks in Cybersecurity ISACA University of Washington Student Chapter ISACA Puget Sound Chapter ISACA ?? Joseph Katsioloudes Simeon Kakpovi Adele M. Uljana Sejko ??

I recently embarked on a memorable journey from the serene landscapes of Oregon to the vibrant tech hubs of Washington, all to participate in Cyber Week 2025. The drive was more than just miles covered; it symbolized my commitment to personal growth and passion for cybersecurity. Although I couldn't attend the initial days, the experiences of Open Source Security Day and Mentorship and Networking Day were nothing short of transformative. - Open Source Security Day by GitHub - Hosted at the Microsoft Innovation Hub in Bellevue, this day was a deep dive into secure coding practices. Working closely with GitHub engineers, I gained invaluable insights into secure coding practices and the identification and mitigation of code vulnerabilities.?? Joseph Katsioloudes and Nancy G. explained the true meaning of secure coding. I also want to give a shoutout to Klodiana Hajdari for guiding us through different challenges and making the hand-on experience more rewarding. –Mentorship and Networking: A Celebration of Cyber Knowledge - The final day, held at the University of Washington's HUB, was a culmination of learning and networking. The agenda was packed with workshops and trainings featuring speakers from Microsoft, Boeing, GitHub, etc. As a keynote speaker Cristian Craioveanu was not only inspiring but also a reminder that sometimes, believing in someone can change everything. The Networking and Mentorship opportunity on this day were unparalleled, providing valuable guidance from 40+ industry leaders and a chance to learn from those who have set the standard for aspiring professionals like me. The assembly of experts was truly invaluable—huge thanks to Armora Rama and ThinkCyber Foundation for making it happen! During the mentoring hour, I had the privilege of connecting with Randy Pargman, Tory Fisher, Kyle Bachmann, Ada Ostrokol, Andrew Reifers, who shared invaluable career advice, resume-building tips, and strategies for navigating technical interviews. Their guidance gave me a fresh perspective on how to refine my approach and grow in the cybersecurity field. Last but not the least, I want to thank Armora Rama, ThinkCyber Foundation and all the mentors, speakers, organizers and my fellow volunteers who made this experience so impactful! Looking forward to applying what I’ve learned and staying connected with this incredible community. ?? #CyberSecurity #CyberWeek #ThinkCyberFoundation #OpenSourceSecurity #Networking #CareerGrowth

Had a great time at Cyberweek and enjoyed meeting so many professionals in the field and hearing about how they got to where they are. I plan on using what I learned to progress my own pursuits and help prepare me for future endeavors in the Cybersecurity world. Thanks Armora Rama for hosting the event and bringing it all together and thanks to my WWU peers for the fun time at the event and I hope to do more in the future.

Thrilled to have been part of CyberWeek by ThinkCyber Foundation in Seattle! ?? As a first-time volunteer in the cybersecurity space, I was both excited and a little nervous, but this experience turned out to be truly rewarding. From engaging with passionate professionals and students to participating in the GitHub CTF challenge, I had an incredible opportunity to dive deeper into software security. A huge thank you to Armora Rama for organizing such an impactful event and to Joseph Katsioloudes for the insightful discussions during the Github challenge—your guidance made this experience even more memorable! Grateful to be part of the next generation of cybersecurity professionals. Looking forward to learning, growing, and contributing even more in the future! ???? #CyberSecurity #ThinkCyberFoundation #GitHubSecurityLab #VolunteerExperience #CyberWeek #FutureOfCybersecurity

Excited to share that I'll be joining the mentor group for Cyber Week: A Celebration of Cyber Knowledge! Looking forward to mentoring students and sharing my passion for cyber security. Feb. 27th, 3-5PM at the UW Hub! Thank you to Armora Rama and ThinkCyber Foundation for the invite.

?? ?????????? ???????? ???? ??????????????????: ?? ???????? ???????? ???????? ???????????? ???????? ????????????! ?? Last week, I had the incredible opportunity to participate in a Code Review Competition at Microsoft's Bellevue office as part of Cyber Week. The experience was both challenging and rewarding, pushing my cybersecurity and secure coding skills to the next level. ?? ?????? ??????????????????: The competition consisted of two intense rounds. In the first round, my team and I tackled multiple programming languages (Python, C, YML for Git actions, etc.), identifying and remediating vulnerabilities in code files while ensuring test cases passed. Our team (Maitreyi Ekbote, Lakshya Garg, Sanyam Mehta) successfully secured third place, qualifying for the finals! ?? ?????? ????????????: This round tested our deep security analysis skills—we were given a JavaScript code file without predefined test or hack files. The challenge? Manually identify vulnerabilities from a security perspective rather than just functional testing. As someone more comfortable with Python, this was a real test of adaptability! Despite the difficulty, my team collaborated effectively, and while we didn’t win, we proudly finished third overall! ?? ?? ?????? ??????????????????: ? Secure coding is language-agnostic—understanding fundamental security principles is more critical than mastering just one language. ? Collaboration is key—effective teamwork helped us break down complex problems faster. ? Think like an attacker—proactively identifying security flaws improves both defensive coding and offensive security skills. A huge thank you to Armora Rama, the founder of ThinkCyber Foundation, for organizing this incredible event, and to ?? Joseph Katsioloudes for leading the competition so smoothly. Your efforts made this an unforgettable learning experience! ?? This experience reinforced my passion for secure software development and ethical hacking, and I’m excited to continue growing in this space. I am also actively looking for opportunities in cybersecurity, especially in AI security, red teaming, and cloud security. If you know of any opportunities or have insights to share, I’d love to connect! #Cybersecurity #SecureCoding #CyberWeek #Microsoft #CodeReview #EthicalHacking #InfoSec #WomenInCyber #CyberSecSkills #LearningAndGrowing ????

I had the immense pleasure of delivering a talk on ‘Web Security & Prompt Engineering’ on Day 4 of Cyber Week by ThinkCyber Foundation at University of Washington on 27th February. Meeting and mentoring a dynamic bunch of undergrad and grad students from UW was an incredible experience! I also had the opportunity to learn and network with fellow professionals, which made the experience even more enriching.? A huge thanks to Armora Rama for this fantastic opportunity and congratulations on a successful CyberWeek! ????

Day 3 (2/26/2025) of ThinkCyber Foundations Cyber Week was GitHub Day! A day full of competitive and fun challenges, recognizing vulnerabilities and remediating them through code, and having the ability to speak with ?? Joseph Katsioloudes, Nancy G., and Klodiana Hajdari was an absolute treat and a pleasure. Shoutout to Armora Rama again for hosting such a wonderful event, allowing cyber enthusiasts to come together, make new friends, and network with seasoned professionals in the industry. I am proud to be part of such an amazing community and I can’t wait for what the future holds! #ThinkCyberFoundation #Cybersecurity #OpenToWork #GitHub

Reflecting on an incredible Cyber Week experience! Over three immersive days, I had the opportunity to deepen my cybersecurity knowledge, hone my technical skills, and connect with inspiring professionals and peers. Day 1 – Cybersecurity for the Greater Good: Learning the Fundamentals of Security The week kicked off with a fantastic session that explored the current state of cyber warfare and policy. I learned about designing policies through legal and strategic frameworks like NIST, and participated in a workshop focused on identifying threat actors based on motivations and attack patterns. Special thanks to the speakers from Microsoft, the US Army, CISA, and the FBI for sharing their expertise. Day 2 – Open Source Security Day by GitHub This day centered on secure coding practices and building resilient systems through supply chain analysis. Collaborating with GitHub engineers provided valuable insights and hands-on experience in secure coding and threat hunting across languages such as JavaScript, Python, Go, YAML, and more. A special thank you to the GitHub Security Lab for sponsoring the day, and to Nancy G. and ?? Joseph Katsioloudes for the hints and career insights. (Shoutout to my team: Aviv Yaaran, Atharva Deshpande, and Avani Sathe.) Day 3 – A Celebration of Cyber Knowledge The final day was a vibrant celebration of knowledge, featuring sessions on security, AI, career paths, and a comprehensive career and networking fair. The mentoring sessions and networking opportunities were especially impactful, offering practical advice from many industry professionals and the chance to learn from those who have paved the way for students like myself. For brevity, I won't be tagging every mentor, but I sincerely appreciate each of you for taking the time to connect and share your insights. A huge thank you to Armora Rama for her inspiring vision and mentorship in setting up this week, and to the ThinkCyber Foundation, GitHub, and every speaker, mentor, and organizer for making the experience so transformative. I'm leaving with fresh insights, new skills, and a renewed passion for cybersecurity! #CyberSecurity #CyberWeek #ThinkCyberFoundation #OpenSourceSecurity #Networking #CareerGrowth