SOUTHFIELD, Mich.—In just two days, working alone and individually against 35 teams and 45 other students from five other southeastern Michigan universities, Lawrence Technological University Master of Science in Information Technology degree candidates Uzma Sayyad and Nicholas Okoro scored a third place tie in the 12th Annual Scholarship Competition of the Detroit, Mich. Chapter of ISACA, the Information Systems Audit and Control Association.
The competition, held during the weekend of March 13-15, was a cybersecurity contest and culminated in presentations and judging by an industry panel of experts on Sunday, March 15, at the Mike Ilitch School of Business at Wayne State University in Detroit.
Sayyad, of Waterford Township, and Okoro, of Royal Oak, had just 48 hours to solve the problem presented in the contest rules and prepare presentations on their solutions. The cybersecurity problem was in a case study right out of today’s headlines: a data breach which occurred on a CEO website, including a photo with metadata embedded in it. Sayyad and Okoro had to systematically untangle the issue through a series of steps including reconnaissance, analysis, correlation, and validation. They also had to offer strategies for repairing and prevention of future such invasions. And all of this had to happen during a strict 48-hour window, from receipt of instructions to presentation of findings.
For their performance in the ISACA Detroit Chapter Scholarship Competition, Sayyad and Okoro were each awarded $1,500 and a certificate. The prizes were presented to the students at a meeting of the Detroit Chapter on April 15.
The students’ instructor, Adjunct Professor Arun DeSouza, PhD, of the College of Business and Information Technology, congratulated Sayyad and Okoro on their “tremendous achievement. I am very happy and proud of them and wish them continued success.”
Of the competition, Sayyad said that “the experience was intense but very rewarding. It pushed me to think critically, manage time effectively, and stay focused under pressure, which made the achievement even more meaningful.”
Okoro added: “I felt a strong sense of validation that my approach and way of thinking were effective, even in a highly competitive environment. It reinforced my confidence in my ability to work through complex problems and communicate solutions effectively. It also strengthened my interest in continuing to build in the cybersecurity and technology space.”
About ISACA
ISACA, the Information Systems Audit and Control Association, is an international professional organization founded in 1969 which is focused on IT governance. ISACA develops frameworks and publishes guidance relative to the management and oversight of information systems. It has over 185,000 members in 188 countries. Detroit is one of the organization’s 225 chapters.
About Lawrence Technological University
Lawrence Technological University is one of only 13 independent, technological, comprehensive doctoral universities in the United States. Located in Southfield, Mich., LTU was founded in 1932, and offers more than 100 programs through its Colleges of Architecture and Design, Arts and Sciences, Business and Information Technology, Engineering, and Health Sciences, as well as Specs@LTU, which offers communication training programs of the former Specs Howard School, and LTU’s growing Center for Professional Development. PayScale lists Lawrence Tech among the nation’s top 11 percent of universities for alumni salaries. Forbes and The Wall Street Journal rank LTU among the nation’s top 10 percent. U.S. News and World Report lists it in the top tier of best in the Midwest colleges. Students benefit from small class sizes and a real-world, hands-on, “theory and practice” education with an emphasis on leadership. Activities on Lawrence Tech’s 107-acre campus include more than 60 student organizations and NAIA varsity sports.