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LTU team wins second place in cybersecurity competition

March 21, 2024

SOUTHFIELD—A team from Lawrence Technological University took second place and a $2,500 prize in a cybersecurity competition sponsored by the Detroit chapter of ISACA, formerly known as the Information Systems Audit and Control Association, an information security professional association.

Taking second place from among more than 20 teams were the Blue Devil Byte Brawlers, a team comprised of Percy Fowler IV, a software engineering undergraduate student from Belleville, and Nathan Pham, a graduate computer science and cybersecurity student from Bloomfield Hills. The competition took place March 8-10 at Oakland University.

Fowler said teams were presented with a case study of password and data breaches at an imaginary company called Securely Yours LLC. Pham said he and Fowler used a software-defined computer called a virtual machine to search the dark web, and an automated program called Hydra to look for combinations of users and passwords within the company.

The team found the culprits of the data leak, who had posted things like “enough is enough” about their employer, and were able to use their credentials to get sensitive data like equipment maintenance schedules and internal HR memos.

The team’s report also included recommendations to boost the company’s security going forward, including using multi-factor authentication, locking out accounts following multiple failed login attempts, regular password change requirements. using anti-bot tools, and increasing cybersecurity training for staff.

Working with the team were Tao Liu, assistant professor in the LTU Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, and Wisam Bukaita, assistant professor of practice in that department.

“I am very pleased to see students from our cybersecurity program win in a competition like this,” Liu said. “This is a business-focused competition, focused on skills in IT management to deploy technology to enhance defense.”

Added Bukaita: “The collaboration between two of our outstanding students, Nathan and Percy, who are in separate levels of education, is a testament to LTU’s dedication to nurturing our students’ strengths and capabilities. Nathan and Percy have formed a strong bond through their shared interest in cybersecurity. They demonstrated remarkable determination and commitment, immersing themselves in this challenging event.”

Pham and Fowler will receive the award at an ISACA Detroit meeting scheduled for April 17.

Lawrence Technological University is one of only 13 private, 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 as part of its 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 list it in the top tier of the best 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.

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Use Your Cell Phone as a Document Camera in Zoom

  • What you will need to have and do
  • Download the mobile Zoom app (either App Store or Google Play)
  • Have your phone plugged in
  • Set up video stand phone holder

From Computer

Log in and start your Zoom session with participants

From Phone

  • Start the Zoom session on your phone app (suggest setting your phone to “Do not disturb” since your phone screen will be seen in Zoom)
  • Type in the Meeting ID and Join
  • Do not use phone audio option to avoid feedback
  • Select “share content” and “screen” to share your cell phone’s screen in your Zoom session
  • Select “start broadcast” from Zoom app. The home screen of your cell phone is now being shared with your participants.

To use your cell phone as a makeshift document camera

  • Open (swipe to switch apps) and select the camera app on your phone
  • Start in photo mode and aim the camera at whatever materials you would like to share
  • This is where you will have to position what you want to share to get the best view – but you will see ‘how you are doing’ in the main Zoom session.