Students who are interested in cybersecurity, engineering, computer science or information technology (IT) may be interested in joining the cybersecurity club at Sacred Heart University. The club is a student-run organization that participates in tutoring sessions, faculty-led research projects, and hacking competitions.
Source: Contributed by Samuel Oakes, ’26
Cybersecurity club President and junior Samuel Oaks said, “For students majoring in cybersecurity, this allows for extra time to collaborate with other students to explore and strengthen skills in the field. For other students this provides an opportunity to simply learn more about cybersecurity and maybe see if this would be a potential career option after school.”
Oaks said that cybersecurity is present in today’s digital age, and being knowledgeable about it poses benefits. Students who are interested in different technical fields are encouraged to look into cybersecurity.
“Cybersecurity takes place in all aspects of life and almost every single person practices basic cybersecurity measures day to day without even knowing it,” said Oaks. “The cybersecurity club aims to provide a space for students across multiple technical disciplines like IT, computer science, cybersecurity, and engineering as well as any other interested parties to explore the field of cybersecurity.”
Junior and Vice President Maniraj Chahal said that the club gives students the opportunity to apply their knowledge to real life scenarios and activities. By fostering a fun yet engaging environment, students can practice and hone their skills.
“The cybersecurity club offers hands-on workshops, training sessions on topics like ethical hacking and incident response, Capture the Flag competitions, guest lectures, and group projects that help members learn and practice cybersecurity skills,” said Chahal.
Chahal said that cybersecurity faces many challenges that include new types of threats like malware, ransomware, phishing, and advanced attacks. Other issues are unpatched software, zero-day vulnerabilities, protecting private data, securing lot devices, cloud systems, and dealing with social engineering and insider threats.
“Cybersecurity can be improved by using a variety of approaches like better education and ongoing training for everyone, from experts to everyday users, is key,” said Chahal. “Investing in research and new technology, like AI for detecting threats will help too”
Chahal said it is crucial for organizations to collaborate to take precautionary steps when protecting their online data. By joining the cybersecurity club, students can learn more about these practices.
“Working together between businesses, government, and schools to share information and best practices, and taking a proactive approach with constant monitoring and quick responses are also important. Finally, updating regulations and raising public awareness can make cybersecurity stronger,” said Chahal.
Prof. Igor Khokhlov said the cybersecurity club not provides students with further knowledge about technical issues and skills, but gives a space for students to collaborate and meet others with common interests.
“Cybersecurity club is important because it addresses the skills gap, provides practical experience, fosters collaboration, cooperation, and networking. It can contribute to the actual security of SHU, creates a safe learning environment and it may serve as a launchpad for the actual career path and allows the addition of real projects to the members’ CVs,” said Khokhlov.
Oaks said that SHU having the club is crucial because of the evolving technical advances, especially with the use of AI. By being a niche career field, the cybersecurity club gives students the opportunity to put themselves ahead of others in the same field.
“When I started school here computer science was in such high demand. It is a tough career to break into and I think the older generation of professionals plays a big factor in it, but this club really provides a great opportunity for students to excel and put themselves ahead of their competition when it comes to searching for an internship or a career after graduation,” said Oaks.
The cybersecurity club hosts meetings on Thursdays at 7 p.m. in the Cyberlab at West Campus in W-243. All are encouraged to attend.
