Vegas BlackHat & DEFCON Cyber Security Conferences

Recently EECS sent seven cadets and six officers participated in the BlackHat and DEFCON cyber security conferences in Las Vegas, NV. The scope of the two events was immense; cadets and officers participated in a myriad of training activities, briefings, and hands-on demonstrations. Leading security professionals guided our students through everything from exploiting embedded hardware in the Internet of Things to better detecting malicious activity over computer networks Due to early coordination and promotions with the BlackHat sales team, this year was the first year the entire team could attend all briefing sessions of BlackHat. During a web vulnerability briefing, one of CPT Michael Kranch’s papers was cited during a briefing as mitigation technique in addition to BlackHat and DEFCON, the trip section was also able to observe the conclusion of the DARPA Cyber Grand Challenge. This trip was an invaluable learning experience for all involved, and the investment made will pay dividends for West Point and the Army in future academic and operational settings.