Slashdot Mirror
Finding Student IT Security Placements in the Industry?
CABAN writes "I am a third year computer security and investigations student. My program requires a three month placement in the IT security and forensics industry. Finding an appropriate learning environment seems to be harder than I expected. Lack of security clearance, no real world experience and many companies, who just don't see a need for ITS, are the critical shortfalls right now. What tips does Slashdot have for finding organizations who are willing to let students get involved with sensitive security procedures and cases?"
My program requires a three month placement in the IT security and forensics industry.
Your program should then have some mechanism to facilitate such placement. Most programs that require intenships provide assistance in placement. If yours doesn't, then you are being shorted. This isn't a DJB class is it?
These companies are both expanding their security apparatus and also are both industries known to be in love with the college intern concept. I interviewed for several security positions at insurance firms (specifically car insurance) who were hiring something like 5 or 6 security architects in one shot. Try to apply to intern programs there or at big Financial.
Its a 12-week program following the student's third year.
As a participant in the Summer Network Evaluation Intern Program (SNEIP) you will acquire an appreciation of the challenges our Nation faces in network security as it relates to real-world work experiences. You will experience first-hand some of the critical work done at NSA as well as have the opportunity to apply your skills on hardware and software systems to enhance network security and contribute to the security of U.S. information systems.
Sadly, this wont benefit you since the application deadline has passed.
I will definitely not allow any students who think they know so much in my IT-department. They might know a bit about their childish Linux, but they are just not up-to-date with modern Microsoft-technology.
Editing configuration files with a text-editor is really brain-dead -- that's what a graphical user interface is there for, to prevent erroneous data from endangering the system.
Some of them even have no clue how to maintain w decend web site. They insist on installing an ancient editor instead of using the standard-compliant web-editor of Word.
What do they teach you?
Sometimes I am really glad that we were able to outsource our security to an Indian company with competent people. The United States are really going down the drain with the students we see nowadays.
I was a gaming agent for the Tulalip Casino up in Marysville, WA. I was responsible for inspecting the slot machines, which in Washington state are basically networked computers. (They have no internet connection if you were wondering.)
These places are always looking for good, qualified people and seem to have trouble getting them. I was one of two people in the whole agency with a CS degree, making me uniquely qualified. Generally, they have to take people with a criminal justice degree and teach them the ins and outs of the computer system. They would love someone already trained in computer security.
Besides looking at your local casinos, you can also check out the slot machine manufacturers. Sierra Design Group, located in Reno, is a group I highly recommend. They have an awesome, stable product, that the industry loves and runs on Unix. They're a subsidiary of Bally Games, so you can find their job page here.
Another computer, located in Austin, is Multimedia Games. They pretty much have the lock on the class 2 games. Here is their jobs page.