February marks the beginning of Black History Month in the United States. President Ford declared February as “Black History Month” in 1976, but truly the start of this goes back to an idea of a Howard University Professor, Dr. Carter G. Woodson who had the idea for a celebration to acknowledge the accomplishments made by Black Americans. Woodson believed that young African Americans were not being taught enough about their heritage.
Black History Month sheds light on the successes of those, whether famous or obscure, who have blazed a trail and created a pathway to a better future for others. This month allows us to reflect on the lived experiences of the past, and how we use that to create a better future.
Part 1: Feb 4th 11:00am ET - Delisha Hodo will talk with Dennis Scandrett and Chelsea Newbould about the past. They’ll discuss the history of cyber and SANS, and share how SANS is working to change the landscape of diversity in cyber.
Part 2: Feb 8th 11:00am ET - Delisha Hodo will lead our discussion with Darold Kelly Jr., Lisa Peterson and Alexandra Bishop to discuss the present. Darold will share his experiences having participated in SANS’ first HBCU Cyber Range CTF, and talk about how SANS doing these types of initiatives are already having a positive impact on HBCUs. He’ll also share another initiative he’s been a part of to impact HBCU students thru BCA (Black Cybersecurity Association).
Part 3: Feb 15th 1:00pm ET - Delisha will talk with Angela Madden, Alison Kim and Lara Dawson to talk about the future. Angela will share her experiences in the SANS Diversity Cyber Academy and talk about recently earning her GIAC GSEC Security Essentials certification and how this will likely impact her career and what she does going forward.
SANS – the global leader in cybersecurity training and certification – is hosting our next SANS+HBCU Cyber Ranges competition - Black History Month Edition! This is a FOUR DAY event from Friday, Feb 19, 2021 through Monday Feb 22, 2021. The range will be open for competition on February 19th at 9 am ET and will remain open, around the clock, until it officially closes on February 22nd at 6 pm ET. Participants should feel free to come and go as they please. The Cyber Range will be open around the clock for 81 hours to provide maximum flexibility.
