SPRINGFIELD, Mo., May 19, 2022 – In a rare opportunity, offered to few cybersecurity students in the country, Drury University partnered with the City of Springfield to ensure its network is guarded against malicious hackers. The process is called a network penetration test and it’s when an organization hires white hat hackers to break into their systems.
This is the second year for the partnership between the two. The test is conducted by a senior as part of their capstone project and the process is overseen by a faculty member. During the test, the student attacks the network in the way that a malicious hacker would, looking for vulnerabilities that would allow a hacker to compromise assets. The student then writes a report on the findings and the City uses that to improve its security.
“Drury’s Cyber Risk Management courses prepare students to work in the field protecting networks and we cover both offensive and defensive cyber security techniques,” said Shannon McMurtrey, assistant professor in cyber risk management. “It’s one thing to talk about these things in the classroom and do exercises, but it’s a whole different scenario when you’re in the real world and dealing with real networks. It’s very useful for the students to get that hands-on experience.”
The framework for the partnership is outlined by the Missouri Cybersecurity Center of Excellence, a 501(c)(3) formed to advance workforce development and training in the area of cybersecurity. The MCCoE also provides internships and employment opportunities for students studying cybersecurity.
“The City is very excited to have partnered with the MCCOE and Drury University, to have conducted our City network penetration testing. We felt the testing was thorough and plan to continue this in the future. It is a great example of real-world collaboration to help grow local cybersecurity skills and for the City to access that talent,” said Neil Slagle, director of information systems for the City of Springfield.
McMurtrey also serves as faculty advisor for the Drury University Cyber Defense Club, which recently placed in the top 5% of the nation at the National Cyber League Team Competition.
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Media Contact: Jasmine Bailey, Director of University Communications and Media Relations – (417) 873-7390 or JBailey012@drury.edu.
