How CyberSci Creates and Connects Cyber Security Professionals in Canada

CyberSci runs a series of regional cyber challenge events in major cities across Canada each year.

Canadian universities and colleges send up to two teams of four students to the designated venue in their region. These student teams are then presented with a realistic corporate network that forces them to think like an attacker to penetrate the defences and expose the vulnerabilities.

“The challenge style uses realistic scenarios and vulnerabilities seen in the day-to-day work of our organizing team,” the nonprofit explains.

This year’s challenge winners include teams from the University of Waterloo, the University of British Columbia, and the University of Toronto.

At the end, an autumn hiring event helps place challengers with companies.

“We do hacking in the morning, interviews in the afternoon, and [intern and co-op] job offers by supper,” according to CyberSci.

CyberSci says it works to enhance Canada’s cyber security capacity by “enticing bright and energetic individuals to join our country’s ranks of cyber security professionals.” The organization has partnered with more than three dozen schools and worked with over 800 students.

On November 5, a CyberSci regional hiring event takes place in Vancouver. Located at Simon Fraser University, top students from cyber programs across BC will attend, with sponsors looking to hire.