“Capture the Phish” Hackathon Combines Software Engineering and Cybersecurity to Drive Innovation and Inspire the Next Generation of Tech Leaders
CANTON, Ohio — May 1, 2023 — ark, an award-winning data center, hybrid IT, and cloud-forward consulting firm, in collaboration with HacWare, an AI-driven phishing simulation technology provider, launched its inaugural “Capture the Phish” Hackathon at Stark State College.
Combining elements of both software engineering and cybersecurity disciplines, the stand-out event provided local college students with the opportunity to flex their tech talents, further explore a career in technology and network with industry leaders — all while strengthening the cybersecurity community and driving innovation to continue protecting organizations against a barrage of ever-evolving cybersecurity attacks.
“This exciting hackathon initiative brings ark to the forefront of the local college population, businesses, industry leaders and potential talent to shine a bright light on the importance of innovation through technology. This event is helping to build a pipeline of opportunity for not only students pursuing a career in tech, but the companies that will employ them and the communities that will benefit from their achievements,” said Michelle Moran, Senior Vice President of Sales, Product, and Marketing at ark. “Merging the core capabilities of software engineering and cybersecurity, we are building a platform that has enormous potential to develop groundbreaking solutions that will solve real challenges impacting organizations across every industry today.”
Inspired by the “capture the flag” game, the full-day hackathon event challenged participants to identify potential phishing risks within a group of given emails and develop solutions to detect and block malicious activity. Students presented their solutions to a distinguished panel of judges comprised of C-level tech leaders from local organizations. First-place winners, Tyler Allen and Grant Hyne, local high school students participating in Stark State’s college credit program, earned the opportunity to interview for a HacWare internship. Notably, the event also included a cybersecurity discussion with Eric Hamer, Chief Technology Officer at HacWare, and Mark Cooley, Vice President of Security & Compliance at ark.
“Our first Capture the Phish hackathon was a great success and truly highlighted the amazing talents and incredible knowledge of the students here at Stark State College,” said Hamer, “We are beyond proud to bring the tech community together and to inspire the next generation of tech professionals, providing them with one-of-a-kind opportunities to gain hands-on experience, connect with some of the greatest leaders in the industry and learn how to take the next step toward a successful career in the field of technology and cybersecurity.”
ark plans to hold “Capture the Phish” hackathons in other markets with multiple universities this fall. For more information about ark’s hackathon events and to learn about the company’s consulting, colocation, cloud, managed services and security solutions, visit arkdna.com.
