CyberAuto Challenge more than just competition

It wasn’t just the competition that made this summer’s SAE CyberAuto Challenge, which included a 24-hour hacking contest, so memorable for a pair of Bloomsburg University digital forensics majors.

They came away with a great learning experience and job leads by networking directly with professionals from the cybersecurity and automotive industry.

“The competition is comprised of three-and-a-half days of classes,” said David Lucas, who was joined by Donald Tennant at the five-day SAE challenge in Michigan. “We’d start at 8 a.m. and finish around 9 to 10 p.m. each day. These were intense classes on different types of ways we can hack a vehicle.”

While no awards were given upon completion of the challenge, participants left the challenge with extensive knowledge about cybersecurity in the automotive industry.

“The tremendous amount of knowledge paired with leaving certified in CanBUS networks was an award in itself,” Tennant said.

Over the years, BU students have found great success at the CyberAuto Challenge. Lucas, Tennant and Derek Berger were featured on this year’s SAE International newsletter.

“It’s humbling to be featured,” said Lucas. Tennant added, “I never thought I would do something at Bloomsburg that would be worthy of a newsletter.”

Lucas and Berger have already accepted jobs in the cybersecurity industry after graduation they credit largely to their participation in the CyberAuto Challenge and BU’s digital forensics program.

“I feel like the CyberAuto Challenge gave me an advantage when I was applying for jobs at General Motors,” said Lucas, who has accepted a job as a cyber forensics analyst for GM, a sponsor of the Cyberauto Challenge. “This opportunity is available to all digital forensics students. The school pays for students to go, and some just don’t take that advantage.”