CyberMACS Programme’s First Summer School on ‘OSINT, Malware and AI for the Future of Cybersecurity’ Successfully Completed
The CyberMACS Summer School, with its theme “OSINT, Malware, and AI for the future of Cybersecurity,” hosted by Kadir Has University from June 10-14, 2024, was successfully completed as a significant event for the first student edition, constituting 25 students from 16 nationalities.
About CyberMACS
CyberMACS is a full-time, 2-year Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s Degree Programme focusing on “Applied Cybersecurity” to provide a solid background in the cybersecurity domain with a focus on educating future cybersecurity experts. The programme is a robust institutional cooperation between Kadir Has University (KHAS, Türkiye), SRH Berlin University of Applied Sciences (SRH, Germany), and Ss. Cyril and Methodius University-Skopje, North Macedonia (UKIM, Republic of North Macedonia). It offers a high-level integrated and transnational study programme targeting the best students globally. Students are trained on the basics of cybersecurity in their first year at Kadir Has University/Türkiye. For the specialization in the second year, students go either to SRH Berlin University of Applied Sciences, Germany, or Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, North Macedonia. CyberMACS is funded by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency.
About CyberMACS Summer School
CyberMACS annually hosts its Summer School, a crucial component of our master’s programme. Our Summer School focuses on a specific theme in cybersecurity, offering our students a platform for practical and hands-on learning opportunities on different aspects of cybersecurity. CyberMACS students collaborated closely with industry experts and academics in our Summer School for the First Student Edition to tackle real-world cybersecurity challenges. The programme included expert-led workshops, a field trip, student pitches, social activities, networking, and a closing ceremony. Representatives of Partner Universities and cybersecurity companies took place as speakers and lecturers.
Key Highlights of CyberMACS Summer School 2024:
Expert-Led Workshops
The CyberMACS Summer School aims to deepen knowledge in cybersecurity and provide students with practical experience, providing valuable insights into cybersecurity developments. Attendees benefitted from extensive hands-on workshops conducted by notable speakers from industry and academia on various topics as follows:
· Prof. Dr. Alexander Iliev (SRH Berlin) – “AI Use Cases”
· Klaus Dieter Schwarz (Ernst & Young – Germany) – “OSINT – Overview and State-of-the-Art in Disaster Management”
· Prof. Dr. Boro Jakimovski (UKIM) – “Security Incident and Event Management Tools”
· Kaan Işıldak and Berk Albayrak (Malwation) – “Criticality of Advanced Malware Analysis”
· Navaneeth Shivananjappa (SRH Berlin) – “Pen Testing: With Focus on SQL and NoSQL Injection”
Interactive Seminar
Hristina Mihajloska Trpcheska (UKIM) delivered an engaging seminar on “Securing the Future: Lightweight Ciphers for Small Device Security.”
Field trip / Company Visit / Workshop in KPMG-Turkiye
The students embarked on a field trip of great significance to the KPMG-Turkiye. During this field trip, they had a unique opportunity to participate in engaging group work, discussions, and brainstorming sessions supervised by Ümit Şen, Partner, on emerging technologies, focusing
Three minutes Students Pitch Workshop
Students shared their achievements, publication ideas, and potential thesis concepts with the audience and received feedback from professors.
Networking Opportunities
The Summer School facilitated networking, allowed students to connect with peers, mentors, and potential employers/internship providers, and fostered collaboration and professional growth within the cybersecurity community. For instance, two students gained opportunities to conduct their internships in Malwation. This included valuable mentorship at the R&D company, which specialises in malware, providing them with unique insight into the industry.
Social Activity: Bosphorus Tour
Bosphorus Cruise contributed to the unforgettable conclusion of the programme. Participants enjoyed a delightful Bosphorus Cruise showcasing some of Istanbul’s most iconic sights while relaxing and exploring the historical and cultural beauty of Istanbul.
Summer School Closing Ceremony
During the ceremony, speeches were delivered by Programme Coordinator Prof. Dr. Hasan Dağ from Turkiye and Local Academic Coordinator Prof. Dr. Reiner Creutzburg from Germany, highlighting the program’s significance and future-oriented plans.
The CyberMACS Summer School brought together participants from various backgrounds and expertise levels, fostering a supportive and inclusive setting for learning, connecting and collaboration. We sincerely thank all the lecturers, industry experts, and students who contributed to this week’s success!
