The Information Security program from the Applied Computer Education department at Red River College is only in its second year, yet interest in the program and the field of information security has never been greater. And it shows. The Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) student group at Red River College hosted its first ever annual mini-conference on Halloween at the ACE Project Space and it was a full house with over 70 students in attendance. Part of this group included high-school students from Seven Oaks School Division Met School and Maples Met School. Students enjoyed presentations from industry experts and one of our own information security instructors.

Along with a free pizza lunch and Halloween themed treats, students were treated to the following presentations by Deloitte, Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries, Auditor General of Manitoba, and Red River College:

Introduction to ISACA (Certifications and Resources)

Presented by: Fraser McLean, CPA, CA, CISA, CRISC, Senior Manager, Risk Advisory at Deloitte Canada

Fraser described the information security landscape, the ISACA organization, career options available for students as well as key activities including penetration testing, incident response handling, and cybersecurity red team versus blue team scenarios. He also talked about the certifications and resources recognized by industry.

Fraser McLean, a senior manager for risk advisory at Deloitte Canada, discusses the career opportunities in information security

Internal Audit 101

Presented by: Catarina Sousa Machado, CPA, CGA, CISA, Senior Audit and Risk Management Professional at Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries Corporation

Catarina educated students on the internal audit profession from an accounting perspective and contrasted it with the technology focus of information security professionals. She described the roles comprising internal audit, the importance of internal auditing to organizations, as well as the certification paths that are available.

Catarina Sousa Machado, a senior audit and risk management professional at Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries Corporation, talks about the internal auditing profession

Social Engineering: Human Element of Information Security

Presented by: Ganesh Sharma, FCA(India), CISA, CISM, CISSP, CIA, SAP Certified, Principal, IT Performance Audits at Auditor General of Manitoba

Ganesh shared the financial impact of data breaches on organizations and how social engineering allows these breaches to occur. He provided details on the time required to resolve incidents and the types of social engineering attacks, their methods of delivery, as well as points of exploitation, including people, processes, and technology.

Ganesh Sharma, a principal IT performance auditor from the Auditor General of Manitoba, discusses the financial impact of data breaches

Forensic Analysis

Presented by: Stephen Jay, Information Security Instructor, Red River College

One of our instructors, Stephen Jay, walked students through various aspects of forensic analysis in information security. He used examples of image analysis and demonstrated a multitude of tools that can be used to perform forensic analysis.

Stephen Jay, a Red River College information security instructor, describes how image analysis is performed as part of forensic analysis

Interested in hosting a similar event for students?

For information about hosting an event at the ACE Project Space, please contact Stephen Lawrence, ACE Project Space Coordinator at (204) 224-2712.