Daniel Nunez
My Cybersecurity Training
Business Partner Overview
Business Collaboration
Quick Facts
The National Reentry Network For Returning Citizens is a nonprofit organization that strives to give formerly incarcerated individuals a second chance to restore their lives by providing resources and support to those who need it.
Housing and employment are the biggest barriers to re-entry. Therefore, The National Reentry Network For Returning Citizens primarily helps clients all over the country with these two necessities by providing them with housing and temporary occupations for up to three years free of cost. Assisting over 1000 clients over the last year, TNRNFRC has a 99% success rate of their clients not getting re-incarcerated.
Business Collaboration
About the Owner
Courtney Stewart is the founder and chairman of The National Reentry Network For Returning Citizens which is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping individuals both before and after the justice system. Mr. Stewart himself is a formerly incarcerated individual who grew up in an alcoholic family.
In 2006 he founded Mentoring Works2 which gives DC youth a mentor to ensure they receive an education and mentor. Mr. Stewart understands the “revolving door” of incarceration and how it is easy to get stuck in that cycle. After being in prison for 8 years, he struggled to get a footing in the real world again. He wants to make a difference in the community by helping others who were in his position to get a second chance at life.
Business Collaboration
About the Business
The National Reentry Network For Returning Citizens was founded in 2010. They complete their mission of helping formerly incarcerated people reintegrate into society by aiding their clients in searching for jobs and securing housing. They focus on creating a network of support that focuses on supporting clients in many aspects. They also educate their clients by updating them on societal changes they may have missed while incarcerated. This includes teaching them about the latest technology and applications.
One of the education programs NRNRC has in place is called Ready4Work. This program prepares its participants for the process of applying for jobs. It teaches them about the interview process, how to create a good resume, workplace culture, and more. Another part of the integration process for some clients is reuniting them with family. NRNRC provides support and a steady process to slowly bring them together. All the clients get a mentor to guide them through the entire reentry process. They create campaigns and have surveys that work towards securing the help that formerly incarcerated individuals need to become a successful member of society.
Business Collaboration
Current Vulnerabilities
The National Reentry Network for Returning Citizens is a rapidly growing organization. A large amount of the employees are not educated in phishing techniques or other cyberattacks, making them very susceptible to being attacked. Large amounts of client information are stored online and in their database. Access to this sensitive information makes the organization a possible target for hackers.
Their data banks and storage can come under attack as a result of disagreement with the organization's mission. Those that oppose the National Reentry Network for Returning Citizens have the possibility of breaking into the data storage and causing systems to go awry. Protecting both the people they serve and the people that work for the organization is their biggest priority.
My Security
Proposal
Our goals for our proposal were to address the main cyber security concerns of our partner business, as well as threats we identified through SWOT analysis and the CIA triad.
We developed a three-part plan that includes client training, secure cloud storage, and administrative accounts to ensure the safety of our partner’s clients. The cloud storage and administrative accounts ensure the online security of the business’ network, while the client-training is meant to educate clients to better protect their Personally Identifiable Information (PII)./p>
Our proposal was successfully granted, allowing us to implement our solution for our non-profit. This will ensure that our partner is not at a high risk of physical threats, employee negligence, and hacktivists, protecting them for years to come.
My Security
Proposal
Presentation
During the Cybersecurity & Defense Internship, I worked with Beth Cerrone and Jamie Kreider to learn about the basics of cybersecurity, and potential career pathways within it.
Throughout the week, I worked with a company to develop cybersecurity solutions to protect against various cyber threats. I worked with my team to analyze the threats to the business, and then developed a comprehensive solution. At the end of the week, I presented my cybersecurity solution to a panel of three judges and received grant money to implement the solution.
Internship Highlights
- Security Site Tours
- Business Partner Meeting
- Working With Experts
- Cybersecurity Labs
I was given the unique opportunity to take exclusive tours of multiple government and security sites to speak directly with security professionals. During these tours, I was able to witness first-hand how cybersecurity operates at the national and international level.
First, I received an exclusive tour of the United States Pentagon where I was able to view the interior of the Pentagon as well as see some of the different meeting rooms throughout the Department of Defense.
We also toured the Department of Homeland Securities’ Cybercrimes Center where we received classified tours of the cyber crimes unit of the DHS and learned how Homeland Security uses cyber intelligence to track major crimes such as drug smuggling, human trafficking, and major theft.
In order to apply the skills I learned throughout the internship, I worked directly with an aspiring entrepreneur based in the Washington D.C. area to discuss their companies cybersecurity needs.
After three meetings where I walked through the business model, protected information, and staff training of the companies, I worked with my team to create a staff training protocol and threat analysis for my business partner.
At the end of the internship, I advocated for, and received funding for, my business partner to implement the cybersecurity training protocols so they can best protect their client information and continue to develop with a reduced fear of cyber attacks and cybersecurity threats.
To learn more about the world of cybersecurity, I was given the unique opportunity to speak directly with cybersecurity experts from multiple different organizations and backgrounds.
I worked directly with one of the leading consultants in Cyber Threat Management, and a consultant for cyber policy for the National Counterintelligence Executive, Phuong Nguyen, to learn about common threat assessment and cybersecurity counterintelligence. I also heard from the global leader in Firewall Creation, David Balenson; the author of the most widely-regarded O’Reilly book on cybersecurity, Michael Collins; and the lead SME for the FutureG Initiative for the Department of Defense.
Throughout the internship, I also heard presentations from, and spoke with, representatives from the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, and the National Security Agency. To learn the physical side of cybersecurity, we also had the unique opportunity to meet with globally-recognized penetration testers and network threat assessors.
In order to put the skills we learned to the test, I had the unique opportunity to use a cybersecurity software used for graduate instructional courses to learn a myriad of cybersecurity skills.
Starting with network cybersecurity, I worked through labs dedicated to network security and linux to understand how networks communicate with each other and how cybersecurity poses a threat to this communication. I used these Linux skills to complete capture-the-flag coding competitions as well as virtual rooms.
At the end of the internship, I worked with an expert from a leading cybersecurity consulting firm to learn how to built ethernet cables. I used ethernet cord, crimpers, and wire strippers to produce functioning ethernet cables.