By: Heather Campbell
This past weekend, I had the opportunity to attend BSides Buffalo 2024, held at Canisius University. This event allowed me to dive into the latest industry trends, learn from experts, and connect with cybersecurity professionals. Here’s a recap of my day.
Morning Kick-Off
The day started with registration, where I picked up my swag bag filled with goodies, and grabbed a (much-needed) cup of coffee.
Engaging Talks
BSides Buffalo offered multiple talk tracks, and it was hard to choose between sessions. I started my day in the “Patching Your Future: A Guide to a Career in Cybersecurity” by Patrick Rost. Patrick provided practical advice on building a career path and the essential skills needed in the field (check out his slides in the BSides Buffalo Discord).
Additional sessions included “Eyes Wide Open: A Beginner’s Journey into OSINT” by Ross Flynn, where we learned how to tap into publicly available data. As well as “Threat Modeling is an art, let’s make you an artist!” by Kat Fitzgerald where Kat showed how to reduce time-to-mitigate in threat modeling (see the full schedule of events).
Interactive Workshops
I also took part in the lock picking workshop, where I learned the basics of lock picking, including different techniques and tools used by professionals. This hands-on activity was a great break from the more traditional sessions. There was also a soldering workshop, where you could assemble a simple project and take it home.
Another hands-on activity included a Capture The Flag (CTF) competition. Teams competed in computer security challenges, when completed they received a “flag,” a secret string which was exchanged for points.
Final Thoughts
BSides Buffalo 2024 was a fantastic experience that offered a blend of technical knowledge, practical skills, and networking opportunities for both seasoned professionals as well as those breaking into the industry. Thank you to all who made this event possible.
I am already looking forward to BSides Buffalo 2025!