Name: Alex Lloyd
Internship, Co-op, or Research Site: General Dynamics Mission Systems
Position Title: Software Engineering Intern
Major or Program: Computer Science, B.S.
Current Class Level: Senior
Work Term: Summer 2022
Tell us about your internship, co-op, or research opportunity, including your day-to-day responsibilities.
Researching & beginning the search for network vulnerabilities in Hue Bridge smart lightbulb devices. First month centered around researching known vulnerabilities, functionality, & reproducing a hardware hack so that we could analyze the file system. Included analyzing its binaries in Ghidra.
Second month centered around scanning vulnerable ports & using our knowledge of the file system, remote control of the device, & online resources to identify which process operated on each port. Identifying a given process on a vulnerable port, we then focused our analysis of that particular binary & identified where it decrypts information. I was the first to capture packets destined for that port & the first to extract decrypted data from memory using a cross-compiled server on the device itself.
I then split the internship team in half to pursue two potentially viable methods of fuzzing - AFL++'s Unicorn mode & QEMU mode - with myself leading the QEMU team & another UMBC student intern leading the Unicorn team. My team was again the first to begin fuzzing properly, using my captured packets as an input corpus. Fuzzing is important as it spams certain binaries with variations of data until a crash occurs & a vulnerability can be found & exploited.
I then helped my fellow interns to compile & deliver a presentation of our findings & next steps for this project.
Describe the process of obtaining your position. When did you hear of the position and submit your application?
I applied via LinkedIn in Fall 2021, had an interview in Spring 2022, & landed the internship to start at the beginning of June 2022. I found the position via LinkedIn's weekly notifications for jobs fitting my specifications.
What have you enjoyed the most about your position or organization?
Working in an Ubuntu VM, which introduced me to Linux & the use of apt package management, & inspired me to install Linux on my T2 security chip'd MacBook, using a modified kernel I found online to work with the unsupported hardware. I now have Windows, macOS, & Zorin OS triple boot on my MacBook & am using Linux more regularly as a casual operating system.
How do you believe you have made an impact through your work?
I am dead certain I made an impact, because I was asked to stay on & extend my internship into the Fall semester, where I am building on the work my team created during the summer semester. Currently, we are working on increasing the speed of the fuzzing process.
What advice would you give to another student who is seeking an internship or similar experience?
Quantity is king. Obviously, if you are fortunate enough to have an "in" for a given organization (insider knowledge), then certainly exploit that advantage as much as you are able, but in my case &, I imagine, for most folks early in their careers, you won't have that. You have to go through the application & interview process. Therefore, you are going to be one among many applying for each opportunity, so the way you get ahead is by trying everything. Spam as many applications as possible to opportunities that fit your skillset, taking care to cater your résumé &/or cover letter to the most promising opportunities, & simply keep at it. My approach was to apply to three different opportunities every week for the entirety of the Fall semester in 2021, & it's from this approach that I landed my internship. Of countless applications, I landed only three interviews, & only succeeded at the final one with General Dynamics.
In addition, take advantage of avenues that I did not, such as career fairs & the advice of the career center, & if all else fails, pursue projects or research opportunities within academia. If you prioritize quantity, & get your résumé out to every single one of these areas, & persist, then you cannot fail.
My final piece of advice: know your core classes. For student internships, perhaps the best places to apply, in every interview they will ask about simple, fundamental concepts in your major. If you have succeeded in your classes, you will be able to answer these questions & land your internship.
Please provide a short reflection or quote about what you liked most about your position / earning internship credit / working with the Career Center.
I get paid to hack lightbulbs. Believe-you-me, there is a job for everyone.
Check out this post on our social media platforms!
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram andLinkedIn
#UMBCintern
Want to be the next Intern of the Week? Make sure to fill out this form and stay tuned. New interns are announced every Monday! ]]>Un. of Chicago Summer Research Opportunity in Economics
Stipend, Housing, Travel Expenses & Meal Plan- Deadline to Apply Tuesday, 1/10/23
In special partnership with The Leadership Alliance,
the University of Chicago will select up to three current UMBC
undergraduates for an amazing research internship in economics. The
program is designed for undergraduate students with strong quantitative
and analytical backgrounds of ALL majors. This nine-week residential
program exposes students to three program components: research,
mentorship, and graduate school preparation.
DEADLINE TO APPLY: Tuesday, January 10, 2023 (by 9am)
PROGRAM COMPONENTS include:
Research Mentors: Students
will be matched with a faculty/research mentor. Students can learn more
about research opportunity offerings by looking at faculty research profiles. All students participating in the summer session will also be guided by advisers outside of the laboratory environment.
Activities: Students
are expected to spend a minimum of 40 hours/week conducting research
and working with faculty/research mentors. In addition, students will
participate in several program activities that will allow them to
interact with other members of the academic community and summer
research programs at the University of Chicago:
Weekly Workshops/Panel Discussions: Workshops
on how to navigate the academy, including topics like getting the
mentoring you need, self-care and community, communicating your
research, the graduate admissions process, preparing grad applications,
fellowships and funding opportunities, and study abroad.
Library
or Facility tours: Participants will be acquainted with the shared
library, research, and laboratory facilities as it pertains to their
research placement.
University of Chicago Research Symposium: Near
the end of the nine-week summer session, participants will give oral
presentations of their work to fellow participants, faculty mentors, and
research associates in a symposium on campus.
The Leadership Alliance National Research Symposium: Participants
will travel to attend the national meeting of the Leadership Alliance
to present their work and to network with other SR-EIP participants from
different institutions, faculty/research mentors, and Leadership
Alliance members and directors.
Recreational Activities: Social
activities organized to acquaint participants with life on the
University of Chicago campus and in the city of Chicago at large.
Program Dates:
Monday, June 12, 2023 through Saturday, August 12, 2023 (9 weeks)
STIPEND AND ADDITIONAL SUPPORT:
-
Housing: Participants will be offered room and board in an
air-conditioned student dormitory residence located in the center of
campus near several amenities, including a new state-of-the-art athletic
facility.
- Participating students
are eligible for reimbursement of approved expenses associated with
round-trip travel to the University of Chicago from the student’s home
city.
- Stipend & Meals:
Participants will be offered a $5,000 stipend plus a $550 meal plan.
Participating students will be given a dining card for the purchase of
meals at the University dining facilities.
.png)
Through the winter, the Women's Center staff will be working remotely and in-person. We encourage campus community members to contact us through email at womenscenter@umbc.edu or via phone at 410-455-2714. Staff will generally be most available between the hours of 10am - 4pm. We appreciate your patience in our response to your email or returning your phone call.
On Study Day (Wednesday, 12/14), 12/15, 12/16, 12/19, and 12/20 the Women's Center lounge will be open from 11 am to 3pm.
During the Winter Term, the Women’s Center Lounge will re-open on Tuesday, Jan 3rd and will be open from 10am to 3pm Tuesday through Thursday. The Women’s Center will be closed on Fridays.
Women's Center staff will be working remotely on Mondays and while our lounge will be closed, staff are still available to support the UMBC community - please reach out to a staff member directly or through our shared email or phone.
Our normal Spring hours will resume on January 30th with the beginning of the Spring semester.
The Women's Center lactation room continues to be available by reservation. For details, contact us at womenscenter@umbc.edu.
Individualized Support Meetings:
Women's Center professional staff are available for individual meetings and support which we can provide via phone or video chat and in some cases in-person; to schedule an appointment, email womenscenter@umbc.edu or call 410-455-2714. If you are already working with a specific staff member and need to set up additional meetings, feel free to reach out to the staff member you have been working with directly (via email or even g-chat!).
Visit our website for all the ways we can provide support.
If you haven't already, follow us on social media where we're sharing resources and communicating with our community!
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Please also feel free to communicate with us through any of these channels.
***************
Other Helpful Resources:
To report and seek services for incidents related to sexual violence, relationship violence, and all other sexual misconduct, complete the online form located on the Office of Equity and Inclusion's website. TurnAround's 24/7 helpline is 443-279-0379. For a full list of off-campus resources, visit Retriever Courage.
For UMBC community members who need access to healthy food and other essential supplies visit Retriever Essentials or the myUMBC Retriever Essentials group for up-to-date information on how to access food and toiletry items.
For information about Academic Success Center's services and support (tutoring, Writing Center, SI Pass, academic advocates, etc.) visit their website.
For access to health and human services information, visit 2-1-1 Maryland or dial 2-1-1.
For UMBC-related COVID-19 updates, visit covid19.umbc.edu or email covid19@umbc.edu.
]]>
Nilanjan Banerjee, professor of computer science and electrical engineering (Marlayna Demond '11/UMBCUMBC researchers designed the Cybersecurity for Manufacturing Operational Technology (CyMOT) program to help manufacturing professionals grow their cybersecurity skills, protecting the sector from cyber threats and increasing their career opportunities. Now, the program has received significant additional funding to expand its impact.
The CyMOT program -- launched in 2020 in collaboration with the Chicago-based MxD (Manufacturing x Digital) and UMBC Training Centers -- has been renewed with a $1.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense's Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation (OLDCC). The funding will support the implementation of new training curricula around machine learning and cybersecurity.
"In recent years, there has been a large number of cyber attacks on the manufacturing sector," says Nilanjan Banerjee, professor of computer science and electrical engineering and the grant's principal investigator. To address this rising concern, Banerjee explains, CyMOT aims to "make sure that people that are in the manufacturing business can get trained and upskilled in cybersecurity concepts around manufacturing."
Read more about the CyMOT program in this UMBC News article.
]]>Attention all UMBC student employees!
What could be better than having an on-campus job?
Having an on-campus job and getting a notation on your transcript that tells employers you made the effort to enhance your professional development!
Interested in gaining a competitive edge in the job market? Sign up for PRAC 102- Building Skills for Career Success this Spring semester. Don’t worry, it’s not a formal class! With the minimal commitment of attending a few workshops and career events, you will be better prepared for the world of work and have the proof on your college transcript to show your employer.
DEADLINE TO REQUEST ENROLLMENT: Thursday, March 2,2023
Make your campus experience count! Enroll TODAY! Enrollment is limited to the first 40 student employees. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by!
Open to all levels and majors. You must be a UMBC student employee working at least eight hours per week on campus.
Log in to Handshake, then navigate to Career Center > Experiences.
Click “Request an Experience” and select “Career Center – On-Campus Student Employment (PRAC 102- Building Skills for Career Success)” as the Experience Type. Fill in the required fields and submit.
Your registration will be reviewed within two business days. The Career Center will enroll you directly upon review along with sending you additional details.
QUESTIONS, please contact Stephanie Taylor (staylor18@umbc.edu)
]]>