Sponsorship – AIS Home | Assured Information Security

CNY Hackathon – Going Virtual

A1Sadmin — Fri, 10 Apr 2020 15:17:43 +0000

Brodie Davis, a Software Engineer at Assured Information Security (AIS), challenges participants at the 2018 CNY Hackathon.

The CNY Hackathon, a bridge between area academic programs and our local workforce, pivots to an online format due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Over the last seven years, the CNY Hackathon has become a major event in the Mohawk Valley, aiming to improve computer science and cybersecurity education while more closely aligning academia with local industry partners. The event, a regional intercollegiate cybersecurity competition, is typically held twice a year at local institutions and has been a collaborative effort between Mohawk Valley Community College (MVCC), Utica College and SUNY Polytechnic Institute.

The spring event on April 17 and 18 will not be so typical. The CNY Hackathon event organizers came to a crossroads due to the coronavirus pandemic and decided to pivot to an online format.

“We have experience delivering the event online through a grant we received from the National Security Agency to run our version of the hackathon in the northeast region of the country,” said Jake Mihevc, Dean for the School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) at MVCC and CNY Hackathon Co-Founder. “That went very well last year and we’re confident we can deliver a great student experience this year as well.”

It’s not only important to the team that the event continues, but students and industry partners look forward to the event and realize how important it is to the local STEM community. This event, which fills up quickly with participants, allows students to see the practical application of their classwork and prepares them for the workforce.

“The CNY Hackathon is a bridge between academic programs and our local workforce,” said Mihevc. “Since it began on 2013, the event has created a strong community and we want to keep it alive and vibrant. We’ll miss the in-person interaction, but we’re excited about what we have planned for students to connect and challenge each other and for our industry partners who sponsor the event to connect with students.”

Sponsors of the event will be able to meet with students online and provide guidance, advice and information on how to submit resumes and apply. The support of industry partners has allowed the CNY Hackathon community to stay together for a spring event in an online venue. Sponsors of the event include: Griffiss Institute, Air Force STEM, Adeptus Cyber Solutions, Assured Information Security (AIS), Quanterion Solutions Incorporated, National Grid, PAR Government, NYCM Insurance, Packet, North Point Defense and Leet Cyber Security.

AIS has been a long supporter of the event not only as one of the sponsors, but by providing volunteers to challenge the participants. It’s not hard for AIS employees to get excited about volunteering at this event, as many of them learned about AIS through participating in the CNY Hackathon.

Brodie Davis is a Software Engineer whose path to AIS started while in college at SUNY Polytechnic Institute. He participated in the CNY Hackathon while in school and was approached by two AIS employees at the event about pursuing an internship. He began as an intern at AIS the following summer and was hired full-time before he graduated college. Davis is still actively involved with community events like the CNY Hackathon, and now represents AIS every year.

“Interacting with the local cyber community taught me the skills I needed to be successful,” said Davis. “It was through this hackathon that I was able to apply my knowledge and advance my skillset into a career.”

Charles Green, CEO at AIS, sees the value in supporting events like the CNY Hackathon, as these events align directly with the company’s mission.

“It’s incredibly important to us to push the cybersecurity industry forward,” said Green. “Not only is supporting local events like this a way to contribute to that growth, but we’re also helping to foster the next generation of STEM leadership in our community. It’s a great opportunity for us to recruit and show prospective engineers what a career in cybersecurity can really be like.”

The CNY Hackathon brings college students together from all throughout the region. It’s an effort that supports the development of our area by encouraging continuous learning and connecting students with local industry partners. Although the spring event will be different this year, the CNY Hackathon team is excited to keep the community they have built together.

“We have a number of students, faculty and industry partners who are very busy right now and have a lot of other things that they could prioritize,” said Mihevc. “But because this event does so much for our community and allows students to get the practical skills they need, everyone is stepping up to do things differently and ensure that the CNY Hackathon lives on.”

Event Information:

The two-day event will kick off on Friday, April 17, at 5pm with a series of security related presentations conducted by industry professionals. The competition portion of the event will begin promptly at 9am on Saturday, April 18 and run until 4:30pm.

Day 1: Friday, April 17, 2020, from 5pm to 8pm
Day 2: Saturday, April 18, 2020, from 9am to 4:30pm

For more information, visit: www.cnyhackathon.org

AIS is proud to be the title sponsor of the 2021 AIS Empire State Classic

A1Sadmin — Wed, 19 Feb 2020 19:39:21 +0000

Utica, N.Y. – Utica Comets President Robert Esche, in conjunction with Howard Zemsky, chair of the Empire State Development Board of Directors, announced today that the Comets will host the 2021 AIS Empire State Classic Outdoor Game at the Griffiss Business & Technology Park on the afternoon of Saturday, February 13, against the Syracuse Crunch. Assured Information Security (AIS) is the title sponsor of this event. This will be the first ever outdoor game for the Utica Comets and the first American Hockey League (AHL) game played outdoors in Oneida County.

The 2021 AIS Empire State Classic is part of a larger Winter Festival that will build on the 25th anniversary of the Griffiss Local Development Corporation. The Winter Festival as a whole will celebrate the best of Oneida County, and feature a number of interactive exhibits, events and cutting-edge demonstrations. Esche explained that the exact location of the event is still to be determined, as three sites within Griffiss are currently being considered. Mohawk Valley Garden is currently working with a number of companies on orchestrating the plans for the buildout of the stadium, which will include approximately 16,000 fixed seats, a full sheet of NHL-caliber ice, portable video boards, and more.

AIS is a cyber and information security firm founded and headquartered in Rome, New York, and maintains operating locations throughout the United States. AIS provides government and commercial customers with industry leading cyber security capabilities and services such as research, development, consulting, testing, forensics, remediation and training. For additional information about AIS, please visit www.ainfosec.com.

“We are extremely thankful to all who are involved in making this a reality and for giving us the opportunity to be the title sponsor of the Empire State Classic,” said Dan Kalil, Vice President of Commercial Operations for AIS. “It’s going to be a great experience for the city of Rome and our region and further highlight the area’s growth, successes and opportunities.”

The 2021 AIS Empire State Classic will build upon the 7-year rivalry between the Comets and Crunch – a rivalry that has culminated each year with the awarding of the Galaxy Cup. This will be the 11th outdoor game for the American Hockey League (AHL) and the third in the state of New York. The Crunch hosted the first outdoor game in AHL history back in 2010 at the NYS Fairgrounds.

“I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of an outdoor game before and I remember what an incredible experience it was for the entire community. It is exciting to be a part of making history and I know that our fans will make this event something truly special,” commented Comets Head Coach Trent Cull. “With the game being played at Griffiss, there’s a direct link between our Purple Heart organization and our area’s military history, but also an opportunity to look ahead at all of the great work they’re doing on the base now as tech leaders.”

“The Comets staff is dedicated to making the 2021 AIS Empire State Classic the event our area has ever seen,” said Esche. “We plan to put on a truly once-in-a-lifetime, immersive experience for all ages, that our area will embrace and celebrate for years to come.”

Esche also announced that the night prior, on February 12, the Utica College Men’s Hockey team will face off in an outdoor game against their rivals, SUNY Oswego.

“This is an unbelievable opportunity for Utica College as a whole,” said Head Coach Gary Heenan. “The guys dream about playing in an outdoor game and to have it right here in our backyard is just awesome.”

Deposits are being accepted now at the Comets Box Office to secure spots for the 2021 AIS Empire State Classic. For just $25 per seat, fans can lock in their place at what is sure to be a once-in-a-lifetime event for all of New York State. The exact seat selection process will take place later this year; Season Ticket Members will have first selection, in priority order of when the deposit was received, followed by the general public in that same chronological format. Fans are encouraged to take advantage of early sales, as Esche explained that the event is expected to sell out in advance of the game.

Follow the Utica Comets on social media for additional information throughout the next year. To reserve seats, call 315-790-9070 or visit www.empirestatetix.com.