I Club and So Can You Christopher B. Lamberson @_clamsec BSidesLV July 25, 2017

~# whoami Christopher B. Lamberson @_clamsec lamberson_christopher@protonmail.com Working two part-time infosec jobs. Studying at Columbus, GA based university. President and founder of Black Box Society

What This Talk is About Why you should start an infosec club. Lessons learned from my struggles and successes. Things I’ve seen working at other clubs. Infosec club starter guide. This is NOT just for collegiate clubs. Advice is intended to be good for collegiate groups, professional organizations, informal get-togethers...

The Real Goal Here Hear this talk, go back home inspired, and start a information security club. Alternatively: Hear this talk, go back home inspired, see that information security clubs exist in your home town, and get involved. Hear this talk, know you’re already involved in an information security club, keep being awesome, and maybe pick up some tips.

Why Start an Information Security Club? Help others and help yourself.

Help Others Be the change you want to see in the world! Attract newcomers to field, start them on the right foot. Take a stab at shrinking the infosec skill gap.

Help Yourself Improve your skills and knowledge by teaching others. Grow your pool of connections and contacts. Squad up for competitions, win dosh and have fun.

A Little Background

My Club Experiences Founding and Organizing Computer Security Special Interest Group (CompSecSIG) Black Box Society (BBS) Checked Out DEF CON group DC404 in Atlanta Information Systems Security Association (ISSA) Columbus, GA

Computer Security Special Interest Group Successes: Grew from a few friends to a group of dozens Produced a competitive capture the flag team Lessons Learned: People ARE interested in infosec clubs Distribute the workload, have a budget, be consistent

Black Box Society Successes: Took the lessons learned from CompSecSIG and improve Continued to compete and place in competitions Lessons Learned: Support structure helps, officers help distribute workload Get more member involvement

Good Things Seen at Other Clubs DC404 New attendees get attention Attendees do most of the presentations Background events like Network King of the Hill ISSA Columbus, GA Chapter Respect and backing from local businesses Attract guest speakers in your local area Access to good locations and food

Lessons Learned from Real World Experience Distribute the workload Have a structure to budget expenses Have a consistent meeting time and place Communicate well

Infosec Club Starter Guide - First Things First Bootstrap your own organization OR branch off of an existing organization? What already exists in my local area? ALWAYS keep your audience in mind.

Infosec Club Starter Guide - Logistics Location, location, location Advertise - draw a crowd Communications

Infosec Club Starter Guide - Location Possible Locations University classrooms Corporate meeting rooms Restaurants, cafes, and pubs

InfoSec Club Starter Guide - Advertisement Advertisement Ideas Flyers wherever smart people hang out Social media such as meetup.com Work with parent org (if applicable)

Infosec Club Starter Guide - Communications Keep in Touch Mailing lists Social media IRC and/or Slack

Infosec Club Starter Guide - Your First Meeting Consider the audience Students Professionals General Pick an angle Competition Preparation Skill Development Networking/Career Development

Infosec Club Starter Guide - Your First Meeting

Create a Local Chapter of an Existing Organization DEF CON Group FAQ: https://defcongroups.org/dcgfaq.html ISSA Chapter Chapter Start-Up Kit: http://www.issa.org/?page=StartaChapter 2600 Meeting Guidelines: https://www.2600.com/meetings/guidelines.html

Conclusion Create a club! Just do it! Think of what the meeting will be about, get a room and time ready, and invite people over. It can be as simple as getting your friends together for NetKotH.

Special Thanks To My Proving Grounds mentor, Rachael Lininger Black Box Society members and officers. My academic mentor, Yesem Peker, and all the compsci faculty at CSU. And a shout out to DC404 and the Columbus, GA chapter of the ISSA.

Questions and Answers If you’re too shy to ask now or are listening to this talk post- debut, contact me: @_clamsec lamberson_christopher@protonmail.com or on Peerlyst