October 16 – 20
The Hacker Halted conference brand is returning this October in Miami, FL with a slightly different approach this year. Longtime partners, EC-Council and Miami Dade College (MDC), the nation’s most diverse higher learning institution and a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD), are collaborating to bring the training portion of the longtime conference event back to Miami October 16 – 20. Three approved US Department of Defense (DoD) certification courses will make up the first four days of the event followed by a Capture the Flag competition, giving participants the opportunity to learn and then put their skills to the test immediately.
This year’s Hacker Halted Academy will offer three courses: Certified Network Defender (CND), Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), and the Certified Chief Information Security Officer (CCISO). Following the 4 days of in-person and online training, class participants can opt to attempt their certification exam as well as compete in an on-campus Capture the Flag (CTF) competition. Enrolled students at MDC and local colleges and universities will be invited to register and compete in the CTF on Friday, October 20th for an opportunity to win a CEH certification scholarship.
The full conference event, complete with speakers, sponsors, interactive workshops, and more will return to the Miami area in 2024, marking the first time the event has been in Miami since 2012. According to Eric Lopez, Vice President of EC-Council and longtime director of Hacker Halted, “Miami was always a great venue for Hacker Halted and we are thrilled to be back, especially in collaboration with our amazing partners at Miami Dade College.”
An Intentional Approach to Government Approved Training and Standards Alignment
EC-Council received its first accreditation by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) in 2008 with the induction of Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) on to the DoD directive 8570. Several years after, Certified Network Defender (CND), Computer Hacking Forensics Investigator (CHFI), and Certified Chief Information Security Officer (CCISO) were also added to the directive. With the recent release of the DoD 8140 directive, EC-Council certifications now map to 31 critical Cybersecurity roles essential to national security within the DoD Cyberspace Workforce Framework (DCWF). As a designated CAE-CD, awarded by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the National Security Agency (NSA), MDC’s Cybersecurity program and focus is aligned to government standards and job roles in demand. The collaboration between EC-Council and Miami Dade College is focused on creating a broad talent pipeline to prepare students for successful careers in the field of cybersecurity.
Wesley Alvarez, Director of Academics expresses his enthusiasm about the collaboration, “With Miami Dade College’s Wolfson campus located in the heart of Miami, the campus offers a unique collaboration of student hubs focusing on Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence, Marketing, and Animation just a few steps away from each other. Their CAE-CD designation and active student community has positioned them to quickly produce work-ready graduates ready to enter the Cybersecurity workforce.”
For more information, visit www.mdc.edu.