2023

The class of 2023 came together at the CyberTruck Challenge to instruct and mentor 45 students from 24 universities. The students attending were mostly graduate students pursuing advanced degrees in engineering or computer science. 33% of the students were female and 51% of the students claimed the United States as their nationality.

Students had access to 24 mentors and instructors specializing in cybersecurity during the event. Mentors play a critical role in helping the students during the assessment phase of the CyberTruck Challenge. They help guide the students with their exploration and help generate ideas an bring all the results together at the end. The students frequently remark how amazing their mentors are. Some of the mentors are also instructors. Most of our mentors have pages on LinkedIn. The CyberTruck Challeng page is https://www.linkedin.com/company/79743332

This year there were 9 vehicle bosses from the sponsor companies that helped focus the assessments and teach the students about the vehicle systems.

Sponsors

The 2023 CyberTruck Challenge enjoyed fantastic support from engaged sponsors. These organizations represented the whole of heavy vehicles to include the fleets, truck manufacturers, equipment suppliers, academia, security companies, the government, and service providers. Students can participate in the CyberTruck Challenge at no cost to them because of the generosity of the sponsorships.

Schedule

The schedule was packed with many opportunities for hands on learning on the first two days and exciting on-system assessment for the next two days. Finally, we heard the student presentations on Friday morning and dismissed for travels around noon.

The first day registration opened in the Macomb Room around 7:00 am. Participants signed in, agreed to not disclose any information, allowed their photos to be taken and enjoyed breakfast prepared by the Macomb Community College chefs. Opening remarks explained how important trucking and security are to the world economy and our way of life. We emphasized the need to build and maintain trust between the participants and the industry to maintain a healthy discussion of issues related to cybersecurity.

The next event was the vehicle orientation. We had 9 different vehicles and vehicle systems for the CyberTruck Challenge this year. Participants were broken into small groups and rotated through each vehicle station to learn about the company, vehicle, technology, and opportunities.

After the vehicle orientation, students were split into two groups (A and B) and found an empty student laptop to begin instruction. Some of the instructors have release their slides with the links below. However, the slides alone are insufficient to understand the experience for the students. For example, part way through the Truck Systems and J1939 class, students are instructed to identify some of the parts and components of a truck by opening the hood and inspecting the engine compartment with guidance from industry representatives. Each class has its own flavor and specialty necessary to examine different aspects of cybersecurity as it relates to heavy vehicles.

We enjoyed a few dinner presentations on topics of general interest to the CyberTruck Challenge. Admittedly, the dinner presentations were scheduled as at the end of long days. The students did a fabulous job of staying focused. After the Tuesday evening presentation, vehicle bosses, mentors, and students formed 9 teams and started planning out their assessment goals. We had fabulous mentors who helped the students along with this process. Each team was assigned a different target, but were not told any specific objective. The student, mentor, and vehicle bosses helped define the goals.

On Wednesday and Thursday, students explored, planned, executed, and assessed different aspects of the vehicle systems. Each group had different approaches and many utilized the training they received during the first two days. Overall, this was an exciting assessment period and many students wanted to stay longer.

Friday morning we reviewed the Non-Disclosure Agreement and heard from each of the teams. It was impressive what could be done in just a couple days. The week went by fast and it was exhausting. Everyone involved learned new things and there is an excitement for the CyberTruck Challenge of 2024.

2023 Instructor Presentations

Select Photos from the Event

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Team and Presentation Photos

View Slideshow

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Location

The address for the event is the Macomb Community College Sports and Expo Center (Building P). Registration is required and you can pick up your name tags in the Macomb Room of the building.

14500 East 12 Mile Road, Warren, MI 48088

A link to the parking area for the building is:
https://goo.gl/maps/yDLcPrYuxLZ4jciA8
The event will be held in the gym on the east side of the building. The event site has air conditioning this year!

The address for the Sunday evening reception is the LimeLight Sports Bar and Grill, 30200 Van Dyke Ave, Warren, MI 48093.
https://goo.gl/maps/LiHPGnSQ7psVeQod7