{"id":214806,"date":"2026-05-14T03:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/14\/it-student-earns-top-honor-for-cybersecurity-research\/"},"modified":"2026-05-17T04:00:56","modified_gmt":"2026-05-17T08:00:56","slug":"it-student-earns-top-honor-for-cybersecurity-research","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/14\/it-student-earns-top-honor-for-cybersecurity-research\/","title":{"rendered":"IT student earns top honor for cybersecurity research"},"content":{"rendered":"

IT student earns top honor for cybersecurity research<\/a><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.jmu.edu\/news\/cise\/2026\/05-14-it-student-earns-top-award.shtml<\/a><\/p>\n

Publish Date: 2026-05-14 03:00:00<\/a><\/p>\n

Source Domain: www.jmu.edu<\/a><\/p>\n

Author: <\/a><\/p>\n

Using an unordered list, summarize the following article with between 4 and 8 key points.
\nSarah Hershberger, alongside Dr. Adeen Ayub, receives the Best Undergraduate Research Poster Award for research on industrial control systems security. SUMMARY: Sarah Hershberger, a sophomore in JMU\u2019s Information Technology program, recently attended the Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS) conference, where she earned the Best Undergraduate Research Poster Award for her work on industrial control systems security.When Sarah Hershberger, a sophomore in JMU\u2019s Information Technology program, attended the Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS) conference for the first time, she expected to present her research and learn more about the field.
\nShe did not expect to leave with the conference\u2019s Best Undergraduate Research Poster Award. \u201cI was just expecting to go and give the presentation,\u201d Hershberger said. \u201cI wasn\u2019t expecting to get anything.\u201d
\nThe WiCyS conference, held near Washington, D.C., brings together students, researchers and industry professionals from across the cybersecurity field. The event includes technical presentations, workshops, networking opportunities and a career fair designed to support women pursuing careers in cybersecurity.
\nHershberger\u2019s project focused on the security of industrial control systems, including programmable logic controllers (PLCs) used in critical infrastructure. \u201cThey\u2019re the little computers that are in elevators, conveyor belts and nuclear power plants,\u201d Hershberger said.
\nHershberger\u2019s research explored vulnerabilities within those systems and ways to detect unauthorized changes in their memory and programming.
\nAccording to Dr. Adeen Ayub, an Information Technology professor and Hershberger\u2019s advisor, industrial control systems security is generally underrepresented in cybersecurity research. \u201cIt\u2019s not a very straightforward field,\u201d Ayub said.<\/p>\n

Hershberger said the project pushed her into a new kind of learning environment, where she had to gather information independently and troubleshoot problems.
\nWhile the research itself was highly technical, Hershberger said one of the most memorable parts of the conference was the environment and the people she met. \u201cIt was very supportive,\u201d she said.
\nFor Hershberger, the conference became an opportunity not only to present research but also to connect with professionals across the industry. She connected with professionals from companies including Google, Palo Alto Networks and Lockheed Martin.
\nShe said many of those conversations turned into meaningful networking opportunities and career advice. One interaction led to a connection with a startup founder working in healthcare technology, an area Hershberger hopes to pursue in her own career. \u201cWhat I want to do is an intersection of cybersecurity and healthcare,\u201d Hershberger said. \u201cThat\u2019s my end goal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although Hershberger attended the conference hoping to gain experience, she ultimately left with the conference\u2019s Best Undergraduate Research Poster Award. \u201cI looked at the screen in front of me and then I saw my name,\u201d Hershberger said. \u201cIt was just surreal.\u201d
\nFor Ayub, the moment carried additional meaning. When she attended the WiCyS conference as a graduate student in 2021, she also received a top poster award. This year marked her first time attending as a faculty member. \u201cMy first time attending as a student, I won best graduate research poster,\u201d Ayub said. \u201cNow, my first time attending as a faculty member, my student won the research poster award.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hershberger credits much of her success to the support she has received from faculty.
\n\u201cThe professors are mentoring undergraduate students,\u201d Ayub added.
\nShe also said taking initiative has helped her pursue opportunities both inside and outside the classroom. \u201cThe main reason that I\u2019m able to do opportunities, in my opinion, is because I go to office hours, I ask questions,\u201d Hershberger said.
\nAfter her first trip to WiCyS, Hershberger said she is excited to continue exploring cybersecurity, particularly at the intersection of healthcare and technology.<\/p>\n

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