The CSA Triangle Chapter’s Year of Growth and Collaboration: 2023-2024 Highlights

Over the past year, under the leadership of Co-founder & President Shankar Chebrolu, the CSA Triangle Chapter has played a pivotal role in advancing cloud security education, building partnerships with local chapters and leading academic institutions, and fostering community engagement. The team has worked diligently to expand its reach and impact, making significant strides in promoting CSA’s initiatives, including cloud security, Zero Trust, and AI safety. Below is a summary of key activities and accomplishments from the past year.

Building Academic Partnerships

The Triangle Chapter established academic partnerships with two prestigious institutions - University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) and Duke University, Durham. Both universities signed the CCSK Academic Partner License Agreement, enabling them to integrate CSA’s CCSKv5 courseware into their curricula. These partnerships are essential in preparing the next generation of cloud security professionals, offering students valuable certifications to jumpstart their careers. Discussions with other universities and colleges are ongoing to further expand educational outreach.

As part of their engagement with higher education institutions, Triangle Chapter board members have regularly attended and spoken at various events and conferences hosted by these universities, sharing their expertise in different areas:

• UNCW: The chapter engaged with UNCW’s Center for Cyber Defense Education (CCDE) in late 2023, facilitated by advisor Thomas Hill. Board members—including Shankar Chebrolu, Aaron Lancaster, Manny Landron, Lou Karwoski, and Kevin Johnson—participated in the 5th annual CyberConf, presenting on various topics and highlighting the chapter’s mission, including CCSK training. Shankar also presented on “Risk Quantification” during UNCW’s 42nd Business Week and to Cyber Risk students in April 2024. At the 6th annual CyberConf in October 2024, Shankar, Vinay, and Aaron delivered talks on Cloud Security, Zero Trust, and the Well-Architected Azure Framework.
• Duke University: Shankar gave a presentation to Cybersecurity – Master of Engineering students, discussing his career journey and encouraging continuous learning through industry-recognized certifications. He also joined Duke’s Mentoring for Cybersecurity Achievement Program (MCAP) to mentor students and deepen collaboration with Duke.
• NCSU: Training Directors Vinay Bansal and Lauren Santiago, along with members from Cisco and Red Hat, hosted a three-hour workshop at BSidesRDU, covering cloud security, zero trust fundamentals, CCSK, and CCZT certifications. The Triangle Chapter also supported BSidesRDU as a silver sponsor.
• ECU: Shankar delivered a virtual presentation on “Threat Modeling Cloud Services” to ECU students as part of the AIS Student Chapters Speaker Series, formally kicking off engagement between the Triangle Chapter and ECU.
• WTCC: Shankar, Aaron, and Lou attended WTCC’s annual ITReady event in 2023, advising students on cloud infrastructure and cybersecurity careers. As an advisor to WTCC’s Cloud Infrastructure program, Shankar regularly provides guidance on incorporating cloud security courses into their curriculum.

Key Events and Community Engagement

The Triangle Chapter has hosted numerous events and meetups over the past year, featuring 25+ technical presentations designed to educate and engage the information security community. Here are some of the key highlights:

• Half-Day Immersion and Innovation Day: Organized by Lou Karwoski and Trend Micro (the chapter’s largest sponsor since 2021), this event included an educational Capture the Flag (CTF) challenge and indoor go-karting. Over 40 attendees participated, giving positive feedback on both the learning and networking aspects. (As expected, Lou won the go-kart race! 🏁)
• ATT / LevelBlue Event: This marquee event attracted 90+ attendees and focused on advanced cloud security practices and strategies to enhance cyber resilience. The strong participation underscored the growing interest in these topics.
• Monthly Meetups: The chapter’s meetups continue to be a cornerstone of community engagement, attracting large audiences and sparking discussions on topics such as cloud security, identity and access management (IAM), Zero Trust, data security, and AI governance. Meetups are held at Red Hat Tower in Raleigh and Varonis’s Morrisville office, with both sponsors providing facilities and support.
• Collaborations with Local Chapters: The chapter has partnered with ISSA Raleigh to co-host a cloud security track at Triangle InfoSeCon (October 2023) and is planning to do so again in November 2024. Aaron Lancaster spearheaded this collaboration. Additional partnerships include the NCTECH Association and Cyber Risk Alliance (CRA), with the latter becoming a chapter sponsor in 2024. Shankar has also moderated security panels at CRA’s Cyber Security RDU Summits for two years.

Growth in Membership & Sponsorships

The Triangle Chapter has seen tremendous growth in membership, increasing by 70% from 850 to over 1,465 members over the past year. Engagement on platforms like LinkedIn, Meetup.com, and CSA Circle has been instrumental in this expansion. The chapter has also secured renewed and new sponsorships, including: ATT Cybersecurity (LevelBlue), Zscaler, Tenable, Delinea, WIZ, Rubrik, SailPoint, Netskope, SANS, Cato Networks, Oasis Security

A special thanks to Schaefer Marks and Joe Ekberg for leading sponsorship efforts. These partnerships provide essential funding, enabling the chapter to expand initiatives and further engage the community.

Advancing Certifications and Training

Training and certifications remain core to the chapter’s mission. Over the past two years:

• Board members—including Vinay, Ashish, Shankar, and Lauren—have completed CCSKv5. Shankar and Lauren have also earned their CCZT certifications.
• Vinay and Lauren are working on CSA’s Train the Trainer (TTT) program, further underscoring the chapter’s commitment to professional development in cloud security and zero trust.
• Several chapter members that are actively engaged with the chapter (eg. attending meetups regularly) have earned their CCSK and CCZT certifications, with more in the pipeline.

Strong Social Media Presence

The chapter’s strong social media presence across platforms such as LinkedIn and Meetup.com (in addition to posting the events on their website), has been instrumental in promoting activities and driving engagement. This success is largely due to the efforts of Elexa Lawrence, the Social Media & Events Director, whose leadership has ensured consistent and effective outreach. Under Elexa’s direction and with the help of Lou, the Membership director, the chapter has seen a steady increase in attendance at monthly events, reflecting the impact of well-coordinated social campaigns and event promotions.

Strong Board & Advisory

The chapter currently boasts a strong 10-member board, with expertise spanning technical, sales, and marketing backgrounds in cloud and security solutions. Their extensive networks within the industry and academia strengthen the chapter’s outreach efforts. The advisory board includes co-founders Eric Hart (past President) and Kyle Mitchell, along with influential CISOs and security leaders such as Thomas Hill, Chuck Kesler, Manny Landron, and Kitson Pereira. Their guidance and professional networks have been instrumental in securing sponsors and growing the chapter.

Looking Ahead

The past year has been one of immense growth and collaboration for the Triangle Chapter. With strong academic partnerships, engaging events, and a clear focus on cloud security and zero trust education, the chapter looks forward to continuing its momentum into 2025.