{"id":492,"date":"2026-05-03T16:26:17","date_gmt":"2026-05-03T16:26:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/hpcybersecurity\/?page_id=492"},"modified":"2026-05-03T21:47:13","modified_gmt":"2026-05-03T21:47:13","slug":"academic-internships","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.wp.odu.edu\/hpcybersecurity\/academic-internships\/","title":{"rendered":"Academic Internships"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Why exactly would it be important for a digital forensic analyst or network administrator to have training\/experience under the Academic Internship category?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although people can claim that they are visual or audio learners, learning through experience is the strongest form of learning. This is especially the case in a job or internship, where there is real-world pressure to perform significantly higher than one would normally do in a classroom\/academia setting. As part of the cybersecurity major, all undergraduates are required to either take a cybersecurity-related internship or an entrepreneurship class to present what they learned over the semester. In the cybersecurity field, which digital forensics is classified in, experience trumps over degrees. It is highly competitive, and one has to prove themselves as knowledgeable by, of course, displaying work experience and industry certifications (e.g., CompTIA Security+).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, paid internships showcase real-world scenarios that are applicable to those in jobs. The best way I could meaningfully manage a server within a company is to be employed within that company, as I have context on how the networks are managed. The same applies for digital forensics. As a digital forensic analyst, though I have access to forensic tools at home (e.g., Autopsy), I do not have much of a goal\/aim\/focus. I can examine as many hard drives or solid-state drives as much as I want, but I have no overarching goal. Internships essentially provide a “path” for me to guide my studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What is Cybersecurity Internship about?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under the Academic Internships category, I took Cybersecurity Internship (CYSE 368). This internship offered me an opportunity to give back to the local community (Hampton Roads) by providing free risk assessments to small businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the beginning of the semester, I was exposed to several topics that would later aide me in how I assessed my client, Virginia Beach Tiki Tours. These topics included design thinking, the National Institute of Science and Technology’s Cybersecurity Framework, and the Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency’s Cross-Sector Performance Goals. As a team of three, we would then interview the owner of VB Tiki Tours and ask him questions related to our risk assessments (i.e., Cybersecurity Framework). By the end of the semester, we presented our full findings through a presentation and a final report for the owner of VB Tiki Tours to keep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The syllabus included such course objectives, such as building a professional presence, gaining real-world experience in the field of cybersecurity and policy-making, attaining knowledge as Cyber Risk Management Specialists, and refining our current soft skills, such as communication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How does this course related to my development as a professional?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Personally, this internship honed my communication skills, as I was walking door to door between businesses and risk assessment, and I, as a team, presented a forty-page report to an assigned client (Virginia Beach Tiki Tours). For any professional, but especially one in digital forensics, verbal and written communication is key to understanding each other. An analyst may have to deliver an expert testimony in front of a jury, and there is technical jargon that must be simplified for laypeople. If the jury cannot understand what is presented, they cannot be convinced. Communication wins people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There were many additions to the course that I enjoyed, but there were also additions I disliked. I mainly enjoyed presenting my team’s final report to our client, as this was the final step in the culmination of the semester’s work. We had, as a team, drafted a forty-page document, including our sources as APA references, to assist a small, local business in thorough need of cybersecurity. I enjoyed the fact that I made a significant impact on someone’s life. However, in regards to the additions I disliked, I did not enjoy the door-to-door walks between businesses to offer free risk assessments. At the time before completion, I did not feel confident in persuading a manager to sacrifice their time to listen to me. However, we often bask in our comfort zones, and the only way to grow is to leave <\/em>that zone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The main insight I discovered was that perseverance was key to success. I had to be patient. I had to sacrifice much of my time to dedicate work to the report. I learned to be uncomfortable and to bask in it because my career as a digital forensic analyst will not be so forgiving. This does not mean it is cold or cruel, but I expect that I must produce greater efforts considering I would be working in criminal justice.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Why exactly would it be important for a digital forensic analyst or network administrator to have training\/experience under the Academic Internship category? Although people can claim that they are visual or audio learners, learning through experience is the strongest form of learning. This is especially the case in a job or internship, where there is… <\/p>\n

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