CISA logo CISA Penn State Abington
Come to a meeting
Sessions every other Thursday

Learn to hack.
The legal way.

Hands-on cybersecurity sessions every other Thursday at Penn State Abington. Any major, any level. Come see what it’s like.

Add the next session to my calendar Join on Discover
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  • 1 hourEvery other Thursday
  • ZeroExperience required
  • Any majorOpen to all Abington students
  • Laptop optionalWorkstations in the room

What a session looks like

You won’t sit through slides for an hour.

  1. A short guided walkthroughWe show one real technique: how it works and why it matters.
  2. You try it yourselfHands-on on a cyber range or a lab we built, with help in the room.
  3. Keep going afterSlides and write-ups go online, so you can finish or revisit at home.
$ nmap -sC -sV 10.10.11.42
22/tcp open  ssh     OpenSSH 8.9p1
80/tcp open  http    Apache httpd 2.4.52

$ sudo -l
# nothing useful. keep looking.

$ find / -perm -4000 -type f 2>/dev/null
/usr/bin/bash
# there it is.

What you’ll practice

Break things. Then learn to defend them.

Full Come Hack page →

Offense

  • Web app hacking
  • Linux & Windows exploitation
  • Target machines
  • Chained attack paths
  • Active Directory
  • Enterprise security
  • AI-assisted ops

Defense

  • Blue-team exercises
  • Security analysis
  • Phishing analysis
  • Log & artifact analysis
  • Incident investigation
  • OSINT
  • Detection thinking

On real platforms: TryHackMe OffSec Labs Hack Smarter PortSwigger plus labs we build ourselves.

Why it’s worth your lunch hour

Skills you can put on a résumé.

01

Real, hands-on experience

Practice on the same platforms working security professionals train on, not just in theory.

02

A portfolio you can show

Publish your solves on our write-ups site: proof of skill to hand a recruiter.

03

People who get it

Meet students, advisors, and alumni who are into the same things you are.

Upcoming sessions

Pick a Thursday. Any Thursday.

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Missed one? The slides and write-ups are online, so you can catch up and still come to the next.

Calendar

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  • Meeting
  • Come Hack
  • Workshop
  • Social
  • Competition
  • Other

Faces you’ll see

Run by students, for students.

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Before you come

Questions students ask us.

Something else? Email Moussa Toure, or message them on Teams.

Do I need to fill out the form?

No. It is not necessary but encouraged, so we can plan our sessions according to people's knowledge levels and interests.

I’ve never done cybersecurity. Can I still come?

Yes. No prior experience is required. Sessions start from the basics and there is help in the room.

Do I need to bring a laptop?

It helps, but it isn’t required. There are workstations available.

Do I have to be an IT or CS major?

No. Any currently registered Penn State Abington student can join, from any major.

Is hacking legal?

The way we do it, yes. We only practice on systems we own, training platforms, or systems we have permission to test. Responsible skill-building, never unauthorized access.

How do I join?

Join CISA on Penn State Discover to RSVP and get event reminders, then come to the next session.

Tell us what you want to learn

See you at the next session.

Every other Thursday · Bring a friend.

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