MSIT and ISC2 Partner for Cybersecurity Networking Event

Ian Farrington's late grandfather was a member of the International Information System Security Certification Consortium (ISC2), a global member association for cybersecurity professionals. So when Ian (MSIT '27) learned about a networking event hosted jointly by ISC2 and Northwestern Engineering's Master of Science in Information Technology (MSIT) program, it was an easy choice to attend. 

"It was a great opportunity to connect with my classmates and others outside of our normal class schedule," Ian said, "and to see what the Chicago chapter of ISC2 all is about." 

Ian, a telecommunication engineer, was excited to meet other IT professionals and see how what he was learning in the classroom related to the realities others were facing. 

Masoud Tahery (MSIT '27) had a similar goal. 

"Connecting with like-minded people who are passionate about cybersecurity was definitely a highlight," said Masoud, an ISC2 candidate and quality control engineer with ThermoElectric Cooling America Corporation. "The conversations felt genuine and gave me a lot to think about in terms of my own career path." 

The event, organized with help from ISC2 Chicago member Ross Wasserstrom (MSIT '20),  featured a keynote speech by Salman Moosani, a principal incident response consultant for Google Cloud's Mandiant cybersecurity consulting. His talk, "The State of Ransomware," challenged attendees to consider how ready and resilient their organizations were for a potential cyberattack. 

Ian appreciated Salman's anecdotes about managing cybersecurity disasters. 

"One of my most critical takeaways is that most cyberattacks don't usually come from highly complex hacking, but rather exploiting unpatched devices, phishing, and stolen credentials are very common entry ways to cyberattacks," he said. "Hearing a first-hand account of what it takes to manage a cybersecurity disaster puts the theory we learn in class into action." 

Meerim Musabaeva (MSIT '25) agreed.  

"It was particularly insightful to hear firsthand about current attack patterns, adversary behaviors, and how the threat landscape is evolving," she said. "The perspective from active incident response added practical depth that is often difficult to capture in theory alone." 

Meerim is an AI security architect at Imo Health, a clinical data intelligence business. In that role she designs and embeds security into AI-driven systems—that includes defining secure architecture patterns, assessing risks specific to AI and data workflows, and ensuring solutions meet both regulatory and industry security standards. 

Attending the event reinforced the importance of thinking through broad security networks and not just operations connected to AI, she said. 

"Protecting AI systems is only part of the responsibility," Meerim said. "Equally critical is securing the broader ecosystem around AI, including data, infrastructure, integrations, and user interactions. A holistic approach is essential to ensure trust, resilience, and long-term security." 

The event allowed attendees to network, providing students opportunities to connect with alumni and other industry professionals. Participants were able to learn about each other's work, including the cybersecurity challenges they face. 

That opportunity was one Masoud relished. 

"These events bridge the gap between classroom learning and the real world. They help students see where they're headed and give them the connections and motivation to get there faster," he said. "For someone like me—already working in the field and dealing with real compliance challenges—it was especially meaningful to be in a room with professionals who understand that landscape."