ELCH HISTORY
In conjunction with Emerging Leaders in Canadian Security (ELCS) and SiberX, the Emerging Leaders Canadian Hackathon (ELCH), a beginner-friendly cybersecurity competition, was created to provide a platform for newcomers in the field to gain hands-on experience with cybersecurity tools, network with industry leaders and professionals, and build their cybersecurity knowledge and skillset. Over the last few years, Elcanhack has successfully completed four different competitions, with 200+ participants, 12 Advisory Board members, and more than 5 high-profile cybersecurity vendor partners.
ELCH unites the bright minds and innovative thinkers across Canada where the participants embark on an unforgettable journey over the course of six weeks with action-packed days each week. The energy and collaborative spirit across each iteration of the Hackathon have been nothing short of inspiring. Each week, participants received training sessions and applied their learnings to tackle complex cybersecurity problems in one of two streams, cyber threat intelligence or cyber incident response. Participants combined their creativity and advanced technology to craft solutions with real potential for impact through the feedback and mentorship provided by our esteemed Advisory Board members. They performed their analysis and delivered their findings and recommendations in a clear and concise executive briefing.
An Atmosphere of Innovation and Passion
Throughout each round of the Hackathon, we saw impressive ideas brought to life, covering a range of analysis and practical recommendations. Teams demonstrated incredible dedication, working together to refine their projects with guidance from the Advisory Board mentors. Each stream required the participants to tackle a critical component of cybersecurity requirements, underscoring the potential for technology to help protect Canadian digital assets.
A Local Effort with Global Impact
In each Hackathon competition, participants brought unique insights reflective of their prior experience and knowledge, enriching the diversity and depth of ideas presented in clear and concise business-forward and non-technical language. This unique perspective is what has made the ELCH so great. By connecting individuals that are on various phases of their cybersecurity journey, we fostered a sense of unity and shared purpose—to facilitate, foster, and promote the development of emerging leaders in the Canadian cybersecurity workforce.
Thank You to Our Participants, Advisory Board Members & Sponsors
We extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who has joined us for every iteration of the Hackathon. Your creativity, hard work, and vision make this competition an exceptional experience, and we are thrilled to have witnessed the ideas that emerged from this collaborative effort.
CISO FORUM CANADA 2023
The inaugural ELCH took place in early 2023 marking the humble beginnings of this competition brought together in partnership with Emerging Leaders in Canadian Security (ELCS) and SiberX. Semperis and Recorded Future provided their tools to our participants so they could get hands-on practical experience in cyber operations.
Jacob Anderson
Jacob Anderson
Hello There! First and foremost, a thank you for putting on this event. I cannot profess to be all that technical, nonetheless, in the hopes of exploring opportunities and rounding out my skill set, events like these are a great opportunity to trial potential career paths.
My study area of focus is Canadian National Security (4th-year undergrad at Queen’s), with a passion for the information space (as broad as that sounds), and working on the problems within it. I’ve recently started work with CASIS Vancouver and previously worked with the RCMP, Border Integrity Program.
Regarding Track 2 (threat intelligence), I’ve been quite invested in understanding the Russia/Ukraine conflict, and the myriad factors (e.g., historical, ideological) that determine(d) its past, present, and future. Something I’m proud of is how my analytical approach enables me to come to unorthodox insights and understandings of security adversaries and security issues. Although I’m a long way from contributing significant weight to national security dialogue and action, it’s something I’m building towards. As part of this pursuit, at ELCAN, I’m hoping to apply my knowledge and strategies to bring about an actionable and innovative solution, while developing my practitioner skill set, learning, and engaging with peers and industry leaders.
Nour Mousa
Nour Mousa
I graduated June 2022 with a Bachelors in Business Technology Management at Toronto Metropolitan University’s (previously known as Ryerson) Ted Rogers School of Management. I became a research assistant for about a year and a half under my supervisor Dr. Farid Shirazi, researching the cross-sections of IT governance, emerging technologies, and cybersecurity. I recently started my Masters of Science in IT Management. Currently, I am working as an ICECAP (internal cyber exchange career accelerator program) associate at CIBC, an 18 month rotational program for new grads who are looking to launch their career in cybersecurity. I am currently in my first rotation working as an information security consultant within the privileged identity access management team, and I am training to use the CyberArk platform proficiently. My goal is to gain oversight and technical cyber skills in key areas at the bank to transition into a strategic leadership role as an effective leader in an area of interest upon completing the ICECAP program. To further develop my learning in cybersecurity outside of work I attend events by organizations both for and non-profit such as Google Cloud Security or Toronto ISC2 events.
Fatima Nezhadian
Fatima Nezhadian
I found my passion in cyber security while doing my internship in a research center, where I got to take reverse engineering course, after that I got to do my Master’s in cyber security which I graduated from in May 2022 after only 14 month instead of 2 years. Since then I am trying to explore in cyber security to learn more about various fields and gain experience.
CANADIAN WOMEN IN CYBERSECURITY 2023
The second iteration of ELCH competition kicked off with participants receiving dedicated cyber threat intelligence and cyber incident response training, vendor security tools training using Semperis’s AD tool as well as training sessions on key skills such as communications and the art of influencing.
Elena Kolomeets
Elena Kolomeets
Elena studied International Economic Relations extensively obtaining a Bachelors and Masters degree before immigrating to Canada. While working as a volunteer developer, Elena discovered her passion for Information Security through free online courses- building applications was fun but hunting and addressing threats was her true calling.
Elena saw parallels in her background with the founder of ElCanHack, Rachel Babins, and was inspired and motivated to participate in the competition. Through networking with industry professionals at events such as meetup groups and security conferences such as SiberX’s Canadian Women in Cyber and gaining hands-on experience with security tools, she was able to gain confidence and skills to enter the cybersecurity field. Elena currently works as a Security Analyst at a Toronto based fintech company that provides services to financial institutions globally.
Gulmehak Singh
Gulmehak Singh
Gulmehak Singh began his career in a helpdesk role and has successfully transitioned into cybersecurity through dedication, continuous learning, and the support of initiatives like Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst and ELCH. These opportunities helped him upskill and achieve success in this dynamic industry.
Currently, Gulmehak works as an Information Security Analyst, specializing in cloud security, vulnerability management, incident response, and forensic analysis. He has led key initiatives such as threat assessments, risk mitigation, and proactive threat-hunting efforts and enhancing organizational security infrastructure. He is a lifelong learner and continuously upskilling through cybersecurity certifications including GIAC GCIH, GSEC, and AWS Security Specialty and currently preparing for the SANS Public Cloud Security certification.
Besides work, Gulmehak enjoys traveling and exploring new places, which inspires creativity and personal growth. He is also passionate about helping others through networking and mentoring individuals aspiring to grow in cybersecurity by highlighting the power of perseverance, learning, and the guidance of exceptional mentors.
Oleksandr (Alex) Danylchenko
Oleksandr (Alex) Danylchenko
Alex is an experienced IT systems engineer with a passion for building and maintaining reliable IT infrastructure. In both professional and personal spheres, Alex is deeply committed to cybersecurity. They emphasize its critical role in safeguarding sensitive information, fostering trust, and ensuring the resilience of digital systems against ever-evolving threats.
On the personal side, Alex is married and a proud parent of two daughters, Alex balances a fulfilling family life with a love for fishing, DIY, and exploring the great outdoors.
Dhyeykumar Patel
Dhyeykumar Patel
BIO COMING SOON…
CISO FORUM CANADA 2024
Our first hackathon competition for 2024 kicked off with the first in-person training day held at the SiberX’s office on a snowy Saturday in January.
Participants were provided an in-depth walk through of the scenario, training on the vendor tools, graciously provided by Semperis and BlockSec. These tools provided participants with logs from a live environment that suffered a cyber attack.
Semi-finalists received one-on-one mentorship sessions with our esteemed Advisory Board members to refine their final presentations.
The finals took place at the CISO Forum where the participants provided their Executive Briefings to the Advisory Board members as well as the executive audience from the CISO Forum Conference.
Elena Lesaru
Elena Lesaru
As Office Manager for a medical practice, I am passionate about for data and business analytics and business efficiency. I am knowledgeable with regards to information and app security in the medical field, ensuring the confidentiality of medical data. I have a keen interest in behavioural and forensic psychology.
CANADIAN WOMEN IN CYBERSECURITY 2024
The latest ELCH round was the largest competition we’ve had so far with over 100 participants from all backgrounds and experience in cybersecurity.
Kicking off strong in early April 2024, with the largest hybrid training day taking place in-person at the Toronto School of Management where participants of the competition had the opportunity to network with their peers, provided a crash course in the domains of Cyber Threat Intelligence and Cyber Incident Response and interact with members of the Advisory Board.
After the training day- participants were provided additional vendor training through Semperis.
With the largest group of competitors, participants created a 5 minute briefing video for the Executive Board for the quarter-finals. Each stream, CTI and Incident Response, had a virtual semi-final competition with the Advisory Board providing feedback and mentoring support.
The selected finalists for each stream presented their findings and recommendations to the Advisory Board during SiberX’s Canadian Women in Cybersecurity Conference on May 14, 2024.
Anuj Kumar
Anuj Kumar
Anuj Kumar is a dedicated cybersecurity professional and a Postgraduate student in Cybersecurity at Loyalist College, currently certified in Cybersecurity (ISC2 CC). With a strong foundation in IT support, Anuj has experience troubleshooting hardware, software, and connectivity issues. He is also the winner of the ELCanHack Hackathon in the Cyber Threat Intelligence Stream. Anuj has demonstrated leadership through organizing large-scale events such as the Collision Tech Conference and is passionate about contributing to the cybersecurity community.
Arooshay Imran
Arooshay Imran
Annie Eapen
Annie Eapen
Annie Eapen earned her Masters in IT Security from Ontario Tech University and currently works as a Senior Vulnerability Research and Assessment Analyst at RBC.
