Srithan_Bodla
Srithan Bodla
My Cybersecurity Internship
Aaliyah In Action
Quick Facts
Aaliyah in Action empowers youth by providing resources, mentorship, and opportunities to overcome challenges and lead positive change.
Their programs focus on leadership, education, community service, and personal growth.
The organization is dedicated to promoting social equity and building resilience.
By creating supportive environments and meaningful connections, Aaliyah in Action ensures young people are equipped with the tools, confidence, and encouragement needed to thrive and become future leaders in their communities.
Aaliyah In Action
About the Nonprofit
Aaliyah in Action is dedicated to fostering social, educational, and personal growth for young people, especially those facing adversity.
Through mentorship, educational programs, and community service initiatives, the organization equips youth with the skills and confidence necessary to make meaningful contributions to society. Aaliyah in Action also encourages young people to become advocates for social justice, equity, and empowerment within their communities.
By nurturing leadership and resilience, the organization helps youth overcome challenges and become positive change-makers who actively shape a more just and inclusive future.
Aaliyah In Action
Community Involvement
Aaliyah in Action’s dedicated team of mentors, educators, and volunteers works closely with youth to guide them through leadership and development programs. They also engage subject matter experts and guest speakers to enhance learning.
The organization partners with local businesses, nonprofits, educational institutions, and government agencies to expand its reach. Collaborations with schools, corporations, and community groups provide scholarships, internships, and career readiness opportunities.
Key partners such as INOVA, Virginia Hospital Center, and George Washington University Hospital help strengthen youth empowerment, education, and community development across the region.
Aaliyah In Action
Current Vulnerabilities
As Aaliyah in Action grows its digital engagement with youth, mentors, volunteers, and donors, cybersecurity becomes a critical concern. Protecting personal data of youth participants is essential, especially to comply with regulations like COPPA.
Sensitive program information, including academic and mental health records, must be securely stored. Secure payment systems are needed to prevent fraud during online donations.
The organization also must guard against cyberbullying, protect volunteer and staff data, and defend against phishing and malware attacks. Ongoing training and security measures help maintain safety and trust across all digital platforms.
My Security Presentation
During the Cybersecurity & Defense Internship, I worked with Beth Cerrone and Jamie Kreider to learn the basics of cybersecurity and explore its practical applications.
Throughout the week, I worked with a nonprofit to develop cybersecurity solutions to protect against various cyber threats. I worked with my team to analyze the threats to the organization and then developed a comprehensive solution.
At the conclusion of this internship, our team pitched the final proposal to the Leadership Initiatives Grant Committee, earning a microgrant to support the implementation of our proposal.
My Security Proposal
Throughout the program, we worked closely with Aaliyah In Action to gain a clear understanding of their goals. These meetings provided valuable insights into critical gaps within their cybersecurity system and the potential risk they pose to the operation of their business.
The most pressing issue facing Aaliyah In Action is the lack of fundamental cybersecurity protections, including the storage of sensitive data in unsecured platforms like Google Docs and email, weak password practices without multi-factor authentication, no incident response or backup systems, and the use of public Wi-Fi and shared devices, which significantly undermines stakeholder trust, increases vulnerability to cyberattacks, and threatens the organization’s legal standing and operational stability.
To address this issue, we developed a comprehensive security proposal that included a SWOT analysis of Aaliyah In Action’s current situation. Drawing on international cybersecurity standards, we proposed front-end improvements such as migrating all forms to Monday.com for encrypted submissions, adding CAPTCHA to block spam, implementing an age verification checkbox to protect minors, strengthening password requirements, and removing publicly accessible sensitive information like the EIN and personal emails. —measures that collectively reduce the risk of breaches, ensure legal compliance, and support secure organizational growth.
Internship Highlights
I was given the unique opportunity to take exclusive tours of multiple government and security sites to speak directly with security professionals. During these tours, I was able to witness firsthand how cybersecurity operates at the national and international level.
I was able to visit the United States’ Security Innovation Lab. Throughout this visit, I was able to learn firsthand from government officials regarding how the government funds and establishes cyber-intelligence and cyber-counterintelligence technology.
We also toured the Homeland Security Investigations' (HSI) Technical Operations Center. During this visit, we learned how the government uses technology to track major crimes including wire-fraud, human trafficking, child exploitation, and more.
In order to apply the skills I learned throughout the internship, I worked directly with a nonprofit based in the Washington D.C. area to discuss their company's cybersecurity needs.
After three meetings where I walked through the organization model, protected information, and staff training of the nonprofit, I worked with my team to create a staff training protocol and threat analysis for my partner.
At the end of the internship, I advocated for, and received funding for, my nonprofit partner to implement the cybersecurity training protocols so they can best protect their client information and continue to develop with a reduced fear of cyber attacks and cybersecurity threats.
To learn more about the world of cybersecurity, I was given the unique opportunity to speak directly with cybersecurity experts from multiple organizations and backgrounds.
I worked directly with one of the leading consultants in Cyber Threat Management, and a lead Cyber Consultant from Ernst & Young, Phuong Nguyen, to learn about common threat assessment and cybersecurity counterintelligence. I also heard from the Director of Government Compliance for KPMG, Lisa Mathews, and the lead SME for the FutureG Initiative for the Department of Defense, Dr. Dan Massey.
Throughout the internship, I also heard presentations from and spoke with representatives from the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, and the National Security Agency. To learn the physical side of cybersecurity, we also had the unique opportunity to meet with globally recognized penetration testers and network threat assessors.
In order to put the skills we learned to the test, I had the unique opportunity to work with cybersecurity software typically used in graduate-level instructional courses. This provided me with a hands-on environment to develop and apply a wide range of cybersecurity skills.
I began with network cybersecurity, completing labs focused on network security and Linux to gain a deeper understanding of how networks communicate and where vulnerabilities may arise. This experience highlighted the ways in which cybersecurity threats can disrupt or compromise these communications, reinforcing the importance of proactive defense measures.
Building on these Linux skills, I participated in capture-the-flag coding competitions and explored virtual rooms designed to simulate real-world cybersecurity challenges. These activities tested both my technical abilities and problem-solving skills, allowing me to apply classroom concepts in practical, scenario-based settings.