IEEE San Antonio Life Members Affinity Group

IEEE LMAG project at SAMSAT

The largest and most extensive project to date has been the COMPLETING the Grant from the IEEE Life Members Committee to build EXHIBITS for the San Antonio Museum of Science and Technology (SAMSAT).  The displays will focus on Cybersecurity for training young students.

San Antonio Life Members Build Cybersecurity Exhibits

Although almost everyone has heard of data breaches and identity theft, much of the public does not understand how these occur or appreciate how much cyber criminals could affect their personal lives and our critical infrastructure.   This lack of knowledge and awareness often leads individuals to take unnecessary risks in personal activities.    In 2019 the San Antonio Life Members Affinity Group received a grant from the IEEE Foundation to develop an exhibit to promote public understanding of cybersecurity concepts and needs.

In order to achieve these goals, the Life Members Group teamed with the San Antonio Museum of Science and Technology, a new museum that has holdings in computers, communications and cryptography.     The Life Members Group worked with museum staff to define a series of exhibits tracing the history of secure messaging from historical times to the present.   These exhibits are based on artifacts already held by the museum such as an Enigma machine as well as newly obtained items including an ATM donated by a local bank and racks of servers and firewalls.

On most Saturdays and many weekdays through 2019 and 2020, up to 12 Life Member volunteers could be found at the museum warehouse, cutting plywood, assembling and painting display cases, assembling video display stands and developing videos explaining the artifacts.   The Life Member volunteers were often joined by IEEE Student Branch members, museum staff and members of the San Antonio cybersecurity community.

The centerpiece of the exhibits is the SOC Theater, a simulated Security Operations Center.   This includes a video wall display with a computer that can show informational videos on types of cyber threats as well as simulated cyber attacks.  Instead of normal theater seating, visitors sit in front of display screens connected to Raspberry Pi computers simulating operators stations in a security operations center.   The SOC Theater has been in operation for several months and is very popular with visitors.

Other exhibits include a demonstration of secure voice communication using a pair of 1970’s vintage voice scrambler units.   Two visitors can talk over handsets while others hear scrambled audio from speakers and a video monitor explains speech encryption.   Other exhibits include explanations of internet and infrastructure operations highlighted by an ATM displaying information on skimmers and information theft.     A final exhibit discusses careers in cybersecurity with video presentations of opportunities, preparation needed and interviews with cybersecurity professionals.

The exhibit is meeting goals but coronavirus restrictions have caused some changes in procedures.   IEEE Life Members continue to spend time at the museum, enhancing some exhibits and making modifications to minimize contact with surfaces and between visitors.  All IEEE Life Members and other interested volunteers are welcome to join the group.

San Antonio Museum of Science and Technology

Information about the IEEE Foundation Grant we received to support the Museum.

Building out the exhibits at SAMSAT.

Installing the Stepping Stone plaque in the old museum at SAMSAT.

Datapoint Stepping Stone Award.

Student Robotics Groups 

IEEE Lone Star Section and San Antonio BEST Robotics

Here  is a list of other activities: