Super Cyber You 8-Week Cybersecurity Competition

Super Cyber You Competition Launches Sept. 5

itSynergy’s fun contest is designed to encourage employees at all levels
to be more vigilant about taking steps to avoid cyberattacks

PHOENIX, Ariz. (August 30, 2018) – On the heels of DEF CON 26, one of the world’s largest
research and hacker conventions, Phoenix-based itSynergy is launching a fun, educational contest to
encourage employees at all levels to be more vigilant about taking steps to avoid cyberattacks.

The “Super Cyber You” 8-Week Cybersecurity Competition launches on Wednesday, Sept. 5 with
weekly video challenges that prompt participants to take specific actions to strengthen their cyber
defenses. Three prizes are up for grabs: the grand prize of a 4GB Iron Key Secure Encrypted USB,
valued at $110, the second prize of a custom itSynergy palm-sized, remote control Nano quadcopter
drone, valued at $100, and a third prize of early access to itSynergy’s new ebook, which contains
invaluable details about cybersecurity best practices. The winners will be announced on Oct. 31.

“People are the weakest link when it comes to security breaches, and the bad guys are finding more
clever, sinister ways to trick us,” said Michael Cocanower, president and CEO of itSynergy.
“Participants in our contest not only will learn how hackers can target them, they’ll be challenged to
take a defensive action each week that can help deter sneaky cyber thieves.”

A cybersecurity expert and certified ethical hacker who has been recognized nationally and locally for
his IT expertise, Cocanower recently attended DEF CON 26 in Las Vegas where he sat in on multiple
presentations that confirmed some of his worst fears.

“We must adopt a mentality of ‘assume breach.’ No matter how sophisticated our perimeter defenses
are, we must assume that the bad guys will get in and we must start planning for what we’ll do once
they are in,” he said. “In the meantime, it’s imperative that employees at all levels keep their guard up
and take action to ensure they don’t fall victim to a hacker and contribute to a breach.”

The “Super Cyber You” 8-Week Cybersecurity Competition is geared towards business employees,
though anyone can participate. The competition is particularly timely since October is National
Cybersecurity Awareness Month.

Registration is free, and participants can start the competition at any point within the eight-week span,
so long as they perform all tasks and complete a form explaining what they learned by midnight Oct.
24. Cocanower will assess the entries and determine the winners based on how well they performed
each of the weekly video challenges.

To register, visit https://itsynergy.com/it-security-challenge/.
For information, call itSynergy at (602) 297-2400 or visit www.itsynergy.com.

About Michael Cocanower, President and CEO of itSynergy
He has his black belt in the Kung Sul division of Hwa Rang Do, a Korean martial art, so it’s fitting that
Michael Cocanower’s passion is helping small and medium-sized businesses defend themselves
against malicious cyber intruders. A Phoenix native, Cocanower founded itSynergy in 1997, and
under his leadership, the company has experienced exponential revenue growth. A long-standing
Microsoft Partner, itSynergy provides strategic technology management services for small and mid-
sized organizations on a fixed monthly fee. Cocanower, who holds a Certified Ethical Hacker
certification from the EC-Council, has received numerous awards and widespread industry recognition
throughout his career, including being named one of 20/20 Visionaries in Channel Pro Network
magazine’s May 2016 issue. The magazine regularly turns to him for input on current IT trends, and
called him a “shrewd and articulate observer of the SMB market.” In addition, the Arizona chapter of
Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) recently appointed Cocanower to the board of directors as forum
chair after serving two years as membership chair.

Media Contact:
Sue Kern-Fleischer, PublicizeThis!, (602) 810-1404, [email protected]