John Zachary Sabado
My Cybersecurity Training
Iona
Quick Facts
Iona is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping older adults and caregivers navigate the challenges and opportunities of aging throughout the Washington, DC region.
The organization provides community-based services including adult day health programs, caregiver support, mental health services, nutrition programs, and lifelong learning opportunities.
Its mission is to educate, advocate, and provide personalized services that help older adults age well and live well with dignity and independence.
By combining compassionate care with community resources, Iona supports healthier aging while strengthening the well-being of older adults and their families.
Iona
About the Organization
Iona is committed to empowering older adults and caregivers by providing comprehensive services that promote independence, health, and meaningful community engagement.
Through care management, caregiver education, adult day health services, support groups, nutrition programs, and personalized consultations, the organization helps individuals successfully navigate the aging process. Iona also advocates for policies and community initiatives that improve the quality of life for older adults.
By fostering connection, education, and compassionate support, the organization enables older adults to remain active, independent, and engaged throughout every stage of aging.
Iona
Community Involvement
Iona's dedicated staff, volunteers, healthcare professionals, and community partners work closely with older adults and caregivers to provide personalized support, educational programming, and wellness services.
The organization partners with healthcare providers, local governments, charitable organizations, and community agencies to expand access to aging resources and specialized care. These collaborations strengthen services for vulnerable older adults throughout the Washington metropolitan area.
Through community outreach, volunteer engagement, and strategic partnerships, Iona continues to improve the health, independence, and quality of life of thousands of older adults and caregivers each year.
Iona
Sources of Funding
Iona is funded through individual donations, foundation grants, corporate sponsorships, government grants, and community fundraising efforts that support its mission of serving older adults and caregivers.
The organization also receives financial support from charitable foundations, businesses, community partners, and philanthropic organizations that provide grants, sponsorships, volunteer support, and in-kind contributions.
Funding is used to provide caregiver services, adult day health programs, nutrition assistance, mental health support, educational programming, and community-based resources that help older adults age safely and independently.
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 Presentation
Throughout the program, we also examined Iona’s internal cybersecurity infrastructure to identify vulnerabilities that could compromise organizational data or interrupt essential services. While Iona already maintains several protections, including firewalls, restricted server-room access, automatic computer locking, a VPN, daily backups, and cybersecurity insurance, our SWOT analysis identified weaknesses involving its unfinished disaster policy, password requirements, aging servers, and employee cybersecurity preparedness.
We identified a consequential internal gap in Iona’s ability to respond to and recover from a cybersecurity incident. Its recovery plan remains incomplete, its IT support is limited, its on-site servers are six years old, and employees currently have broader physical access to the building than their individual responsibilities require.
To address these vulnerabilities, we proposed a comprehensive recovery plan, role-specific physical access controls, expanded IT support, and migration of older server data to Microsoft SharePoint. The recovery plan would provide employees with clear procedures during an attack, while tiered keycard access would limit unnecessary access to sensitive areas. Migrating legacy server data to SharePoint would also consolidate organizational information and allow unified data to be backed up through Cove Data Protection by N-Able.
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 an organization based in the Washington, D.C. area, Knope, 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 on behalf of, and received funding for, my organization partner to implement the cybersecurity training protocols so they can best protect their client information and continue to develop with a reduced fear of cyberattacks 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 a former Department of Justice Prosecutor, Brian Levine.
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.