Alicia Mares and Ellie Bell Empowered Women in Computer Science at the 2025 WiCyS Conference
One of the best ways to help your resume stand out as a college student is to be involved —especially in opportunities that showcase innovation and leadership. Two Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (TAMU-CC) students, Ellie Bell ‘26 and Alicia Mares ‘25, did just that by participating in the 2025 Women in Cyber Security (WiCyS) Conference.
In December 2024, Bell and Mares applied to present at this international conference, unsure if they would be selected. In early 2025, they were notified that they had been chosen from more than 1,000 applicants. Bell and Mares presented their research on “Understanding and Preventing Inline Attacks.” Mares compared an inline attack to wiretapping, but it happens on a computer instead. These attacks, previously known as “middleman” attacks, happen when a hacker intercepts a user's connection with a website and steals the personal information entered into the site. Bell and Mares provided insight into how these attacks work and how to protect personal data online.
During this three-day conference, the pair not only presented their research, but also attended lectures and networked with professionals from major companies. Employees from companies like PayPal, Lockheed Martin, Workday, MasterCard, and Bank of America were in attendance, all contributing to a sense of camaraderie.
“Even the accomplished women from the large companies that attended were so kind and willing to share their knowledge,” said Bell. “It was so empowering to be in a room full of women that were there to learn from each other and lift each other up.”
Mares and Bell shared that if they could encourage future Islanders to do anything, it would be to participate in events like this one.
"Just say yes! It may seem scary to step outside of your comfort zone, but if you have the opportunity to participate in something bigger than yourself, just apply because you never know what could come of it,” Mares said.