CNSA: Empowering the Next Generation of Network Engineers

About Us

The UCSC Computer Networking Student Association (CNSA) is a student-led organization that hosts hands-on labs, technical workshops, and guest speaker events focused on computer networking, cybersecurity, and modern communication technologies. Our weekly sessions have covered topics like Scapy-based network attacks, VLAN and inter-VLAN routing with Cisco IOS, anonymous communication via Tor, DNS fundamentals, encryption standards, cloud computing, and real-time packet analysis using tools like Wireshark.

We also bring in professionals from industry leaders such as Microsoft and CrowdStrike to share their experiences and advice, helping our members gain insight into real-world roles in the field. While our hands-on labs are currently held at Cabrillo College, our long-term goal is to establish a dedicated server and networking lab here at UCSC. This would be a space where students can configure, break, rebuild, and learn from real hardware—applying classroom concepts to real-life scenarios.

Your support helps us move toward that vision, making it possible to expand our impact, bring more opportunities to UCSC students, and build the infrastructure needed to turn theory into practice.