Pitt to Host Free CyberCamp for Pittsburgh Area Teens July 24-28

PITTSBURGH—Local high school students will have the opportunity to receive a hands-on education about cybersecurity from July 24 through 28 at the Air Force Association’s CyberCamp to be held on the University of Pittsburgh campus in Oakland.

Pitt’s Institute for Cyber Law, Policy, and Security is one of 66 sites selected across the country to host a CyberCamp this year, and the only site chosen in Pennsylvania. Any student enrolled in an area high school for the 2017-18 school year is eligible to attend, with a recommendation from an instructor or member of the high school staff. There is no admission fee.

The CyberCamp, in four-hour learning modules on each of the five days, will use a combination of software and hands-on exercises designed to teach students cyber safety, cyber ethics, cyber and STEM career opportunities and critical network security skills and tools. Students will learn how to protect their personal devices from outside threats.

“If we are to meet the cyber threat, we need to increase the capacity by training more students through programs like the AFA CyberCamp,” said David J. Hickton, founding director of Pitt’s Cyber Institute.

On the final day of the camp, participants will enter into a team-based competition that puts campers in the role of IT administrators tasked with finding and addressing cybersecurity vulnerabilities in simulated network environments. These CyberCamp competitions will closely mimic AFA’s annual CyberPatriot National Youth Cyber Defense Competition, which will enter its 10th season in October.

CyberCamp participants will be given free computer access, workbooks, camp T-shirts and a daily lunch. High school teachers or staff members may register participants by completing this form. Parents and guardians can register their child by completing this personalized form. The registration deadline is Friday, June 16.

In addition to the annual National Youth Cyber Defense Competition and the new AFA CyberCamp program, CyberPatriot has launched an Elementary School Cyber Education Initiative designed to introduce young students to online safety. To learn more about CyberPatriot, visit www.uscyberpatriot.org.

Details about exact CyberCamp campus locations and learning modules will be forthcoming.

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5/30/17/jw