The US Cyber Challenge: I want someone in the state of Oklahoma (governor, mayor, school teacher, corporate entity, private donor) to get behind supporting and sponsoring the next generation of computer/Internet security geniuses in the Cyber Foundations 2011 National Competition.
I’ve worked on this sort of thing before, mentoring two school-age Botball robotics teams, which led to the Botball National Championship Competitions in 2000 and 2001. The Cyber Foundations contest is a different animal, though, and more forward-looking people are needed to step up to the plate. The benefits are vast. More about that further in this column. We have until February 18.
I will, on February 15, 2011, 6:30 p.m., teach another mini-class on computer/Internet security at our local library. It is one night only, and will last about two hours.
On that night, I will lead all who attend deep into the creepy underworld of the Internet and show them how ordinary people can defeat the Internet bad guys. Seating at my class is limited, so register now. It’s a newly-revised class that is lots of fun.
The only problem with my class is that few kids (people younger than 40 years of age) bother to attend. That’s a shame, because kids are the ones that need the information I share more than anyone else.
Kids are not learning computer/Internet safety and security in school. While there are surely those that will howl in protest, note that I did not say that kids are not being taught about these things. Instead, I am stating, without any reservation, that kids are not learning computer/Internet safety and security in school.
If they were learning these things, their behavior would change and they would stop clicking on every link that they see. One thing I have learned is that kids will click on anything. I have witnessed this irresponsible behavior over and over, time and again.
Did I say, “anything?” Good, because I meant to say “anything.” Kids will click on anything.
Of course, there are ignorant adults that will click on anything, too, but, by in large, as a demographic, grownups have learned from past mistakes and are more cautious about where they click. While the consequences of bad clicking might lead to a kid being grounded or losing his PlayStation privileges, bad clicking by an adult can lead to financial ruin.
That said, there are some kids (Gen X and Y) who know ten times more than I’ll ever know about computers, but “knowing” about computers is not enough. Call them geeks, call them nerds, call them Billy or Bob, some kids “get it” when it comes to computer security. They’re not the dummies who will click on anything. They know the Internet is dangerous. They know bad guys are waiting to steal their Internet cash. They “get it” and have the computer savvy and smarts to fight back.
The problem is there are not enough of these security whiz kids. We need more; a lot more. Can Oklahoma’s cyberkids compete? That’s where the US Cyber Challenge and the Cyber Foundations 2011 National Competition can help, if you, too, are willing to help.
From the US Cyber Challenge website (sans.org/cyber-foundations):
“Cyber attacks launched by criminals and unfriendly nations have become so frequent and damaging that the President of the United States has made improving cyber security one of the nation’s top priorities. Sadly, the United States does not yet have sufficient numbers of technically skilled people to do the job effectively. Because of the shortage, we are losing huge amounts of critical military and economic data to cyber thieves and cyber spies.
“But our nation always rises to the challenges it faces and we can win this race. The US Cyber Challenge is a core program to find and nurture the talent that can protect our computer systems and fight effectively in cyber space. The US Cyber Challenge is looking for 10,000 young Americans with the skills to fill the ranks of cybersecurity practitioners, researchers, and warriors. Some will become the leaders in cyber security. The program will nurture and develop their skills, give them access to advanced education and exercises, and where appropriate, enable them to be recognized by colleges and employers where their skills can be of the greatest value to the nation. This challenge the nation faces and the shortage of key technical people create great opportunities for students looking for interesting and important careers.”
Can Oklahoma’s cyberkids compete? California, Rhode Island, Maryland and Delaware have all launched statewide cyber security talent searches, and the rewards can be great. Oklahoma can be a leader in this field if we’ll take action. I encourage all schools to get engaged.
Kids win gift certificates and other prizes and winners will be recognized in programs hosted by Congressmen and Governors and other state officials. They also become eligible for generous college scholarships open only to cyber-talented young people.
Contact me today if you would like to help. We have until February 18.