In response to the rising threat of cybercriminals targeting technology-savvy teenagers, UToledo’s College of Engineering is offering a free, one-week cybersecurity workshop for local high school students. This initiative aims to educate students about the risks and threats associated with smartphones, tablets and other technologies while providing essential cybersecurity training to foster interest in careers in computer science, engineering and cybersecurity.
Scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, June 10, through Friday, June 14, the workshop will be held in the North Engineering Building on the UToledo Main Campus. Participants do not need prior experience in cybersecurity or computer programming to join. Complimentary lunch, snacks and parking will be provided.
Funded by the National Science Foundation, this summer camp offers hands-on experience where students will learn to safeguard their online presence. They also will gain skills in smartphone app development, enhancing their understanding of app functionality and associated security issues.
Expert faculty and students from UToledo, Purdue University Northwest and Fairfield University will facilitate the workshop, employing interactive and animated visualizations to help students grasp cybersecurity threats, defense strategies and prevention mechanisms.
“With the increased online presence and social media usage among teenagers, we have seen a surge in internet-related crimes targeting this age group,” said Dr. Ahmad Javaid, an associate professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and founding director of the Paul A. Hotmer Family Cybersecurity and Teaming Research (CSTAR) Lab.
“Our goal with this camp is to introduce teenagers to the field of cybersecurity, educate them about online dangers and share best practices to help them stay safe in the cyber world. We also hope that this will get some of the participants interested in cybersecurity and computer science careers.”
Registration is limited to the first 40 registrants. Interested students can register on the event website.
For more information, please contact Javaid at ahmad.javaid@utoledo.edu.
