Indiana University of Pennsylvania is offering a free Cybersecurity Camp for middle and high school students and teachers from June 13 to June 17, 2016, on the IUP campus.
The camp is part of a national initiative supported by the National Security Agency and the National Science Foundation. IUP is the only school in Pennsylvania that is part of this initiative for 2016.
Applications for the camp are due by May 23, 2016, but late registrations may be considered based on availability. Information about the camp and application forms are available at the IUP GenCyber website. The camp is limited to 45 participants (30 students and 15 teachers).
The camp runs from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day. Lunch and a snack will be provided as part of the program, which includes direct instruction, group activities, and hands-on experiences. It will be taught by a team of faculty with established expertise in cybersecurity teaching and research.
All students will receive a free miniature computer to take home; all teachers will receive a free iPad to take home. Teachers will also receive Act 48 credits and mileage reimbursement for those who commute to the camp for 10 miles or more is available.
Waleed Farag, Department of Computer Science, and Dighton (Mac) Fiddner, Department of Political Science, received a grant of $50,000 from the National Security Agency for this program, “Fostering a Strong Cybersecurity Culture in High and Middle School Students and Teachers in Western Pennsylvania Through a Holistic Multidisciplinary Approach.”
“The camp has two main goals for students,” Farag said. “First, to increase interest in cybersecurity careers and diversity in the cybersecurity workforce of the nation; second, to help students understand correct and safe online behavior, including learning hacking defense techniques.”
“For teachers, the program is designed to help improve teaching methods for delivering cybersecurity content for kindergarten through grade 12,” Farag said. The program for teachers will present multidisciplinary cybersecurity teaching skills and modules to be used in the classroom.
According to national experts, jobs in cybersecurity have grown 91 percent nationally, and the demand for cybersecurity workers is expected to rise to 6 million globally.
For more information, persons may contact Farag at farag@iup.edu or by telephone at (724) 357-7995.
A 2014 Ponemon Institute study ranks Indiana University of Pennsylvania's Computer Science Department among the top 25 percent of 183 American schools for cybersecurity education. The Ponemon Institute conducts independent research on digital privacy and security.
This ranking reflects IUP history of recognition for excellence in the field of cybersecurity and information assurance.
IUP is a National Cyber Security Alliance “Champion,” recognized by the National Cyber Security Alliance. IUP was recognized in a 2014 national survey of “Best Schools for Cybersecurity” by HP Enterprise Security, released in October 2015. The university was ranked in the top 25 percent of all cybersecurity programs in the nation. Only four Pennsylvania colleges and universities were rated in the top quartile.
The university is a recent recipient of a grant from the National Science Foundation to support women and minorities in cybersecurity. It has received several NSF grants related to this discipline.
IUP was first selected as a National Center for Academic Excellence in Information Assurance by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security in 2002, a recognition that the university continues to hold. IUP is one of only six institutions in Pennsylvania and one of just 102 universities in the nation selected for this recognition.
IUP's program is unique because of its interdisciplinary character, blending the disciplines of criminology and computer science. In addition to the development of computer programs and systems for cybersecurity, IUP's program focuses on cybercrime detection, loss prevention, and how to collect the evidence to prosecute cybersecurity offenders.