Air Force Association CyberCamp Ignites Interest in Cybersecurity for Area Students
Monday, August 9th, 2021
Local middle school students experienced the world of cybersecurity during the Air Force Association’s CyberCamp, held this year at the University of South Carolina Aiken (UofSC Aiken).
Sponsored by Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS), the week-long event covered numerous topics including cybersecurity careers, threats and ethics, online safety, virtual machines, account manage- ment, file protections, programing and security related to graphical user interfaces.
The Camp takes students with limited knowledge and trains them to understand the basic principles of cybersecurity, concluding with a fun,
yet challenging, competition.
According to Security Magazine, there are more than 2,200 cyberat- tacks each day across the nation,
Savannah River Nuclear Solutions sponsored this year’s Air Force Association’s CyberCamp at the University of South Carolina Aiken’s Ruth Patrick Science Education Center. Leavelle McCampbell Middle School teacher Katie Wilson assists homeschool student Brogan Marshall, and Tall Pines STEM Academy student Kaden Bryant, with their project that’s nearly one cyberattack every 39 seconds. Additionally, malware infects nearly 20 million web- sites worldwide on any given day. Yet currently, only about half of available U.S. cybersecurity jobs have been filled.
According to Jeff Krohn, SRNS Chief Information Officer at the Savannah River Site, national security is becom- ing increasingly more dependent on the talent and skill of cybersecurity professionals with each passing year. “The importance of educating and training our young people in this area is critical,” said Krohn. “It’s difficult to place a value on camps and workshops such as this one at the Ruth Patrick Science Education Center (RPSEC), but certainly it’s one of many steps we need to take towards ensuring the fu- ture welfare of our country as all jobs do have a cybersecurity component.”
“Kids often lack complete awareness of online safety and the potential risks involving cyberattacks,” said John Hutchens, Director of Special Programs, UofSC Aiken RPSEC. “With an ever-increasing reli- ance on smart devices and online applications, basic cyber awareness is now more important than ever. We’re trying to make a difference in their lives.”
It’s already made a difference in the life of Augusta Christian School eighth grader Sophia Smits. “This is hands on stuff that we can use later in life as our world evolves,” said Smits. “If I do choose a career in cybersecurity, it’s going to help me a lot. This may even help me to get scholarships.”
Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, a Fluor-led company with Newport News Nuclear and Honeywell, is responsible for the management and operations of the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site, including the Savannah River National Laboratory, located near Aiken, South Carolina.
Visit us on the web at www.savannahrivernuclearsolutions.com SRNS-2021-1064
