NW Cyber Camp is a great way to explore a career in cybersecurity and develop your technical skills. Designed to be engaging and informative for high school students, camp emphasizes key cybersecurity concepts and technologies, ethics, and career opportunities in the field. No previous cybersecurity knowledge or experience is required, but general experience with computers and a real interest in learning is expected. Camp makes the serious subject of cybersecurity approachable for students and all concepts will be introduced starting at a fundamental level. Additionally, students with prior knowledge and experience will have an opportunity to explore advanced topics & challenges, providing learning opportunities for students of every skill level.
The curriculum was developed by Oregon State University’s cybersecurity academic and research department with input from high school educators.
Curriculum
The program has several components, beginning with an introduction to core cybersecurity concepts including confidentiality, integrity, availability (C-I-A), defense in depth, architecture, and ethics.
The curriculum is scenario-based and students will step into the role of a newly hired Network Analyst Intern at a game development company. After discovering an anomaly in the company’s network logs, campers work with a partner or a small team to use a wide variety of professional tools in order to trace and diagnose the situation. WIll you be able to stop the adversary? Some highlights include:
- Introduction to network security monitoring including hands-on SIEM use, common alert types, and identification of different types of network traffic.
- Identification of several types of network attacks/compromises, including ransomware, data exfiltration.
- Forensics analysis on various data formats and programs such as email, web
- Password cracking, other methods attackers use to break cryptography.
On the last day of the camp, teams will create a presentation, and share with the group what they found and how they found it. This hands-on approach offer you practical experience in defending against cyber threats in realistic scenarios.
Industry Guest Speakers
Throughout the week, you will meet industry experts. Our guest speakers, from major cybersecurity companies and enterprises, share their career journeys and talk about their organizations. These sessions are interactive and will include career advice, providing you with valuable insights into career opportunities in the field.
School-Year Activities
Come out and play! NW Cyber Camp participants will be invited to participate in a high school Capture the Flag competitions, including the Oregon Cybersecurity Challenge Cup. OC3 is a free, online event held annually in September. High school students, working in teams of three, collaborate to find answers to cybersecurity problems and compete for scholarship prizes.