First published: March 26, 2018
URL to original article: https://polytechnic.purdue.edu/newsroom/cybersecurity-camp-for-girls-returns-purdue-june

The Purdue University Cybersecurity Camp, offered for free to 40 female incoming 9th through 12th grade students, will return to Purdue’s West Lafayette campus June 17–22, 2018. The camp will be the only residential GenCyber student program to be offered in Indiana and surrounding Midwestern states.

Students at the 2016 Cybersecurity CampParticipating girls will attend courses in programming, cybersecurity and networking, and they’ll also explore topics including cybersecurity first principles, ethics and online safety. Elective courses titled High Tech Crime Unit, Cryptography & Steganography, Digital Forensics, Homeland Security, Mobile Forensics, Catching Phish, Robotics and The Cybercriminal will also be offered.

In the Catching Phish module, students will learn about different types of phishing scams, such as vishing and spear phishing, and how to flag emails that exhibit features of phishing scams or social engineering. In the Homeland Security elective, students will explore homeland security and emergency response management as it relates to cyberterrorism and threats against cyber-physical systems. In the Mobile Forensics elective, students will learn how to recover and identify digital evidence from different types of mobile devices.

Kathryn Seigfried-Spellar, assistant professor of computer and information technology, and Dawn Laux, clinical associate professor and associate head of the Department of Computer and Information Technology (CIT), have been contacted by parents and students around the Midwest interested in attending the camp that was last offered two years ago.

Students at the 2016 Cybersecurity Camp“We were overwhelmed by the amount of interest in the 2016 camp, and it was incredibly successful,” said Seigfried-Spellar. “Participants filled out surveys. Compared to other camps, the Purdue Cybersecurity Camp received statistically significant above-average scores on students’ perceived learning, self-efficacy and the overall camp experience.”

Participation by CIT faculty and student mentors contributed to the camp’s success. “When you are passionate about your major or field, like our faculty and students are, it’s much easier to share your passion with others,” Seigfried-Spellar said. “Many participants said they had never met another girl who was interested in coding or computers before our camp, and they loved being with other girls who were interested in the same things.”

GenCyber camps are open to all student and teacher participants at no cost. Funding is provided jointly by the National Security Agency and the National Science Foundation.

For more information on how to apply, visit the camp website. Review of applications will begin mid-April, and all applicants will receive notification of their status (accepted, wait-listed, or not accepted) no later than May 1.

Additional information: