Think of the Children: Preparing the Next Generation of Security Specialists

Presented at RVAsec 2017, June 8, 2017, 4 p.m. (50 minutes)

Undoubtedly, cybersecurity is one of the hottest topics in today’s industry. For example, a Cisco report from a few years ago estimates there to be over 1 million unfilled cybersecurity positions worldwide. But how are we preparing people to fill this critical job gap? What kinds of skills should be taught and do current programs do a good job of preparing students? How do you teach “the security mindset”? This talk will discuss a few issues (and solutions!) as seen by high school students who are interested in the cybersecurity field. How can industry professionals and organizations help train the people capable of securing their businesses? Join this session to learn some of the ways you or your company could get involved.

Presenters:

  • Jake Smith - University of Virginia
    Jake Smith graduated from Deep Run High School in 2017 as part of the Center for Information Technology (CIT) program and is now a first-year at the University of Virginia, School of Engineering and Applied Science. Over the last five years through competing in competitions such as CyberPatriot and various CTFs, Jake discovered his passion - cybersecurity - which he is pursuing in college. He is also the co-creator of MetaCTF, a cybersecurity capture-the-flag competition designed to help middle and high school students learn and practice their “hacking” skills all while in a safe, open environment.
  • Roman Bohuk - MetaCTF
    Roman Bohuk is a second year CS student and a Rodman Scholar at the University of Virginia. He is a co-founder of MetaCTF, an organization that has been hosting competitions and trainings for universities, companies, and security conferences for over 5 years. Roman was the Linux captain on the NCCDC team that won the national championship in 2018 and 2019. He has interned with GE Digital in the past and will join Black Hills Information Security this summer. Currently, Roman is involved in research with Prof. Jack Davidson working on the DARPA CHASE project. In addition to his interest in cyber security, he holds CSM and CAPM project management certifications.

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