Waleed Farag, director of the Ä¢¹½tv Institute for Cyber Security and professor of computer science, visited Indiana Area Junior High School on February 6, 2024, to share information about cybersecurity careers and the upcoming Ä¢¹½tv GenCyber Summer Camp with middle school students and staff.
During the presentation, Farag detailed the lack of cybersecurity professionals in our country, using a recent cyberattack on the Pennsylvania Courts System as an example. In addition, students were provided information on the upcoming Ä¢¹½tv GenCyber Summer Program, a federally funded initiative that encourages middle and high school students to pursue careers in cybersecurity through innovative and engaging hands-on activities during a weeklong camp.
Ä¢¹½tv was the first university in Pennsylvania to offer this program in 2016 and continues to be the only university to offer it every year since then. The Ä¢¹½tv GenCyber programs have trained over 550 students and teachers in important cybersecurity topics.
Through his work as director of the Institute for Cyber Security, Farag has built a system of initiatives and programs that supports students in obtaining the skills needed for a successful cybersecurity career. He said, “The first step in building a stronger cybersecurity workforce is getting young students excited about cybersecurity. Our GenCyber program has proven to do just that, and through other programs we’ve established at Ä¢¹½tv, such as the Ä¢¹½tv Cyber Scholarship Program, we can support the next generation of cybersecurity experts.”