Cyber Boot Camp: Lessons Learned

Today’s young adults are growing up in a world where computers are essential to the way we live, where data breaches seem to be a weekly occurrence, and the world’s top businesses ward off cyber attacks daily. Solving the STEM gap starts with taking young people with a demonstrated aptitude and interest in technology and giving them the opportunity to experience for themselves what it means to work in a particular field.

Cyber Boot Camp, an annual, week-long, intensive program sponsored by ESET, is one example of such an opportunity. It's a place where students get hands-on experience from experts in the field to find out what it means to be a cybersecurity professional. By educating young people early and often, ESET researchers say they help mold mindful citizens who can inform their family and friends and open their eyes to a career path they might not otherwise discover.

In June, more than 50 young people had the chance to get their hands dirty at ESET’s Cyber Boot Camp at National University and other sites in San Diego. These students learned skills and lessons every aspiring cybersecurity researcher needs to know. What follows are highlights and takeaways from the week, as recounted by the Boot Camp faculty.