Computer Security Summer Camp For High School Students to Feature Expert Instructors From Backbone Security, ESU, NCC and MCTI

High school students interested in computer security are invited to participate in a Computer Security Summer Camp sponsored by East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania (ESU), Northampton Community College (NCC), and Monroe Career and Technical Institute (MCTI). Open to ninth through eleventh graders, the program will be held June 21 – 24, 2004 from 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM daily at Monroe Career and Technical Institute on Laurel Lake Road in Bartonsville, Pa. Lunch will be provided.

Participants will engage in hands–on activities and learn about installing, configuring, and protecting operating systems; setting up basic and advanced networks; defending against viruses, Trojan Horses, and worms; avoiding SPAM and removing spyware; and applying basic security concepts. Students will also learn about using and configuring firewalls, proxy servers, and VPNs and will discuss such topics as cryptography, system vulnerabilities, and careers in computer security. Tours of the computer security labs at ESU, NCC, and MCTI will be conducted, and students will have the opportunity to visit Backbone Security.

Program presenters include Dr. N. Paul Schembari, ESU professor of computer security; Dr. John Whipple, NCC professor of computer science; Ron Cudworth, MCTI computer instructor; and Glenn Watt, president of Backbone Security, one of the leading computer security companies in the country.

There is a $25 refundable registration fee that will be returned after attendance at the four–day camp. Students must arrange for their own transportation to and from MCTI. Transportation for the day tours to ESU, NCC, and Backbone Security will be provided.

Funding for the camp is provided by the PA Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED). In January 2003, ESU was awarded a $300,000 DCED Workforce Leadership 2+2+2 Grant in the category of Information Technology/Optic–Electronics. The grant provided a unique opportunity for public education and private industry to address the critical labor shortage in the area of computer security. ESU, NCC, and MCTI partnered with Backbone Security to develop a seamless computer security curriculum with multiple entry and exit points at the three educational levels. In order to broaden the population feeding into the computer security "workforce pipeline," the program has been expanded through an additional $100,000 DCED grant to include Delaware Valley, East Stroudsburg, Notre Dame, Pleasant Valley, Pocono Mountain, and Stroudsburg high schools.

To obtain registration information for the Computer Security Summer Camp, students may contact their guidance counselors or call Sharon Lloyd or Ron Cudworth at MCTI (570) 629–2001. The deadline for registration is June 11, 2004.