More than 30 VBCPS high school students recently visited Old Dominion University’s Norfolk campus for an inside look into the world of cybersecurity.
Coastal Virginia Center for Cyber Innovation(COVA CCI) hosted the first Cybersecurity High School Expo on March 7.
Chief Administrative Officer & Program Manager John Costanzo said the goal is to provide students with the opportunity to explore the cybersecurity field.
“We want to generate awareness for cybersecurity, show the value of learning cybersecurity and how it can lead to a career.”
Juniors and seniors from the Landstown High School Governor’s STEM Academy and the Advanced Technology Center(ATC) were welcomed by Jaira Rahman-Bowman from ODU’s Undergraduate Admissions office.
She provided an overview of the college with more than 24,000 students and 165 majors, including cybersecurity with this year almost 1,400 pursuing the undergraduate degree. A master’s degree is also offered in the field.
Then, students rotated between three breakout sessions presented by the Brooks Crossing Innovation Lab, the Virginia Space Grant Consortium and the Naval Information Warfare Center.
ODU’s Brooks Crossing is an instructional hub and outreach facility for STEM learning, located in Newport News.
Graduate assistant Helena Trent earned a degree in cybersecurity from ODU last year and is pursuing a master’s degree in public administration.
As the session’s leader, she began with the definition of cybersecurity: “The practice of protecting systems, networks and date from cyber threats.”
That includes hacking, malware, data breaches and implementing security measures to defend against unauthorized access, data theft and system damage, she noted.
Trent told the group she chose to study cybersecurity because of the job market and options in the field. “Everybody needs cybersecurity,” she said.
Careers in cybersecurity can be very lucrative, she said. Entry level positions begin at a yearly salary of about $60,000, with those in specialized roles earning more than $250,000.
Students were issued laptops and searched the website “haveibeenpwned.com” to see if their emails had ever been breached.
Nicholas Tabor was surprised that a family member’s email had been compromised more than 20 times.
The ATC junior is interested in cybersecurity as a career. “It’s an ever-growing and stable field, he said.
VSGC presented a panel discussion on cybersecurity education and career pathways.
CTEWorkforce CEO Bobby Keener said there are lots of job opportunities in the cybersecurity arena.
“Make sure you explore this space,” he said.
He noted a wide range of positions, including analysts, engineers, and those who work in cybersecurity policy.
David Hopkins, a cybersecurity major, plans to graduate from ODU in May and begin the graduate program. He advised students to understand the businesses they will work with in the future.
“It’s a technical field, but also a personal field,” he said.
All kinds of questions, from what courses to take, to scholarship and internship opportunities were answered.
ATC junior Lea Iguban became interested in cybersecurity after being in technology clubs in elementary and middle school. She is considering a career in the field.
Lea said she likes the idea of doing something to help people.
“There’s always something new to learn and I like having different challenges in front of me.”
Plus, there are global opportunities, she added.
Linda Lavender teaches network administration and cyber defense at the ATC.
She said students gained a unique perspective about cybersecurity and opportunities in the industry.
“The benefit is getting to go somewhere and experiencing it with people doing what you want to do.”
