NW Cyber Camp is Helping Train Tomorrow’s Cybersecurity Experts

Cyber attacks, hacking, spear phishing—we hear about the latest cyber threats to our data on a daily basis. Certainly, the cybersecurity field has no shortage of “excitement,” but it does have a shortage of trained cybersecurity professionals. Right now, Oregon has more than 3,000 unfilled openings for cybersecurity jobs. We need to collectively start training the next generation of tech experts and the Cyber Oregon team is very proud of the work that NW Cyber Camp has been doing for the past few years.

Cyber Oregon is working with NW Cyber Camp this summer to offer training and encourage our youth to pursue jobs in cybersecurity and technology. We are also hosting our next Cyber Oregon Cybersecurity Summit in conjunction with the NW Cyber Camp’s event on Thursday, July 19 in Wilsonville, Oregon.

NW Cyber Camp is a week-long camp, held July 16-20, 2018, in five locations across Oregon. The camp gives high school students a hands-on, introductory experience to cybersecurity principles and policies, help students gain confidence and learn valuable skills, and prepare them for a future tech career. There has been a strong outpouring of support for the camps from educators, professionals, and several companies.

Zander Work is an example of a NW Cyber Camp alumnus who is pursuing his passion in cybersecurity and encouraging others in the field. Together, with Charlie Kawasaki, CTO of PacStar, and Charlie’s daughter Amelia, he helped found NW Cyber Camp three years ago. Zander is currently a freshman at Oregon State University studying computer science and is president of the OSU Security Club. Before NW Cyber Camp (previously known as PDX Cyber Camp), “There weren’t a lot of cybersecurity options for high school students,” said Work.

Zander Work was profiled in Corvallis Gazette-Times about the positive work he is doing in cybersecurity, including taking part in a cyber defense competition, sponsored by the Department of Energy at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Washington, where Work and his club competed against student teams across the country and placed fourth nationally.

“I’m passionate about cybersecurity, and I wanted to share my knowledge with other students so they could get involved,” Zander said. “The camp is an awesome way for students to get an introduction into a growing field that has interesting challenges for workers.”

Registration for NW Cyber Camp is now open: https://www.nwcyber.camp/. Scholarships are available.