Cape Central, Southeast Missouri State partner for cybersecurity camp

Southeast Missouri State University and Cape Girardeau Central High School are partnering to conduct a cybersecurity camp this week to teach the basics of the subject and recruit potential talent for the university's program.

The weeklong class, which ends today, has 14 high school students, including those from the Air Force Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (AFJROTC).

Col. Michael Goodin, CHS AFJROTC senior aerospace science instructor and who oversees the camp, said the subject is important to everyday life because most individuals and organizations are reliant on computers.

Students also learn and practice teamwork and leadership since the camp is divided into teams with team leaders.

Team leaders and rising seniors Nick Hodges, Zander Stewart and Aaron Wren said they have learned about Python scripting, cryptology, basic networking, how hackers find vulnerabilities, the kind of attacks hackers use, cyber ethics, wireless networks, microbit cards and more during the camp.

"We've done CyberPatriot, and I've taken classes over at the CTC (Cape Girardeau Career and Technology Center)for networking, but I really haven't been exposed to it on this level really," Hodges said. "They really went in depth and showed us some things that are actually used by people that this is their everyday job here and that this is what they use."

Both schools have competition cybersecurity programs.

CHS' AFJROTC CyberPatriot team winning the Missouri title twice in the past three years. SEMO's Cyber Defense Team being the nine-time consecutive champion at the collegiate level.

CHS offers high school level courses and SEMO offers nationally-recognized cybersecurity and computer science programs.

Goodin said a different Southeast professor has come in each day to share their knowledge on the subject.

Wren said learning from the professors is different.

"It's very different. I mean, they're very knowledgeable. They know way more than us. They have way more to teach," Wren said.

In the end, the seniors expressed an appreciation for the opportunity to learn this level since they hope to go into the field themselves and maybe even begin their cybersecurity career at Southeast.

"I've been around computers my whole life and there are a lot of people that don't know as much about computers as I do. And I feel like I can help people," Hodges said.