SBVC Hosts First CyberCamp for Inland Empire Teens

SAN BERNARDINO >> Over the course of a week, 27 middle and high school students from across the Inland Empire learned about internet safety and cyber security during a special camp hosted by San Bernardino Valley College. The AFA CyberCamp took place on the SBVC campus and was designed to get students excited about STEM career opportunities and cyber security. The campers were taught how to secure Windows and Linux computers from cyberattacks. Linux is an alternative to Windows, used for internet servers by many companies, and most of the campers had never worked on Linux computers before. "The camp is excellent preparation for any student who is interested in studying computer technology," said Roger Powell, professor of computer science and computer information. "They expand their Windows skills and learn about new technologies such as Linux. This is a fun way to learn as most of the instruction is hands-on with computers. Powell said learning about cyber security is immediately helpful and is a career field experiencing high demand. On the last day of camp, the students participated in a timed competition to work on securing Windows and Linux computers. They earned points for making the system secure and lost points if they did something that made the computers less secure. "It was a great way to see how much they learned," Powell said. San Bernardino Valley College offers multiple degrees and certificates in cybersecurity-related fields, including computer engineering technology, computer science and Cisco-certified network associate.