LU Cyber Camp prepares next generation for careers in computer science

Liberty University’s Center for Cyber Excellence hosted the LU Cyber Day Camp from June 24-28, offering high school students the opportunity to gain practical experience in the field of cybersecurity.

Liberty’s Center for Cyber Excellence, part of the School of Business, aims to increase security concern in the local area as well as provide additional educational opportunities at all levels of education.

The 30 campers from the Central Virginia area spent the week completing various training exercises as well as participating in two competitions — a Capture the Flag event and a Red Team vs. Blue Team challenge.  In that challenge, students were tasked with defending their software from opposing Liberty students and alumni who were trying to “hack” into their systems.

While many actual cyber situations have serious stakes and consequences, this camp allows students to make mistakes and learn from them without the risk of jeopardizing their respective machines, or worse.

LU Cyber Camp Program Director Ben Johnston said that this camp served four major purposes: recruiting candidates for Liberty’s cyber program, getting children interested in computer science from a young age, creating community outreach, and sharing the Gospel. He noted the main way that camp staff fostered a Christian environment throughout the week was by intentionally seeking to develop Christian character through the camp instruction and prayer.

“(LU Cyber Camp) is a very intentional place for the formation of Christian character, which we pray will sow seeds of the Gospel in those who may not know the Lord,” he said. “For those that do follow Christ, we hope it sharpens them and makes them eager and hungry to come and learn in a place where you can get the technical and job-ready skills, but you can also form your Christian character through the Word in a community with other believers.”

Johnston said that familiarizing the next generation with computer science at an early age will not only instruct them on how to use technology safely on a day-to-day basis, but also may prove critical in helping those children have a jump start on future careers in cybersecurity.

“Read the news on any given day and you will read about different data breaches and different state actors trying to hack into our infrastructure,” he said. “We need passionate, talented youth to take an interest in computer science and secure it through cybersecurity to fill these high-paying jobs and get out there to help protect the nation in the interest of Americans.”

“At the beginning of the camp, we took a poll of how many students are actually interested in a career in cyber, and we had a handful,” Johnston added. “By the end of the week when we asked them the same question, at least a third of camp was quite enthusiastic about wanting to learn more to the point where they were asking for additional resources and asking how they could keep learning on their own to get ready for a degree or career in this field.”

Last month’s camp marked the ninth consecutive year that the Center for Cyber Excellence has hosted cyber camps, with the program continually receiving high praise from its attendees and their parents. Offered this year at no cost to participating families, the camp slots were filled within 24 hours of the initial posting.

Bryan Osborne, whose son Brennan participated in this year’s camp, said he appreciated the efforts of Liberty’s faculty and staff to host the event.

“This was Brennan’s fourth year attending and each year he looks forward to attending the following summer,” he said. “The staff is incredibly encouraging and models the importance of cyber ethics through a biblical perspective.”

Johnston said that last month’s camp is only part of the university’s continued emphasis on building connections with K-12 students. He himself plans to teach cyber at at least one high school this upcoming academic year. Also, Liberty students who serve in the Cyber Patriots program, a national youth program designed to inspire K-12 students toward careers in cybersecurity,  will be doing guest lectures at local high schools.