By KATHRYN KABE, for The Democrat
Security breaches, “Bug Bounties,” threat reporting and nanny cameras that brought down the internet — on Jan. 18, eighth-graders at Brown County Junior High School were able to hear about all of these topics and more.
Joshua Streiff, of Indiana University’s School of Informatics and Computing, came to talk with students during the Brown County Career Resource Center Speakers Bureau presentation on cybersecurity and defense.
Streiff brought several adorable Cloud Pets that the kids were able to cuddle. Our students soon learned that these sweet-looking toys held a potentially sinister secret: They can be used by people out in the street to access information inside our homes.
Streiff helped the students learn how to safeguard themselves from this particular cyber attack.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]Students also had the opportunity to find out about the 2.5 million cybersecurity jobs that will need to be filled in the next five to 10 years.
Although students do not necessarily need to be mathematicians for one of these careers, they will need to be curious and want to solve problems, Streiff said.
If you have a chance to speak with one of our eighth-graders, ask him or her why Fitbits are no longer allowed on military bases, or how long it could take to break into a voting machine and modify it. The answers are eye opening.
