With everything on the Internet being so accessible these days, it's helpful to know that the things we put online will be safe. That's why girls from across the U.S. traveled to Dakota State University this week to brush up on their cyber security skills.
This is Celia Nevin's second time attending the GenCyber Camp at DSU. She'll be a high school freshman next fall, this summer she's is excited to get schooled in cyber security
"I kind of want to learn the basics of cyber security, like password cracking, that's a class I am going to take. And I kind of want to learn how it all works, both with software and hardware," Nevin said.
Luckily, Nevin got registered for the camp in time. There are 100 girls on a wait list who were hoping to get in. Since its so popular this year, DSU is planning to expand the program next year.
"This year we have 7th, 8th, and 9th, and we have 144 which is the max of our dorm capacity. Next year, we will switch dorms, or expand our dorms, and use two dorms and expand our camp again," Ashley Podhradski said.
While girls aren't often associated with coding, hacking and hard wiring computers, these girls represent a technological revolution.
"This camp is just focused on increasing girls' representation within the field of cyber security. So having environments where girls are able to explore their interests could potentially lead to more people pursuing a higher education and then careers in this field," Podhradski said.
Nevin is among girls from five states taking part in this week's camp, she's from Sioux Falls, but some of her classmates came from as far away as Texas and New Jersey, all of whom are hoping to get an early start in the latest developments in cyber security.
"It's really important because technology is so big and it makes it very easy for someone to get a hold of your personal information and to use it against you, and so I want to stop that from happening," Nevin said.
During the week the girls will be able to strengthen their skills in programming, networking, and security, along with other elective courses.
This is Celia Nevin's second time attending the GenCyber Camp at DSU. She'll be a high school freshman next fall, this summer she's is excited to get schooled in cyber security
"I kind of want to learn the basics of cyber security, like password cracking, that's a class I am going to take. And I kind of want to learn how it all works, both with software and hardware," Nevin said.
Luckily, Nevin got registered for the camp in time. There are 100 girls on a wait list who were hoping to get in. Since its so popular this year, DSU is planning to expand the program next year.
"This year we have 7th, 8th, and 9th, and we have 144 which is the max of our dorm capacity. Next year, we will switch dorms, or expand our dorms, and use two dorms and expand our camp again," Ashley Podhradski said.
While girls aren't often associated with coding, hacking and hard wiring computers, these girls represent a technological revolution.
"This camp is just focused on increasing girls' representation within the field of cyber security. So having environments where girls are able to explore their interests could potentially lead to more people pursuing a higher education and then careers in this field," Podhradski said.
Nevin is among girls from five states taking part in this week's camp, she's from Sioux Falls, but some of her classmates came from as far away as Texas and New Jersey, all of whom are hoping to get an early start in the latest developments in cyber security.
"It's really important because technology is so big and it makes it very easy for someone to get a hold of your personal information and to use it against you, and so I want to stop that from happening," Nevin said.
During the week the girls will be able to strengthen their skills in programming, networking, and security, along with other elective courses.