Saint Bernard summer students get a crash course in hacking

June 13, 2024 7:55 pm
• Last Updated: June 13, 2024 8:09 pm

Montville ― After lecturing Saint Bernard School students for a few hours Tuesday about cybersecurity, former U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Brian Sparks reached into his backpack and pulled out 15 USB drives.

Presenting one to each student as a gift, he explained that the small storage size of these drives ― a mere 125 megabytes ― was not meant for storing photos or videos. These were passkeys.

Sparks explained the use of passkeys and other methods of warding off online predators as he spoke at the school’s “Intro to Cybersecurity” summer class, taught by Ann Marie Jakubielski. This is the first year the school has offered the summer course, which according to a brochure teaches students how to detect and safeguard against online security risks including hacking, surveillance and assaults on computer networks.

Director of Programming Holly Cyr said the course is an addition to the school’s already vibrant summer program. Cyr said whether or not the cybersecurity class returns next summer will depend on students’ interest, but she added computer science classes are generally popular.

On Tuesday, Sparks presented a condensed version of the course he had to go through to earn his Navy cybersecurity certification. He said he presented information the students could apply to their own online habits to protect themselves from hackers or other predators trying to steal their information.

One of them was the passkeys Sparks handed out.

“Passkeys are super, super long complicated passwords, basically, that you never see,” he explained to the class. “They’re on your device at all times, so you don’t have to worry about a hacker getting them, because you…