Tag Archive for: Students

Cybersecurity a concern for post-secondary students

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A recent Angus Reid poll launched in response to the growth of online learning, revealed that 76 per cent of Canadian post-secondary students surveyed are concerned about cybersecurity. That’s up 10 per cent from pre-pandemic times.

In fact, 79 per cent feel their university or college should be responsible for protecting them from cyber attacks. Nearly half of those surveyed said their decision to attend a university or college would be influenced if the school was known to have experienced a data breach or had a reputation for weak cybersecurity.

Accessing ransomware and hacking tools has never been easier. That’s led to a rise in well-organized and sophisticated hacking gangs able to launch attacks from anywhere in the world. Increasingly, the education sector is being targeted.

Post-secondary schools have a wealth of sensitive data including health and financial information, academic performance records, and personal student and faculty records. These institutions also have extremely valuable, proprietary research and development data and intellectual property.

The COVID pandemic forced colleges and universities to transform their digital capabilities literally overnight. Remote classrooms, research collaborations, student/teacher communications, third-party and vendor management suddenly needed distanced support.

While a quick transition helped ensure the physical health and safety of students and staff, it dramatically increased what is known as the ‘attack surface,’ which is all of the different places unprepared school networks, systems and databases could be breached.

“Cybersecurity is the latest challenge facing higher education institutions, with many students putting the onus on their schools to keep them cyber safe,” said Kevin Dawson, President and CEO of ISA Cybersecurity in an email interview with rabble.ca. “Interestingly, 44 per cent of respondents say their school doesn’t provide enough training and resources to help ensure students’ personal information is protected from threats, yet only 49 per cent say they follow the guidelines that their academic institutions do put out.”

Ransomware attacks doubled in 2021

The study follows a recent…

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Huntsville High students challenge college teams at hacking competition

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HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — As technology progresses and more of our information is placed online, digital content faces greater cyber threats. The National Cyber Summit brought thousands of industry professionals and amateurs to pave the future of cyber security.

On Wednesday and Thursday, more than 100 competitors made up of students and computer specialists from around the country displayed a form of ethical hacking in the Cyber Cup Challenge. Ethical hacking and penetration testing are a major part of cyber security.

“You have to have permission,” said Huntsville High cyber student Aislinn Hamill. “Otherwise, it’s not ethical.”

Ethical hackers identify system weaknesses and security risks before someone with less ethical intentions can exploit them.

“It’s basically finding vulnerabilities for the betterment of the company or the website or such,” said Huntsville High cyber student Eva Aubel. “With express permission to do so.”

Over the two-day competition, the participants found their way through a series of online obstacles by playing a virtual game of capturing the flag. For each challenge completed and each ‘flag’ captured, the teams received points.

“They’ll find an open port, be able to work through the network, and find additional vulnerabilities that exist within the network,” said Sixgen Director of Mission Operations Micheal Slayton.

Eva Aubel, Aislinn Hamill, Hailey Holsonback, and Megan Quin are seniors at Huntsville High School. Their team of four is the youngest group to qualify for the final round of the competition where they competed against college teams from across the country.

Eva Aubel, Aislinn Hamill, Hailey Holsonback, and Megan Quin (from left to right) place fourth in the academic category in the Cyber Cup Challenge at the National Cyber Summit.

“For this week of competition, they’ve had five weeks of experience,” said Huntsville High School cyber security instructor Jim Morse.

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UM Today | Students | Schulich Scholarship recipients ready to change the world

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September 1, 2022 — 

Two remarkable incoming UM students have been awarded Schulich Leader Scholarships. Rebekah Soneye, a student from Murdoch MacKay Collegiate and Marina Caracas Le-Fort from Nelson McIntyre Collegiate will be bringing their extraordinary talents to UM this fall.

Since 2012, UM has awarded Schulich Leader Scholarships to high school graduates beginning their post-secondary education in the Science, Technology, Engineering or Math (STEM) areas of study. The Schulich Leader Scholarship selects students across Canada annually, with awards valued at $80,000 and $100,000.

Rebekah Soneye

Schulich Leader Rebekah Soneye

For Soneye, one introductory computer science class in high school eventually unfolded into an entire passion. Her fascination for the subject grew with every class she took and learning new aspects enthused her every day. She is now beginning her postsecondary education in computer science within the Faculty of Science, as one of this year’s two Schulich Leader Scholarship recipients at the University of Manitoba.

As a student whose only goal is to learn more about what she loves, the disparity between men and women in the field baffles her. “In my [first] computer science class, I was one of three females, and the other two dropped the class in the years that followed,” says Soneye.

This reality propelled her to make a difference. She attended many conferences and followed opportunities that set her up to advance in the field not just as an individual but also as a woman of colour. Inspired by female mentors in the industry, Soneye wants to do the same for those after her.

She started the Girls Tech Club at Murdoch MacKay Collegiate where she taught coding skills to other female students and showed them that pursuing a successful and rewarding career in computer science is achievable despite it being a male-dominated industry.

Having grown up in Nigeria before immigrating to Canada, her experiences and background offer a unique outlook on education. She sets high standards for herself and works diligently to achieve them.

Moving to a new country was a significant transition for Soneye and her whole family, yet she remained consistently excellent. She…

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2 high school students caught hacking teachers' laptops to steal exam papers

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Two high school students in the southwestern city of Gwangju are under investigation after being caught hacking into their teachers’ notebook computers to steal exam papers, police and municipal …

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