Our cybersecurity weekend is back. Learning to keep your kids secure online starts with equipping them with the knowledge and foresight to understand what cybersecurity threats are. If they know how to spot them, they can learn how to avoid them too.
As technology becomes more sophisticated, so too do hackers and cybercriminals. Artificial intelligence adds a whole new layer to information technology as we know it, and practices designed for humans now also need to consider AI. We know all too well the damage that malware, identity theft, and similar threats can cause, not only on a business level but on a personal level too.
It’s an ongoing and ever-evolving scenario that, especially as parents, can seem overwhelming to keep track of. This is one of the main reasons why the foundational skills and fundamentals behind cybersecurity need to be taught to our young people.
Taking Strides To Protect Networks
Experts at organizations such as Google have to stay one step ahead of cybercriminals at all times, employing a team of computer science experts and industry leaders in software engineering to monitor and learn from suspicious online activity. For Google, it’s all about keeping people safe as they surf the internet on Chrome. We are joining forces with them as we present a unique and engaging way to learn more about cybersecurity, right here in Zurich, Switzerland.
Since 2019, TechSpark Academy has partnered with the Google Cybersecurity Action Team to deliver an exclusive behind-the-scenes experience for pre-teens and teens. Known for our online courses and in-person camps, workshops, and after-school clubs, this is the next frontier for us. If we can equip children with the insight to identify and thwart cyber threats, we can rest assured that they can stay safe when working or browsing online.
Eager to find out more? Click here to learn about our Hack @ Google weekend, and why it’s so important that budding IT specialists have a solid grounding in internet security.
Why Is It Important To Understand Cybersecurity?
Learning about online security not only keeps your child safe but can open up fantastic career opportunities as the cybersecurity experts of the future.
If your child is interested in a career in tech, they’ll need at least some understanding of cybersecurity, even if that doesn’t become their specialty. Knowing online risks and pitfalls, and being able to spot potential cyber threats, has become everyone’s business.
Take A Look Behind The Scenes
Google has made an excellent behind-the-scenes series of short films, Hacking Google. If you’re unfamiliar with the world of hacking, we really recommend going onto YouTube to watch at least some of this accessible and entertaining series. These case studies will also give you a valuable glimpse into why knowledge of cybersecurity is so essential for anyone who works with operating systems or in IT.
As a lead-up to the event, we spoke with Zurich-based Google computer scientist, Jan Keller, who’s part of the Google Cybersecurity Action Team (GCAT). He gave us a taster of the insights that will be on offer at our Hack @ Google Teen Cybersecurity weekend, explaining how online safety awareness benefits us all. Users need to be able to “keep the pitfalls in mind”.
What’s The Best Way To Keep Your Kids Safe Online?
The answer lies in understanding cybersecurity. As every parent knows, a simple “Don’t” is rarely enough for a pre-teen or teen with an inquiring mind! Instead, the workshop engages participants with gamified challenges that go directly behind the scenes to uncover hackers’ techniques to steal personal information, take over websites, and plant ransomware.
As Jan puts it, “Just as in ‘non-online’ life, understanding the risks helps to keep you safe.” Our Hack @ Google weekend is designed not only to teach this fascinating facet of the tech industry but to lead to more excellent online safety through a thorough knowledge of each potential risk. Students will learn about digital forensics, web exploitation, cryptography, reverse engineering, or the investigation of malicious software used in an attack.
Are There Careers In Cybersecurity?
There certainly are, just ask Jan! Typical cybersecurity roles include security analyst, security engineer, and some software engineer roles too. Jan himself is a technician in the dedicated Google Cybersecurity Action Team. Regardless of the direct career opportunities, as he points out, anyone working in a software development or maintenance jobs will benefit from a solid understanding of cybersecurity issues.
If you watch Hacking Google’s short about Operation Aurora, you’ll see that one of the heroes of the hour was Tim Nguyen, who was responsible for maintaining Google’s Windows systems. Tim became a pivotal part of this ground-breaking security operation when a Windows machine was compromised, although his job technically wasn’t a security-based role.
In short, anyone who wants to have a career in tech should have a good knowledge of cybersecurity – and that’s just another reason why TechSpark Academy’s Hack @ Google weekend is so important.
Who Are The Google Cybersecurity Action Team?
In the words of VP of Security Engineering, Heather Adkins, Google’s cybersecurity experts are there to make sure any hackers who attempt to infiltrate Google’s systems “have a very bad day”. Makes them sound like the 007 of the cyber world!
As well as responding to real-life incidents, the team actively helps prevent them through advice, solutions, policy shaping, and educational events, like our Cybersecurity Hackathon.
How do these cyberheroes work? Jan explains that being able to think like a hacker is a key skill when setting up security measures:
‘Adopting the “attacker mindset” helps you understand how an attacker might attempt to exploit a system…’
So yes, Google’s Switzerland’s security team will indeed be teaching our kids how to think like hackers. Not only will they find this fascinating and fun, but you could go so far as to say that children walk out of this course with a renewed sense of confidence, especially when it comes to the lives they lead online.
Other key traits for a cybersecurity expert are a willingness to learn and explore uncharted territory – plus of course, an in-depth understanding of the technical frameworks you’re working with.
Learn Cybersecurity Skills From Google Experts
When you think about the wide reach and user base that Google has, the knowledge that the cybersecurity departments have to hold is immense. At TechSpark, we’re so thrilled that Google experts are hosting our weekend Hackathon in Zurich: what better teachers could our students hope for?
Our Cybersecurity Weekend - Back By Popular Demand
Are your children captivated by cybersecurity and big tech? Or do they simply love to discover the fun-filled Google offices of Zurich, Switzerland? There are still some spaces available for Hack @ Google, our in-person Hackathon weekend in March 2023. Students have a choice between a one-day event on Saturday (less demanding, and good if you just want to come in and out on the same day) and a full weekend for students more experienced with code.
They’ll experience a fun, informative day packed full of engaging content that will enable them to learn all about cyber threats and how to tackle security problems. It’s also a great opportunity to learn about careers in tech as well as learn to flex their online skills in a way that will support their development, not hinder it.
The Specifics
There are two different courses running:
- A one-day (Saturday 11 March) Cybersecurity Workshop (ages 12+)
- 10h30-16h00
- Ideal for those who will be coming into Zurich for the day
- A two-day (Saturday the 11th and Sunday the 12th of March) Teen Hackathon (ages 13-17)
- 10h30-16h00
- Ideal for more experienced coders and those who want to take a deep dive into the topic
Both events will be held at Zurich’s famously game-changing Google HQ. Your children will get to go inside (that alone is epic) and learn about cyber threats and the tools to overcome and outwit them from the local experts. There will also be a demo of different Google gadgets, including going behind the scenes to discover how an in-depth discussion into how Google Earth works.
Spaces are filling rapidly for both courses. Book a place for your budding hacker today.
Registration closes Monday, 6 March 2023 at 12PM.
We also have a packed program of other in-person learning events coming up: take a look at our website to find out more about our courses and workshops.
TechSpark Academy Online Cybersecurity Learning
One final note, while we are on the topic of building the skills of your child, TechSpark has a wide range of topical online classes, from online learning modules about cybersecurity to coding for kids.
Learning to code in languages such as Python is a giant leap towards equipping your children with a robust online security toolkit. It’s a particularly popular choice with children and teenagers, as Python is the language of Instagram, YouTube, and Google’s search engine, not to mention a favoured choice for game developers too.
Sign your children up for our Code in Python coding course, hosted online at regular intervals throughout the year by the TechSpark Academy experts who developed the course.
Spaces are limited, so don’t delay. Sign up here.
