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Get the most interesting and important stories from the University of Pittsburgh.Digital technologies often open new doorways for creativity and collaboration, but rely on cybersecurity analysts, architects and engineers to keep them safe. Pitt’s CyberCamp is training the next generation of cybersecurity professionals, working to address the field’s global shortage of nearly 4 million cyber workers.
For the last eight years, Pitt’s Air Force Association CyberCamp has worked to bridge the talent gap.
The free, weeklong camp — spotlighted this year in a White House report for helping develop the national cybersecurity workforce — is a collaboration between Pitt Cyber and Pitt IT that’s taught cybersecurity skills to more than 1,200 high school students, many of whom are from underserved areas. The CyberCamp team often works with Pitt’s Community Engagement Centers as well as local and regional chapters of the United Way, Boys and Girls Clubs, Urban League and others to identify participants.
“There’s a significant amount of people committed to this,” said Kate Ulreich, Pitt IT’s engagement leader and departmental liaison to ECA, who has coordinated the camp for six years with Pitt Cyber Administrative Director Sarah Barca.
“It’s a true partnership in every sense. The goal is to ensure we’re mindful about diversifying this tech pipeline of students we’re trying to create, so this camp is a workforce development opportunity at its core.”
[Read more: The Cyber Energy Center received national funding to improve cybersecurity measures.]
And it’s working. The camp is in such high demand that registration typically fills up within 24 hours, Ulreich said.
Ember Tomlinson, a rising first-year student, was able to snag a coveted spot. After beginning an ethical hacking YouTube course months ago, they sought more opportunities to learn about the fundamentals of cyber systems and ethics. Hearing about the CyberCamp from their mom, they realized they would have the chance to build upon those skills and were eager to sign up.
Yet, it is the hands-on nature of the camp that has them wanting to return next year.
“The activities, being able to go into a computer system and not only change things but also know how they work … were fun,” said Tomlinson. “It was also really nice to see so many other people interested in this cybersecurity branch and watch them light up when they got to talk about what they found.”
The camp introduces students to professionals in the field and covers various topics and technical skills, including digital literacy, cyber ethics, systems security and Windows and Ubuntu system administration, through a curriculum based on the U.S. Air Force Association’s National Youth Cyber Education Program courses.
Depending on experience, participants are assigned to either a standard or advanced cohort, meaning those with basic and higher-level knowledge are welcome. At the end of the week, campers partake in a hacking simulation competition where they must identify, protect and defend against vulnerabilities to test what they learned.
Tomlinson praised instructors for going their kindness, patience and willingness to let students “learn at your own pace.”
Ulreich estimates that 70% of the camp instructors are Pitt IT employees, all of whom participate on a volunteer basis.
“Many have returned for several years, and that’s a testament to how efficiently the camp is run and the value they see it has for the students in terms of having an impact,” she said.
For additional instructors, Pitt Cyber looks to educators from local high schools and community colleges and UPMC security analysts. These teachers are often paired with a Pitt IT employee, melding technical expertise with classroom management skills, which she said makes for a more robust student experience.
This cross-collaboration has yielded positive results, and not only for students.
“When we first started it was rare to find or see this type of content being taught in high school classrooms, but now many STEM teachers are being required to incorporate some of this content into their classrooms and are excited to do so,” Ulreich said. “It’s nice because they’re off during the summers and they also receive a stipend.”
Along with the generosity of instructors, Ulreich credited The Grable Foundation and EQT Foundation, primary sponsors for the last several years, for their financial contributions and continued commitment to developing the workforce.
With a focus on diversifying the cybersecurity industry, Ulreich said her team is proud to have statistics that are “better than industry average.” In last year’s camp, 58% of participants identified as non-white and a quarter of the spots were allocated for girls.
“We’re trying to get more engagement from girls, and while we’ve not hit the numbers we want, an increase is happening steadily, and we’ve never seen a drop since the start of the camp. It leads us to ask ‘why is that?’ and gives us something to dig into; it’s an opportunity.”
Given the success of the program and requests from students and parents for additional offerings, Pitt Cyber worked with School of Computing and Information faculty member Ahmed Ibrahim on Advanced CyberCamp 2.0, a three-day virtual course launching in July. Registration was full within three days.
“We have seen this work,” said Ulreich. “Building relationships, prioritizing partnerships — even if they don’t seem to make sense on paper — and seeing the success and benefits to students and community members in real life is incredible.
“We have the best partners, and team members who go above and beyond consistently, which is so important because these skills are increasingly important for navigating life and a career.”
— Kara Henderson, photography by Aimee Obidzinski