Boot Camp Lessons In Cyber Security
Northumbria University has teamed up with two leading cyber security organisations to run a boot camp training event for computer science teachers and academics. The two-day ‘Certified Ethical Hacker’ course will teach attendees how to test for weaknesses in online security systems which could be exploited by malicious hackers.
The aim is to ensure teachers at schools, colleges and universities in the UK have the very latest cyber security skills, and can pass these onto their students.
The course is being organised by the International Council of Electronic Commerce Consultants (EC-Council) and the cyber security educators’ community organisation CISSE UK, in partnership with Northumbria University. It will take place at Northumbria’s award-winning Computer and Information Sciences building this weekend.
Northumbria has a strong reputation in the field of cyber security and is an academic partner of the EC-Council, as well as an accredited examination centre for the Certified Ethical Hacker assessment – an internationally recognised qualification.
All final year students on Northumbria’s Computer Networks and Cyber Security BSc (Hons) degree are given the opportunity to undertake the Certified Ethical Hacker exam, receiving a separate qualification from the EC-Council alongside their degree if successful.
Dr Neil Eliot is a Senior Lecturer within Northumbria’s Department of Computer and Information Sciences and has coordinated the University’s partnership with CISSE and the EC-Council which led to this weekend’s boot camp event.
A certified ethical hacker since 2014, Neil believes giving teachers the latest cyber security skills is essential to ensuring students have the skills needed to stay safe in an increasingly digital world.
He said: “So much of our lives are conducted online these days, and while this is often more convenient it also means our personal information is at risk from hackers.
“It is vital that we teach young people about the risks of sharing information online, how to spot a potential threat and what to do if they suspect they are being targeted.
“The best time to do this is while they are studying at school, college or university, before they enter the world of employment, but this means ensuring their teachers are up-to-date with the latest cyber security developments.
“We are delighted to be hosting this first Certified Ethical Hacker boot camp at Northumbria University and hope this is the first of many such events we can offer to educators across the North East and beyond.”
Philip Blake, EC-Council Regional Director (Europe), said: “EC-Council's Academia division strongly believes in supporting faculty, students, and Cybersecurity ecosystems across the world.
“Groups such as CISSE, in partnership with higher education, industry, and government have also been instrumental in influencing Cybersecurity program expansion and development.
Find out more about Northumbria University’s Department of Computer and Information Sciences, CISSE UK, and the EC-Council.
