KeCSEC works with local School for Safer Internet Day 2021

On Monday 8 February, Kent cyber security researchers (Professor Shujun Li, Dr Virginia Franqueira and PhD student Sarah Turner) gave a talk at St Edmund's School in Canterbury, to share their experience on cyber security research and education. This talk was one of a series of events initiated by the Kent Cyber Security Educational Centre (KeCSEC), part of the newly established Institute of Advanced Studies in Cyber Security and Conflict (SoCyETAL) at the University of Kent.

The key message to pupils, parents and staff was that cyber security is a highly interdisciplinary topic, meaning anyone, no matter what their interests, can play an active role in cyber security and online safety and go on to develop a career in this field.

On the following day, for Safer Internet Day (Tuesday 9 February), Sarah went on to support the School with one of five different interactive sessions, aimed at getting pupils to delve deeper into the world of cyber security. In this session, children took on the role of a Cyber Security Inspector in their own home. Based on their findings they were asked to come up with a series of tips on how everyone can be more safety aware.

Virginia said, "As the new Director of KeCSEC, it was a pleasure to engage with pupils and parents at the St Edmund's School to talk about the diversity of career paths available in cyber security, and the main skill involved with each one of them. KeCSEC's main ambition is to educate and infuse the next generation of cyber security experts, and I hope we made a step in this direction."

Sarah said:" It was a great opportunity to spend time with a group of students who were keen to learn and think more about cyber security beyond what they may learn in the curriculum.  In helping with a session where the students acted as cyber security investigators in their own home, it was exciting to be able to share ideas of cyber security practice with them that they could immediately put into practice and discuss with their friends and family."