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North Carolina Wing Hosts First CyberCamp

Group photo during Final Challenge
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Seniors members were both teachers and students, even during the Cyber Camp's final challenge. Photo Credit: 2d Lt Virginia Khouri, CAP (click image to view full size)
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NCWG members learn how to prevent cyber attacks

10/15/2017––The NC Wing held its first CyberCamp on 4-6 August 2017 at Wing Headquarters in Burlington, NC.  

In today's world, cyber warfare has become the new way to attack people and nations. Cyber-attack results can be devastating. Millions of people lose billions of dollars every year and national security interests are at risk. Over the last decade or so, cyber security has become a serious issue and there is a very real need for job fulfillment in that sector.
 
CyberCamp was designed to teach cadets and senior members how to prevent attacks in the cyber world. It was a three-day event, with an introduction and “psych-up” hour the first day, cyber security education on the second day and a graduation exercise on the third day. The introduction covered the “why” of cyber security, the need for teenagers to begin training now. The encouragement was aimed at convincing the cadets that their participation in CyberCamp and pursuit of a career in cyber security is very much anticipated and encouraged. There is a great need for cyber security positions to be filled with qualified professionals.
 
Capt Roy Vestal, CyberCamp Director of Curriculum explained, “The North Carolina CyberCamp design and concept was started after being an instructor at the Virginia Wing CyberCamp, an instructor for the Cyber Defense Training Academy, National Cyber Security Academy, and being a part of the MER Cyber Working Group. It was clear that the cadets were not only wanting basic training, but there was a need to give more training at the wing level. The MER Working Group had been working on a wing level program and VA had tried it and found it well received. At the approval of the MER Cyber Programs Director, Lt Col Sydow (VAWG) I took what we had discussed in our working group, what I had been involved with at the Virginia Wing CyberCamp, and the needs we had seen at the NCSA level. Then I used a modified structure of the NCSA, along with the curriculum concepts of the wing level program and that's what we beta tested in NC.”
 
From all over the NC Wing, qualified professionals taught the cyber security education and training courses. It was an introduction to what the cyber world endures and the basics of security. Our qualified professional instructors included:
 
1st Lt Omar Khouri (NC-082) – Windows
2d Lt Robert Mankin (NC-825) - Windows
1st Lt Rob McCauley (NC-150) - Linux
Lt Col Donald Becket (NC-143) - Forensics
1st Lt Paige Carlson (VA-102) - Forensics
Maj David Schuh (VA-056) - What is a Computer/OS, Binary Math, Google 101
Capt Roy Vestal (NC-048) - Network Introduction
 
Lt Col William Sydow (MER-001) served as the CyberCamp Director. Capt Roy Vestal was the Director of Curriculum and headed the graduation exercise. 1st Lt Kate Maxfield ran Administration. 2d Lt Virginia Khouri was the Safety Officer and Public Affairs Officer. The event Cadet Commander was C/2d Lt Tobias I. Vestal.