The Sul Ross State University Homeland Security and Criminal Justice Department, in partnership with the University of Scranton-Pennsylvania, offered a Cyber Security and Cyber Crimes Investigation Camp for area high school students in Alpine July 9-11.

Through hands-on, active learning experiences and lessons by both university professors and professionals working in the field of cyber intelligence and cyber security, 13 students from Alpine, Fort Davis, Marfa, Del Rio, Presidio, Terlingua and students from Scranton schools, with whom the Alpine campers collaborated, had a unique opportunity to explore possible career paths in this emerging, dynamic and in-demand sector.

During the training, students learned about the basics of cybersecurity, cybercrimes and profiles of cybercriminals, cyberlaw, cybercrime investigations, cryptocurrency investigations, artificial intelligence investigations and deepfake detection.

The curriculum included lectures, hands-on exercises, case discussions, a tour of SRSU’s data center, computer simulations and a capture-the-flag competition. Classes were taught in Digital Forensics and Cybersecurity Lab. The group “Blue Gatorade,” consisting of Sul Ross campers Bowen Corbin (Fort Davis), Zachary Noll (Big Bend) and Edgar Reyes (Del Rio), won third place among 15 groups from the University of Scranton and SRSU competing in the capture-the-flag competition on the last day of the camp.

In addition to instructors from Sul Ross, the University of Scranton, the University of Miami and Boston University, staff from the SRSU OIT office and the Alpine FBI office also participated as instructors in the camp.

For more information, email oguzhan.basibuyuk@sulross.edu.

Photo: Campers were presented with a certificate of completion by Dr. Oguzhan Basibuyuk, professor and chair of the Department of Homeland Security and Criminal Justice.