Infosec Night: The Instructor's Tale

The Instructor's Tale: Inspiring, Teaching, Empowering, and Mentoring the Next Generation of Hackers

SUMMARY: Dry run for the talk that I am currently scheduled to give at the inaugural BSides Idaho Falls conference (@BSidesIdFalls) on September 15.

“How can I inspire my child or teenager to do what you do? What should I teach them?”

Some of the most daunting questions that we infosec veterans will inevitably face are likely to come from a non-infosec parent or guardian of a child, asking how to get their child or children involved in security or other computer-related field, and where to start. The real question that should be asked is how to engage the younger generation; how to get their attention, keep them focused and ignite the spark of curiosity within them; to foster a passion for learning the art of cyber defense (or conversely, the ‘dark arts’ of being a red teamer).

After twenty years of experience in IT/Infosec and teaching several workshops at Security BSides conferences in and around our nation’s capital, and helping his child to see the world through the eyes of a hacker, one person has developed a simple little acronym that has served him well when sharing his knowledge with others - ITEM. Inspire. Teach. Empower. Mentor.

GOAL: To obtain feedback from my peers so I know where to tweak things, and to have fun.

THINGS TO BRING: Questions, comments, food and drink.
GUESTS TO BRING: High school and college students, as this talk will be primarily aimed at this particular age group.
SKILL LEVEL: Everyone
PRESENTER: Kerry