Participants of the inaugural YCEP at SP's Cyber Wargame Centre
To strengthen Singapore’s cybersecurity capabilities, an integrated talent pipeline that starts from pre-tertiary students is essential. Hence, CSA collaborated with Singapore Polytechnic’s (SP) School of Digital Media and Infocomm Technology (DMIT) to organise the inaugural Youth Cyber Exploration Programme (YCEP) on 11 to 14 and 19 to 22 June 2018 at SP’s Cyber Wargame Centre. The programme aims to introduce secondary school students to the opportunities of a cybersecurity career. With no prerequisites required for participation, YCEP shows secondary school students the different fundamental cybersecurity concepts through lectures and hands-on exercises, and increases their awareness of the cybersecurity profession through career guidance. Students are also given the opportunity to pit their skills against one another through a mini Capture-the-Flag competition at the end of the programme.
Commenting on the programme,
We hope to create more awareness of cybersecurity as a career option among the secondary school students. There is a serious workforce shortage in this area and it is therefore important for us to start nurturing young talents who display keen interests and aptitude in this field.
Mr Liew Chin Chuan
Acting Director of DMIT
Facilitated by lecturers and students from DMIT, 98 students from 18 secondary schools took part in the inaugural YCEP. They learnt about different areas in cybersecurity, including cryptography and digital forensics. Participants went home with Certificates of Competence or Certificates of Attendance while winning team members also received Gold, Silver or Bronze medals.
CSA is glad to collaborate with Singapore Polytechnic to develop the inaugural run of this programme. Aside from the encouraging number of sign-ups, the young participants also relished the hands-on opportunities to apply what they had learnt. We hope that the programme has opened their eyes to the exciting possibilities of a cybersecurity career.
Dr Melvyn Kuan
CSA’s Lead Consultant (Ecosystem Development)
CSA intends to work with more polytechnics to expand the reach of the programme to more pre-tertiary students in 2019.
