Students in the Information Security course at the University of New Mexico’s Anderson School of Management are taking what they learned in the classroom and reaching out to the Albuquerque and surrounding area schools. Students are traveling to local high schools, middle schools, and even elementary schools to demonstrate safe computer behavior and raise awareness about best practices on how to protect your personal information.
In the spring of 2008, Alex Seazzu, director, UNM Center for Information Assurance Research and Education (CIARE), began the program with his Management 636 class.
Seazzu has several upcoming presentations at area schools this month including South Mountain Elementary School, Nov. 19 - 9:15 a.m.; Eldorado High School, Nov. 19 - 12:40 p.m.; Our Lady of Assumption Catholic School, Nov. 20 - 9:30 a.m.; Bosque Farms Elementary School, Nov. 23 - 11 a.m.
Topics will vary depending on the age of the audience. For example, safe social networking practices are a common topic for general high-school classes as opposed to more advanced computer security techniques for high school computer classes.
The student presentations have been well received over the past two years. Parents and teachers of the students have been very appreciative of UNM’s public outreach program as well.
“One of the goals UNM faculty is seeking is to raise the public’s awareness of the dangers inherent to the Internet and computer systems that contain private and personal information,” he said. “In particular these efforts are targeted at those most trusting and vulnerable, our children.”
Children and young adults today are relying more on computers than ever before. Social networking sites have become increasingly popular as a result. MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter are a few of the most popular social networking sites. Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, recently announced that his estimates now provide evidence that the number of users has exceeded 200 million. Consequently, the number of Internet predators has increased as well.
The University of New Mexico is the only four-year institution with a program that combines the efforts of national labs, the NSA and DHS, and the FBI’s Regional Computer Forensics Lab. (RCFL). The demand for information assurance skills is strong and will continue to be as technology only gets better.
For more information visit: Information Assurance.
Media Contact: Alex Seazzu, (505) 277-8451; e-mail: alex@mgt.unm.edu