Becoming a researcher is not a career path many high school students hear about when considering their future. But an Arizona State University internship aims to change that.
This summer, 23 Phoenix-area high school students were given the opportunity to participate in an eight-week cybersecurity research internship.
Now in its fourth year, the Center for Cybersecurity and Trusted Foundations' summer program partners high school students with graduate student mentors from the center and the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence for collaborative research on campus.
The program wrapped up on July 29 with the students presenting the results of their university-level research. The event took place at the Brickyard Courtyard in Tempe, which was overflowing with high school, college and graduate students, professors, and parents. The interns discussed their experiences, the challenges they encountered, and their findings.
“When I was an undergraduate, I had no idea what Ph.D.-level research was like,” said Adam Doupé, director of the Center for Cybersecurity and Trusted Foundations. “The program is an excellent way to expose high school students to research.”
ASU is a major research university, ranking fifth in the U.S. for research expenditures among universities without a medical school. The cybersecurity internship provides multiple opportunities for participants, including exposure to:
➡️ Emerging concepts and technologies.
➡️ Prominent researchers in a world-class research lab.
➡️ Computer science programs for students considering attending ASU.
"It allows students to understand the latest in cybersecurity and really get their hands dirty writing code and solving complex cybersecurity challenges,” said Doupé, who is also an associate professor in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence.
Jackie LeFevers, assistant director at the Center for Cybersecurity and Trusted Foundations, said the internship "helps students get into the research mindset and the possibilities there if they continue to follow the path."
Daniel Jian was one of those students. During the eight weeks, he researched applications that performed unwarranted tracking — especially on children — despite the regulations and policies that are in place. Jian discovered which unauthorized third-party trackers were being used to monitor kids.
“I’m an advocate for internet privacy,” said Jian, 16, of Litchfield Park. “If we can’t expect companies to respect children’s privacy, how can we ensure anyone’s privacy?”
Jian, a junior at Arizona Agribusiness and Equine Center at Estrella Mountain, analyzed the code of the apps to find the unauthorized trackers. At the end of the internship, he said, “I am satisfied with the program and proud of what I did.”
Read the full story on ASU News: https://ow.ly/US0Q50SRy5y
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