Boosting Cyber Awareness

Motivation

In the era of rapid artificial intelligence (AI) development, cybersecurity education has become increasingly critical, as emerging threats target both traditional computing systems and AI-enabled platforms. Preparing the next generation of digital citizens requires innovative, hands-on approaches that go beyond theory to build real-world skills and awareness.

Goal

The goal of this work is to design and evaluate immersive Cyber-AI Summer Camps that equip high school students with both cybersecurity fundamentals and an understanding of AI security. The 2024 camp introduced core cybersecurity concepts using Raspberry Pi devices, while the 2025 camp expanded the curriculum to include AI fundamentals and the security of AI-enabled systems using Nvidia Jetson devices. Both camps integrated keynote talks from professionals, hands-on labs, and culminating hackathons to reinforce learning.

Results

Our findings show that this immersive model—combining advanced hardware, peer teaching, and industry engagement—successfully cultivates passion for cybersecurity and AI while also strengthening students' confidence, collaboration, and innovation skills. Student outcomes demonstrate not only deeper technical awareness but also the development of critical competencies necessary to prepare the next generation of cybersecurity and AI leaders.

Publications

Listed below are our publications based on this research:

Prof. A. K. Belman, Ms. M. Grace Li, Prof. K.i Liu, Mr. Anish Roy, Prof. X. Su and Prof. M. Moh, "From Raspberry Pi to Nvidia Jetson: Boosting Cyber Awareness and Propelling Future Leaders through Cyber-AI Summer Camps", Cyber Awareness and Research Symposium (CARS), October 27- 30, 2025, USA