Cybersecurity Club
By: Daniel Said
In the digital age of ever-escalating digital threats such as data breaches, identity theft, and
cybercrime on the rise, learning cyber security is even more crucial. Our Cybersecurity
Club at school is taking it to the next level this year with an exciting chance for members to
get to know the realm of digital protection. We are proud to say we are actively participating
in the KC7 Cybersecurity Challenge, a national contest that gives members the chance to
gain hands-on cybersecurity knowledge in an enjoyable way. But what is making our club
participation even more dynamic is that we are adding an interactive element that turns the
contest into a school game.
The KC7 contest is an experiential learning platform that imitates real-world cyber-attacks.
Students are learning through cyber hacking data breaches, analyzing suspicious patterns
of activity, and seeing what vulnerabilities are exploited in systems by hackers. The contest
is presented in the guise of a level-based system with a new scenario presented in each
level that teaches the thinking of cybersecurity professionals. The best thing is it requires
no prior experience. Seasoned coding professional or coding newbie, KC7 is designed to
teach along the way. We as a club are committed to providing comprehensive support to
anyone who wishes to take it on. This includes step-by-step instructions on signing up and
learning the challenges and getting the levels done on an individual basis.
In an effort to make it as simple and enjoyable as possible, we are providing step-by-step
instructions to register and are also having weekly meetings to walk through each step of
the contest with the students. Our members and leadership will be on hand to support any
difficulties encountered along the way and are also developing a brief way for the students
to track their point status throughout the challenge. Our intention is to create an
encouraging and supportive environment in which all members are able to boost their
strengths and improve their skills.
In addition to the contest itself, we’re excited to unveil an idea created by one of our
members, Dylan. To engage contestants and keep them motivated throughout the contest
process, Dylan came up with a clever idea integrating puzzle-solving and cybersecurity. For
each time a student completes a level on KC7, a letter of a mystery word will be given to
them. For each level they complete beyond this point, additional letters will be given to
them. When all of the levels are done and all letter distribution has taken place, the kids
will be required to unscramble the letters into a mystery word. The first person to solve the
word correctly and submit it will be declared a winner and be rewarded with a gift card. This
competitive and entertaining element gives another level of excitement to the contest and
keeps people motivated to keep on participating.
The Cybersecurity Club believes this process not only helps to get the students valuable
technical information but also makes learning a process that is enjoyable and lively. By
turning the challenge into a game played throughout the school, we are hoping to tap into a
group of students—from technology buffs to puzzle experts—who perhaps never
considered cybersecurity as an area of interest before. We want to introduce students to
the idea that cybersecurity isn’t all jargon and code; it’s curiosity, puzzle-solving, and
protecting the digital spaces on which we all rely.
Cybersecurity is among the world’s fastest-moving industries with professionals projecting
millions of career opportunities in the next ten years. Competing in KC7 is not a school
contest in isolation—it’s an exercise in learning real-world knowledge, learning what your
future could be like if you were to one day be in this career path, and becoming a
responsible digital citizen in today’s world of technology. Whether or not cybersecurity is a
career path or even learning to protect oneself in cyberspace, this contest is the place to
begin. Interested in competing in the Cybersecurity Club or the KC7 Challenge? Talk to one
of our representatives or join our next meeting. More information on the date and time of
the competitions and meetings will be posted in-school and on our social media. This is an
amazing chance to get involved in an exciting activity, discover a new career path, and even
earn an award. You take the first step to the world of cybersecurity today.
