Ambizione Italia for Cybersecurity: Youth Learn about Security, too
Sometimes the advice of a shrewd teacher can change a student’s life, opening previously unimaginable scenarios. In fact, it’s what happened to sixteen-year-old Karola, in her third year at the Liceo scientifico Galileo Galilei in Catania. A young woman like many others, who likes reading, sports and rhythmic gymnastics (“a big commitment, but lovely”). Karola is not a nerd … “I use PCs to make my presentations look better and clearer, and to study in general,” she explains. “However, I also like to surf the Internet for on-line games or for school papers.” So, how did she end up amongst the participants of the Protect Cyberspace on IT security?
Onelia Onorati, who manages the Fondazione Mondo Digitale Press Office, was attracted by Karola’s story, because the webinars organised by Project Ambizione Italia for Cybersecurity are not really meant for students. However, Karola’s professor believed that it could be a precious tool to enrich her PCTO (Soft Skills and Orientation Courses). It just took Onelia a few questions to understand the simple but interesting story that we would like to share with our community.
“I confess that when my teacher involved me in this PCTO project, I didn’t have great expectations. The specifics of cybersecurity were not exactly amongst my main interests. However, the course drew me in. After each lesson, besides reviewing my notes, I began asking for further material.”
What changed your outlook?
I thought it was going to be an advanced IT course and that I would not understand much, but instead I realised it was a true opportunity to improve my IT security skills, improving my use of social media and allowing me to better protect my accounts.
How did it affect your use of digital devices?
I understood that surfing the Internet haphazardly can negatively influence data and research. Now, I also understand basic issues related to cryptography and comprehend its utility. I’m miles ahead of before, when I knew it was used (i.e., on WhatsApp) but didn’t understand what it was. I now choose more complex passwords and make sure that any information I share is not shared with people I wish not to involve.
What will you do now that the course has ended?
I have also changed my research methods. I no longer go for the first site I find but check various to make sure that the information is correct. And I no longer accept the information found in on-line encyclopaedias, either. In the long term, I would like to study medicine. I will go to university strong of the foundations I have developed in high school and hope to become a doctor.
Now that Karola has discovered the full value of prevention, in both medicine and IT, we are sure she will be an excellent doctor for her patients.
