In a world where malware and hackers are becoming increasingly common, cybersecurity knowledge is more important than ever. At Arcadia High School (AHS), the Cybersecurity Club is here to help. 

At AHS, the Cybersecurity Club aims to educate members on how to safeguard against a technological attack. Whether you have a casual interest in technology or are interested in pursuing cybersecurity as a career, the Cybersecurity Club encourages anyone who is eager to learn to come to their meetings. 

“In a typical meeting, you’d usually see me or one of our officers giving a lecture on one of the many areas of cybersecurity,” said President senior Wesley So, “whether that be methods of hardening servers or the many attack vectors hackers can take advantage of.” 

They also focus on more professional aspects of cybersecurity, teaching the fundamentals and tools that professionals use, such as Linux. Linux is an operating system similar to Windows or macOS that manages hardware and software. It is also the most popular operating system for web servers; therefore, it is a big focus of the Cybersecurity Club. 

A huge goal of the club is to increase the number of people who have some form of technology education. They hope to empower students of all backgrounds to navigate technology safely and responsibly. 

“Joining Cybersecurity is a great way to learn how to protect yourself online, especially in a technology-heavy world,” said Vice President sophomore Jonathan Chuang. 

The Cybersecurity Club also plans to compete in this year’s National Youth Cyber Defense competition. The competition is run by CyberPatriot, a national youth cyber education program that was created by the United States Air Force Association. It involves the process of finding and fixing cybersecurity vulnerabilities in Windows and Linux operating systems, as well as a quiz and a networking exercise based on training materials. It is open to both middle school and high school students, and winners of the competition can win scholarships from sponsors such as Gannon University and Cisvo NetAcad, as well as cash prizes. The competition starts off through online rounds, and then the best teams get to advance to in-person finals. 

“I’m really looking forward to the CyberPatriot competition; it will be very exciting and a great opportunity for our club!” said So. 

Members will learn many useful skills and get to interact with fellow students who are also interested in cybersecurity. Meetings are held every Friday during lunch in G-105, and the officers encourage all students to pay a visit.