Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 10, 2024)
Page 14 January 10, 2024 Martin Luther King Jr. 2024 Special Edition Cybersecurity Skills For Children Mom and teen launch cybersecurity education book and game for kids In February 2023, London and her mom, Claudia, were invited to the White House to participate in a roundta- ble discussion on the state of cybersecurity in the Black community. London, the only teen at the event, wasn’t in- timidated by the moment. “She never ceases to amaze me,” says her mother. “Here she is, a kid, sitting next to some of the most influential people in the White House, and she raises her hand, turns on her microphone, and ex- plains why cybersecurity ed- ucation is such a critical skill for children to learn.” London’s mom wasn’t the only one impressed by her daughter’s poise. During the roundtable event, London re- ceived a full scholarship to Virginia Union University in Richmond, Virginia. “It was an amazing opportu- nity,” says London. “Before par- ticipating in the event, I knew very little about cybersecuri- ty because we weren’t talking about it at home or school.” According to a 2020 report by Cyber.org, only 10 percent of schools offer cybersecurity classes. Although schools of- ten employ firewalls to limit students’ access to non-aca- demic sites, London insists that there are dangerous loop- holes that educators and poli- cymakers need to be aware of. “My peers are smart. We know how to get around firewalls. The problem is that some of these workarounds might in- fect our devices with malware or viruses. These are serious risks that no one is educating us about.” During the White House event, London and her mom jointly announced their com- mitment to co-author The ABCs of Cybersecurity to London Walker, a 15-year-old African American high school student and aspiring lawyer, has launched a new book for Black and brown children entitled The ABCs of Cybersecurity. teach children how to pro- tect their privacy and stay safe online. After months of researching and collaborating with orga- nizations like Black Girls in Cyber and #ShareTheMicIn- Cyber, the mother-daughter duo is excited to debut their newest book and a cybersecu- rity game on January 6 — Na- tional Technology Day. In addition to teaching chil- dren about digital citizenship, the authors also hope to raise awareness about the need for more diversity in the cy- bersecurity field. Illustrated by Dissirama Laurencia, the book pays homage to Afri- can-American trailblazers like cryptographer William Coffee, cybersecurity attor- ney Camille Stewart Gloster, and Elijah Muhammad, who earned cybersecurity and computer science degrees when he was 13. When asked what makes this project unique, London said, “My little brothers love video games, so we created an online cybersecurity game that kids can play by scanning a QR code in the book. We’re using technology to make learning fun.” The ABCs of Cyberse- curity is available for pur- chase through HBCU Prep- School.com and select retailers nationwide.
