UCCS hosts Community Cyber Hygiene open house

(COLORADO SPRINGS) — The University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) hosted a Community Cyber Hygiene open house at the National Cybersecurity Center in Colorado Springs as part of its Day of Service on Saturday, Oct. 19.

The free event aimed to help attendees improve digital safety, regardless of their experience with technology. Forty-five freshmen from the UCCS Cybersecurity and Computer Science Department, along with industry professionals, provided personalized training on key topics, including creating strong passwords, implementing multi-factor authentication, recognizing phishing scams, securing home networks, and protecting devices with up-to-date antivirus software.

“I think it’s really wonderful because as a student, you take a lot in,” said Gretchen Bliss, Director of Cybersecurity Programs at UCCS. “But then if you can teach it and share it with someone and watch them understand. I think that’s really amazing because then you see the light go on for them and that changes your perspective sometimes. I mean, students are young. They probably haven’t had this experience very much of how to converse, how to explain something to somebody who maybe just doesn’t understand.”

It was a valuable opportunity for the community to enhance their cybersecurity skills. Attendees acquired practical skills they can apply immediately to improve their digital safety.

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