Forbes Road students bring cyber-security presentation to Monroeville library

Sep. 27—Aiden Gerhart of Monroeville said exploring the internet without a basic working knowledge of scams is like getting onto a boat without a compass or an atlas.

But the second-year student at Forbes Road Career & Technology Center doesn't want people new to the online experience feeling belittled.

"A lot of information about cyber-security geared toward older people kind of treats them like they don't know anything," said Gerhart, 16. "But it's just a new experience. Most people generally know about (scams) but maybe don't know how to navigate it."

Gerhart and classmates Matthew Goss and Larson Blum are hoping to change that taking a cyber-security presentation to seniors in the communities Forbes Road serves, starting Wednesday evening at the Monroeville Public Library.

Blum, 19, a second-year student from East McKeesport, was introduced to technology at a very young age.

"My dad was into networking stuff, and I really developed a love for it," he said. "I came to Forbes Road and knew it was exactly what I wanted to do."

Blum, Gerhart and Goss are all in George Karnbauer's computer networking and security class, where they are learning to design, maintain and security information technology systems from hacking, computer viruses and other threats to corporate and personal data.

Goss said the presentation focuses on the types of cues that give away an online scam, whether it's perpetrated through social media or email.

"We designed our presentation around older people, who are disproportionately targeted because they're seen as more wealthy and more trustworthy," Gerhart said.

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Goss said participants will create a dummy password and run it through a website to determine its strength, and will also take part in a "Jeopardy!"-style quiz on the finer points of cyber-security.

Karnbauer is excited to take the presentation public.

"Making it and bringing it to the districts we serve is part of the community-service component of their education," he said. "Our goal is to push this out to libraries, community centers and other places."

The cyber-security presentation will take place at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the library, 4000 Gateway Campus Boulevard in Monroeville. A second presentation is set for Oct. 26.

For more, call the library at 412-372-0500.

Patrick Varine is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Patrick by email at pvarine@triblive.com or via Twitter .