That’s what STEM³ Academy computer science students learned -and more-  when cybersecurity expert Jonathan Tan delivered a Master Class in challenges and best practices keeping data and information safe.

Jonathan, a frequent mentor and speaker to high school students about cybersecurity, knows the field:  Following a successful stint as a Marines Officer where he worked to keep the country cyber-safe, he now consults with top clients of Booz Allen Hamilton about their cybersecurity practices and enhancements.  He is pursuing a Master’s in this field at UCLA and knows how to keep students engaged, having led a 90-minutes session with STEM³  students in late November 2018.

He shared one of the most valuable tools of the field: ‘pen testing’ (penetration testing), ethical hacking that tries to attack a system, identifying vulnerable areas to shore up.  Jonathan gave students an opportunity to do this in the master class and left several resources where students can practice further.

Oh, those seven layers are the universally-used names referring to areas that keep a network safe (or vulnerable):

Layer 1: Physical

Layer 2: Data Link

Layer 3: Network

Layer 4: Transport

Layer 5: Session

Layer 6: Presentation

Layer 7: Application