Sharjah, Tuesday, April 9, 2013--American University of Sharjah (AUS) has recently held a Cyber Security Boot Camp to spread security awareness to general computer users. The boot camp addressed cybercrime and included lectures, live demonstrations, real-world examples and interactive practical labs.

The three-day camp was intended for students and professionals looking to expand their knowledge in computer and network security and make them more aware of the cyber security threats and ways to protect themselves. Participating professionals included representatives from Mubadala, Dubal, Sharjah Free Zone, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and AUS, to name a few.

"The use of IT is so common these days and people are using it to do a multitude of tasks, from paying their bills online to staying in touch with their friends. This shifts the dynamic of hackers, who unlike five years ago, are no longer choosing to target major organizations and their servers but individuals instead," said Dr. Fadi Aloul, the camp organizer, who is Associate Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at the AUS College of Engineering. "Hackers are now targeting the weakest link--human beings--and by obtaining the password of just one student, they could gain access to so much more," he said.

Many organizations are now trying to help professionals and university and high school students manage their accounts, thereby taking proactive steps to prevent cybercrime. A prominent theme of the AUS Cyber Security Boot Camp was securing individual accounts.

Topics addressed in the boot camp included information security, hacker types, goals, motivations and targets; challenges of securing information; social engineering and identity theft attacks; password security and encryption; wireless and mobile security; web security and phishing attacks and email security and spam attacks; to name a few. Attendees learned about the latest cyber security threats and attacks against users, at home and in the office. A half day was dedicated to the safe use of social media such as Facebook and Twitter.

"The training environment was excellent as were the topics, trainer and venue. We had the flexibility of raising questions at any time and the camp has helped me to enrich the cyber security details and related knowledge. I learned new and interesting topics which will help me in increasing the level of security awareness in my organization. In one word: amazing," said participant, Maryam Bukhashem, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority.

About AUS
American University of Sharjah (AUS) was founded in 1997 by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qassimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah. The university was envisaged by His Highness as a leading educational institution in the Gulf region. Located in University City, Sharjah, AUS is a not-for-profit, independent, institution of higher education formed on the American model.

It offers 26 majors and 54 minors at the undergraduate level, and 13 master's degrees through the College of Architecture, Art and Design; the College of Arts and Sciences; the College of Engineering; and the School of Business and Management. These programs are designed to meet the challenges of a competitive and dynamic business and industrial environment.

As a provider of quality higher education in the Gulf, AUS is licensed and its programs are accredited by the Commission for Academic Accreditation of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in the United Arab Emirates. AUS is accredited in the United States of America by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, and by the Department of Education of the State of Delaware.

The bachelor of science programs in chemical engineering, civil engineering, computer engineering, computer science, electrical engineering and mechanical engineering offered by the AUS College of Engineering are accredited by ABET, www.abet.org, of the United States. The Bachelor of Architecture program of the College of Architecture, Art and Design is accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB) of the United States. The Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) as well as the Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) degrees offered by the School of Business and Management are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

For more information, please contact:
Miriam Kiwan
Director of Strategic Communications and Media
+971 6 515 1040
mkiwan@aus.edu

Nazzal Yousef
Director of Media Relations
+971 6 515 2157
nyousuf@aus.edu

© Press Release 2013