In a world where cyberattacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated and relentless, the demand for skilled cybersecurity professionals is more urgent than ever. Rising to this challenge, the Orange County Cyber Innovation Clinic at Cal State Fullerton is taking initiative under the CSUF Center for Cybersecurity. The OCCIC’s newest cohort launched their first cybersecurity awareness workshop in September, collaborating with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.
Piloted last year and now expanding to 13 students, the clinic takes a novel approach to cybersecurity education by integrating experiential learning, multidisciplinary training, industry standard certifications and hands-on community service, all aimed at helping secure small businesses and nonprofits that cannot afford their own security by providing them with free cybersecurity support.
The OLLI workshop was conceived to address the critical need to protect seniors from the ever-growing threat of cybercrime. Reports indicate that in 2024, older adults lost $4.8 billion to scams, representing an increase from the $3.4 billion in reported losses in 2023. Furthermore, with the rise of AI-driven scams, including voice deepfakes, the urgency to educate seniors about sophisticated impersonation tactics has never been greater.
Led by OCCIC students Owen De Vita and Daniel Contreras, along with assistance from fellow OCCIC students Brandon Uribe, Joel Rejive, Mitt Sampat, Owin Rojas and Amogh Adluri, the workshop attracted 77 OLLI members. Participants engaged with real-world examples of scams targeting seniors, learning vital skills to identify and stop these threats. The session also covered proactive and reactive measures for safeguarding mobile devices and online accounts, along with practical steps to take if they are involved in a scam. Attendees asked questions and voiced concerns, receiving expert guidance from trained OCCIC students.
Looking ahead, OCCIC planned two additional workshops on Oct. 11. These sessions will feature interactive lectures where OLLI members will engage in exercises to spot scams, assess device security and implement protective strategies. The workshops will culminate in one-on-one sessions, offering personalized assistance from OCCIC students to help seniors secure their mobile devices.
With initiatives like these, CSUF and OCCIC are not only shaping the future of cybersecurity education but also making an impact in the community by safeguarding those vulnerable to cyber threats.