PCI students learn to crack down on malware

Computer viruses can quickly take over your PC, but CyberWave is doing their part to make sure it won't happen to young Portagers.

Portage Collegiate Institute (PCI) students attended a CyberWave seminar, put on by the Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology, so they could learn how simple it could be to add safeguards to their computers. Jennifer Logan, program coordinator for CyberWave, says the first step is to harden your computer.

"Hardening a PC means to protect it," explains Logan. "They're going to learn how to put passwords, administrator rights, and they're going to learn how to remove malicious users and malicious files."

Jennifer Logan.

She adds that getting infected with malware can be as easy as clicking on a link in an email or on a website that isn't secure.

Grade 9 student Caitlin Lobreau says, even though they're mostly in tune with current technology, she walked away from the seminar with some new information.

"My parents are usually the ones that would harden my computer," explains Lobreau. "I'm not really the one in charge of making sure that my data is private. It's honestly pretty fun to see the ins and outs of computers and technology."

Shianne Verwey, another Grade 9 student, says before this, their experience with technology was very surface level.

"It's really easy to install malware. They make it purposefully really easy to just, 'Oops! I got a virus,'" mentions Verwey. "It's also relatively simple to set up a protective service, especially if you know what you're doing."

This was CyberWave's third seminar for the new group, only going to Winnipeg and Winkler before stopping in Portage.