High school computer science courses have been growing in popularity recently. With technology advancing, it has become important for students to have a deep knowledge of computers and technology as a whole.

This need is why Jesuit High School Sacramento has created the newest edition to the computer science menu: Foundations of Cybersecurity.

By creating “Foundations of Cybersecurity,” computer Science teacher Mr. Richard Hanson hopes to provide students with basic cybersecurity knowledge.

“I want to have [the course] be a class that guides students through the learning of all the different aspects of cybersecurity from cyber hygiene, from how do I properly use a computer, what do people know about me, and how are exploits in websites, how do those occur and how can they be prevented?” Mr. Hanson said.

Computer Science teacher Mr. Peter Strawn ’04 is delighted by the creation of this new course because it gives the computer science field a positive look.

“It’s a great thing to offer, having this selection of computer science offerings from web development, app development, web security, and cybersecurity,” Mr. Strawn said. “It shows the breadth of the field that computer science can take a lot of forms”

Mainly due to COVID-19, Computer Science courses at Jesuit took a big hit. Mr. Strawn believes that a course like this could help revive computer courses at Jesuit.

“I also think about where the program was before I got here and there was a huge cybersecurity club that due to COVID and other factors took a hit in attendance and activities, and I think starting a class up like this will kind of fuel those activities again,” Mr. Strawn said.